All posts by Awfis Editorial

5 Spiritual Destinations to Enlighten the Entrepreneur in You

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Entrepreneurs, however ambitious and goal driven maybe, have a deep and peace-loving side to them. You too possess an intuition and need to clear your mind every now and then. Your contribution matters and is of great significance, a simple fact we all need to remember. We all make mistakes but clearing one’s mind after, and capitalizing on it as a growth lesson is what differentiates successful entrepreneurs for the herd.

Here are 5 spiritual destinations to enlighten the entrepreneur in you!

1. Puducherry – Auroville:

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A universal experimental township in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. In the mid 1960’s the concept was put before the Government of India and UNESCO, in 1966 they passed a unanimous resolution commending it as a project of importance to the future of humanity, thereby giving their full encouragement. What can you do there? Visit & stay, volunteer & intern, study, join & enjoy workshops & therapies with the option of donating, shopping and a lot more. An ideal destination to meet like-minded people, with the intention of growing and developing ourselves.

2. Gandhinagar – Akshardham:

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Located in the capital of Gujarat, it’s a large Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Swaminarayan and inspired by Pramukh Swami and his life and teachings. Akshardham is a place of education, entertainment and enlightenment, a miracle worked by the sacrifice of thousands of volunteers. The complex has 5 exhibition halls with audio-visual presentation and life-sized dioramas to explore various themes in Hinduism, one of the most powerful experiences of Indian culture we can experience in current times. They also have a water show and the opportunity to explore a course in Social Harmony too! Visiting this place will mentally uplift you in a manner, no other place may.

3. Himachal Pradesh – Hills:

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In order to free yourself from your thoughts, all you need is mountain-hills-snow and fresh air which the Himachal hills can provide, naturally. It’s not an escape route but more of a hibernation zone you can explore to cut off from this fast pace world. We aren’t recommending this location because Mark Zuckerberg and Steve Jobs were here, but the hills & the surrounding atmosphere helps a person to rejuvenate and apply new thoughts to live life. A spiritual destination, especially for the adventure lovers.

4. Dharamshala – Kangra Valley:

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The Dalai Lama’s residence and the Central Tibetan Administration is in Dharamshala city, it is one of the hundred Indian cities to be developed as a smart city under PM Narendra Modi’s flagship “Smart Cities Mission”. Apart from the obvious, one of the main attractions of Dharamshala is Triund hill, a one day trek at the upper reaches of McLeodGanj.
So as an entrepreneur, you may also be fascinated by the political relationship between India-China and Tibet. This place is one of the most recommended destinations for the ones who are in search of peace, harmony, snow-capped mountains, along with adventurous activities! We recommend a movie, “Seven years in Tibet” which will thoroughly inspire you to go to this location. Don’t think twice, visit Dharamshala.

5. Amritsar – Punjab:

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It’s the spiritual capital of the Sikhs and has gained its name, “Amritsar – Holy Pool of Nectar” from the body of water around the Golden Temple. The exquisite Golden Temple and the vibe around the location are unmatched and attract pilgrims from all over the world who come there to pay their respects and do voluntary service. The temple complex is open for almost 20 hours every day, with free food served to all, irrespective of their religion, cast or creed. The corporate jungle with its fearsome competitive environment, sometime takes over the human side of us. Food & local beverages, farms, Royal Enfield rides, music, volunteering work, Indo-Pak relation and Pehlwani & Kusti – this place is all encompassing.

The more we see the more we realize that life is meant to be lived happily. There is no cultural or corporate barrier to happiness. So take some time off, pack your bags and visit one of these places, immediately. Your soul is trying to speak to you. We say, high time you travel and listen to that voice.

If you are finding a healthy workplace, look for business centre in Bengaluru or co-working space in Lower Parel, Mumbai.

6 Inspirational Movies Every Entrepreneur Must Watch

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Have you ever walked out of a movie where you felt inspired by the story and made a decision to start something new? Or have you thought of movies as a window of expression for great change?

Here are some movies that you should watch if you are thinking of starting your own business or running a cool start up. These movies will leave you with a vital lesson and help sustain a motivated spirit towards your goals.

1. The Social Network:

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It’s not a surprise that The Social Network was a huge hit when it released in 2010. Everyone wanted to know the transition of Mark Zuckerberg from being a Harvard student to a CEO of the most popular social media network.

Why would you want to watch it? The movie is entertaining yet an instructive lesson for entrepreneurs on how a startup should exhibit qualities such as flexibility and resilience to be successful in the market.

2. Pirates of Silicon Valley:

Piratesofsiliconvalley

Made for a TV movie, Pirates of Silicon Valley  covered the success of Bill Gates and Steve Jobs (Microsoft and Apple Inc.) The movie provides an interesting insight into the lives of these iconic tech heroes and their rivilary in the earlier days.

Why should you watch it? We always need inspiration from the best and who is better than these iconic pirates of Silicon Valley who have mesmerised the world with their brilliant ideas. It motivates you to follow your dream and go through it no matter what hurdle comes your way.

3. Office Space:

OfficeSpace

Raise your hand if you are planning on quitting your job to start your own business! This comedy movie focuses on Peter Gibbins who hates sitting in a cubicle and taking orders from his superior at the workplace.

Why is it a must see movie? You will see the signs of your inner entrepreneur and it will drive you to start working towards your dream venture.

4. Money Ball:

Moneyball

The movie focuses on a Billy Bean, Okalan A’s manager who transforms the weaknesses of the underdog team into strengths. He manages making a team out of meagre resources and a unique strategy. The team wins 20 consecutive baseball games breaking the American League record.

Why it’s a movie to learn from? It inspires an entrepreneur to look at situations positively and turn lemons into lemonade. You will understand the importance of innovation when it comes to standing out from competitors.

5. Jerry Mcguire:

Jerry-maguire

What does it take to stay on top of your game? Based on a true story, Jerry McGuire faces rejection and people turning their backs to him while he takes a leap of faith and quits his full time job. He identifies the best road to follow and ends up being successful in both professional and personal life!

Why watch it?  It’s important to realize that it takes time for everything to fall into place. Time and effort is what takes you to your dream destination. Simply know that you will succeed and nothing can stop you!

6. Wallstreet:

Wall-Street

This movie focuses on the dark side of insider trading . It follows Bud Fox, an ambitious stockbroker who will do anything to succeed and has a motto of ‘Greed Is Good’. But you can see the turn of events when he is asked to contribute to something illegal and morally reprehensible.

Why do you need to watch it?  It’s a lesson that every entrepreneur should learn, being an entrepreneur isn’t about being rich or famous it’s about pursuing your passion. This movie will teach you not to sell yourself for the sake of money.

Which of these movies help you draw inspiration? Share your thoughts and also help us with movies not on this list that every entrepreneur should watch?

Interested in creating something huge?  Join our business centre in Bengaluru, or our co-working space in Delhi.

Market Your Freelance Career - Awfis

5 Effective Strategies to Market Your Freelance Career

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What’s better than doing the job that you love and getting paid for it? That’s the life of a freelancer. You get the best of both the worlds where you get to mix passion and profession together. Freelancing is no magic, you can either be an individual with your own website or a part of a team who has been taking up projects from various clients for over a period of time.

Freelancer

If you are a freelancer and are wondering about the next steps to make it successful, here are some strategies that we think will help you make it a long term career.

  1. Create a checklist of your deliverables:

The first step to promote your freelance career is to list down your skill set in the order of strength. It can be writing, graphic designing, creating video content or anything else that you think is your forte. Once you have this list ready, your reality will be in front of your eyes. The strengths can eventually result into a niche market of your own, via freelancing.

  1. Make sure your content reaches your target audience:

In today’s world identifying your potential client, plays key while marketing for the freelancer. In order to ensure this, make sure that your content is shared on all the social media platforms. For example, if you have created a video make sure you maximize it on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and other relevant social media platforms. With this you can increase the visibility of your content and influence them with your content.

  1. Do not forget to focus on e-mail marketing:

E-mails are the best way to reach the correct target audience. The click through rate might be less compared to other social media platforms but around 90% of the audience using e-mails check it daily. People sign up for various sites knowing that they would be receiving mails from that particular website. It is the easiest way to cover a large network area. If you are a little shy or lack the opportunity to connect with the right market, cold emailing will be the best way to reach out to your target.

  1. Maintain your website traffic and Inquiry section efficiently:

The easiest way for people to contact you is through the inquiry section on your website. Do respond to inquiries as soon as you can as this will uplift the credibility of your brand. Along with that make sure Search Engine Optimisation and Search Engine Marketing for your page/website is up to mark. As they say, optimizing the page is better than being lost somewhere amidst millions of similar searches.

  1. Get referrals from your clients:

Referrals provide authenticity to your work. Word of mouth is better than any other form of marketing. Use it as an advantage and get credibility for your work. Effective relationships are built over a period of time. They not only enable you to reach out to your potential clients, but also motivate you to perform better. Do not hesitate to get testimonials from clients you’ve delivered great service to!

Using these strategies will prove beneficial for kick-starting your freelancing career. If you are ready and confident about your freelancing skills, it’s time to implement these strategies in reality!

Apps to Increase Productivity - Awfis

5 Apps to Increase Productivity at Work

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Life has become much easier with the advent of technology. With access to latest technology, work has become less strenuous. The biggest contribution to technology has been the invention of smartphones. They have not only made communication easy, but also play core to organize our lives. The hundreds of ‘add on apps’ have made life stress-free and have definitely helped increase productivity, in every possible way.

App

Here are some applications that we feel will help you outperform at work.

  1. WandurList:

As the name suggests WandurList is an app that helps you in maintaining a number of lists. It is a clean application which enables you to make multiple lists under various folders. It is available for Android, iOS and web users, but what makes it stand out is that WandurList enables you to access the lists from anywhere and from any device. The lists that you make are saved in the cloud, thus letting you share the lists with the other users. So the next time you are out of your office and need to assign work or access previous work, WandurList will be your go to app.
wunderlist.com

  1. Shoeboxed:

Tired of keeping track of your expense receipts before submitting for tax reduction every month? We have a perfect solution for you. Use shoebox and say goodbye to the strenuous process of filling out forms. Shoeboxed is perfect for people who are up and about in the name of the business. Shoebox can access either via android, iOS mobiles or also via the web. Scan the bills and Shoebox sorts out and collates the receipts for you and also generates an expense report.  By the end of the month all you will have to do is send it out to your accounts team.
shoeboxed.com

  1. Speek:

Conference calling is an important aspect of how work happens in the business world. With growing business environment one needs to connect to people from various parts of the world and that’s where Speek steps in. It is an application that enables you to have a con-call by eliminating the process of dialling the numbers and the pin codes. Speek gives you a personal link which has to be shared with the people you want to have the conference call with and all they have to do is click the link to join in via their laptop, smartphone or the computer. So want to make a conference call? It’s just a link away now!
speek.com

  1. Keeper:

Have a lot of passwords of various platforms to keep track of? Tired of sending email to the IT to retrieve your passwords? This application takes that burden of remembering passwords off your shoulders. You have one master password that has all the passwords stored in it. If any hack is attempted all the passwords are automatically erased to maintain secrecy. This application can be accessed via a phone, laptop or a computer with the android, IOS software or by using the web.
keepersecurity.com

  1. Prezi:

Need to make flawless presentations that capture your client’s attention? We have a unique cloud based presentation application – Prezi. This app lets you put down all the information on one canvas and mark it out instead of making separate slides. It uses Adobe Flash Technology to animate the presentation. The application is easy to use and is also compatible for Windows, chrome, iOS and the Web.
prezi.com

Try the apps out and see the increased productivity that these applications bring about in your work life!

Join our business centre in Bengaluru, or our co-working space in Delhi.

The Creative Habit - Awfis 

5 Ways to Build Creative Habits

Work Life Balance,

A dream is easy to harbor but requires discipline and dedication, in reality. Most of the times it has been noticed that people make big plans but rarely execute them. While it’s not easy to set things into motion, it is not impossible either. We say, list down your ideas and then follow the following suggestions to help build long lasting creative habits.

Creativity

  1. Always foresee the bumps:

It’s always better to anticipate potential roadblocks. You never know when you might get stuck due to multiple reasons, such as, a writer’s block or lack of inspiration. So when that moment arises do not get frustrated, rather focus on how to best cope up with it. What really helps is taking a day off to conquer the problem and start with a fresh mind the next day.

  1. Create boundaries to separate your personal life:

Treat your writing time and place as a sanctum. If you are in the middle of your creative time and you get calls from family, push this aside as long as they are not urgent calls. The best way to stay out of this is to keep social media away and phone silent whilst your creative side is at its best. This is a good way to keep distractions at an arm’s length and produce some of your best work.

  1. Don’t break the chain of thought:

The more time you put into your task at hand the more confident you get. Research is the first step towards your creative project which serves as a foundation and takes your work to great heights. So in order to not break the creative process, delegate some time every day to creativity even if it involves staring at a piece of paper . Eventually, seeing the number of days delegated to this at the end of every month, will thoroughly inspire you.

  1. Look for fresh insights:

In order to get a fresh perspective you need to let yourself free of your comfort zone and think from another space. It always adds to the same idea that you have been working on. Another really interesting way is by connecting with a new set of people and getting to know them. You just never know where your ideas get shaped into a success story.

  1. Reward yourself:

Positive enforcement drives you towards your objectives. Set goals and when you achieve them give yourself a pat on the back. Go for a movie, pamper yourself, buy your favourite book and make yourself feel like a winner. You totally deserve it!

Need some creative time out? We suggest follow these points, create your reality and then narrate your success story to the world. You are very close to it!

All you need is to place a team within a network of shared office spaces.

Freelancers Work - Awfis

Freelancers Work Better in Office Spaces than Coffee Shops

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You would have seen freelancers and solopreneurs working intensely at coffee shops, buying a cup of coffee accompanied with something to bite on now and then, more to keep the table occupied rather than ordering by choice! But working out of a coffee shop comes with a set of challenges. Being in such a relaxed, casual ambience for work, you are not really motivated enough and you can only rely on self-motivation to keep you going.

Thankfully, this is something that can be resolved by working at collaborative office spaces. Leased workspaces and desks that you can find on a reliable collaborative working website like https://www.awfis.com/inspiration/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/shutterstock_3835072871.jpg.com will also give you access to all amenities that you need when you work in an office, like free Wi-Fi and unlimited tea and coffee to keep you fueled up.

Freelancers in office spaces

Freelancers are looking for offices spaces with a positive atmosphere to conduct their work. More often than not, freelancers have a lonely job. They are at their laptops doing their work. However, at home, they have several distractions to keep them away from their desk. Coffee shops do not make the best talking environments for productive business meetings as a plethora of distractions come your way. No such worries exist in a collaborative working space where you are paying rent to be at your desk for work.

Let’s talk about the motivation factor now. Because you are in a roomful of people working on their desks, you are motivated to be a part of that workforce. You can make some great professional friends. As a freelancer, you cannot deny that working alongside others is a much better feeling that being a lone wolf, especially on days when things are a bit rusty. The general working ambience keeps you afloat, something that you find in plenty of plug & play rented office spaces.

If you have not considered working in a collaborative working environment, now is a good time to do that. All your criteria will be met and your business will commence in a cheerful and inspiring environment. After all, your venture deserves only the best.

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Changing The Commercial Office Space Landscape With Awfis

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The concept of working from a designated desk is slowly dying a premature death. Young professionals are no longer bound by the idea of a fixed office desk. For them office is their laptop and they take it where they want! When it comes to getting a super productive work space on a ‘Just in Time’ basis, without being bound by the lease period or lock in’s, all you will need is to login to Awfis.com.

Our Pro-Working Centres are collaborative working structures that provides several advantages over working from home or even the nearest coffee shop! One key advantage is the immense flexibility offered through the easy to use mobile app . You can begin work at a short notice, immediately after acquiring the leased office space. There is no long lease period that you have to be bound with or limitations of continuing work in that same space for long. There are even premium cabins and fixed seats at Awfis centres that one can book from the Awfis App.

Rented Coworking offices in mumbai

Along with flexibility, comes the factor of freedom. When you enter into an agreement with Awfis for occupying its workspaces on rent, you hold the key to walk out of the arrangement as you see fit! There are no legal obligations to keep you chained. For example, if your startup is not really taking off and you want to discontinue with the office, you can opt out without any hang-ups. You can shift premises as per your requirement to meet the demands of your business as well.

Another advantage of working out of Awfis is the proximity of the office spaces with the transport lines of the city. All the major properties of https://s3-ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/uploaddocumentstomakeitpublic/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/25142525/shutterstock_3835072871.jpg, be it Mumbai, Bangalore or New Delhi, are located in a central business hubs. Your clients and customers will be able to visit your office in a jiffy. These locations add a lot of value to your business. In fact, when your own commuting hassle is drastically reduced, you are in a better position to work harder!

Awfis has several strategic business partners who provide preferential professional services at a subsidized rate as an additional offering to all its members. The amenities offered at https://s3-ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/uploaddocumentstomakeitpublic/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/25142525/shutterstock_3835072871.jpg centres include Wi-Fi, unlimited hot beverages, printing credits and meeting room credits. Therefore, after operating out of our pro-working centre’s for even a week, you will seldom consider the idea of shifting elsewhere. Once you have experienced working at Awfis, it will change the way you think about collaborative working.

Young Entrepreneurs in India - Awfis

For Young Entrepreneurs in India, Awfis is the New Office

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As they say, all you need to succeed is a big idea!
However, in the fiercely competitive world, you have to be careful about how you use that big idea. When you start off, you have multiple challenges on your side, including the really daunting one of arranging for start-up capital. You will be surprised to know the number of Unicorns which started off on a shoestring budget.

Things have changed since. You no longer need to set up a big office space and buy all the furniture necessary to set off your own company. Welcome to a new way of working out of an office: Awfis! At Awfis, you will get exactly what you need for your start-up or your work as an entrepreneur: a highly productive space to conduct your business.

Awfis is your new Office

Collaborative working has been around for a while now, but it is only now that it is starting to catch up here in India. At the forefront of this change is Awfis. We have Pro-Working centres where you can work in your own leased offices, along with your own team of professionals. For those who are playing it out as a lone wolf now, this is a better opportunity to make your mark!

There are many reasons why Awfis is the new office today. For example, the meeting rooms which we have in the leading cities of the country are all located in premium destinations. The centrality of the location makes it easier for you to commute and network with people for meetings and discussions. Clients and customers will not shy away from visiting your office premises because it is far away. Your business is in a better position, location wise.

Additionally, you are working alongside professionals who can turn out to be excellent future business contacts for you. Who knows, you may get the next big project from the person seated right next to you in the collaborative working ambiance! Also you may not have to hunt around for a professional in a desired field because the person may be working in the next cabin. Collaborative pro-working spaces are an excellent choice for business networking.

Awfis ensures that you get the best technological and infrastructural support when you work in our Co-Working centres. You will appreciate the environment and that will certainly inspire you to work even harder, the wind beneath the sails that you need when you are starting off.

Work from Home in India - Awfis

Is Work from Home Really Working in India?

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Let us begin by answering the same with an interesting statistic: Only about 10% of the total workforce in the world works from homes. In India, where being present in office and spending time there is considered a major part of its work culture, this percentage is quite low. Other than a few leading IT firms, the concept of working from home has not really flown too well in India.

The prevalent work culture that goes against the grain of this idea is only one side of the coin. That too, the tip of the proverbial iceberg! Work from home does not work for most companies because employees often misuse the privilege. In fact, they cannot be blamed in totality as well. Anyone working from home is seldom taken seriously, even by those living in the house. It is common for others in the house to call them for household chores while they are working in their station at home!

Therefore, does this mean, that it is only an office environment where one could get some productive work done? There is now a convenient solution for you in the form of ‘Just in Time’ office spaces and desks on lease. At these flexible work spaces, you can get your work done and still not be part of an office. You may be a freelancer or someone who likes working alone. If home is not working for you or you want to boost up your productivity somewhere quieter and with no distractions, you should try out the collaborative working model.

 

Is Work from Home Really Working in India?

This model allows you to work alongside other professionals. You will not miss out on motivation that one usually draws by watching colleagues at work. In collaborative working offices, you will be flanked by several professionals from diverse fields. As they work hard in the same room as yours, you will be inspired to do the same. The thriving work culture in such leased workspaces will boost your productivity like nothing else!

Work from home is fading out anyway. A major company like Yahoo! has already pulled the plug on its work from home policy. More are sure to follow. From the perspective of those who like to work from home instead out of an office, collaborative working is what you need. It will bring you the best of both worlds: the comfort and convenience of home married to the throbbing work ambiance of an office.