Small businesses lead the way with remote working

This is according to a new survey by telecommunications giant, Orange. In their survey of almost 2,000 customers they found that 74% now choose more creative workspaces including the beach, football grounds and even a barn at a dairy farm.

Orange also found that 82% of business owners surveyed believe they are able to work as productively in a flexible workspace or at home compared to a traditional office.  It seems this improved productivity – a result of flexible working, subsequently means that business owners can finish their work earlier with 55% of respondents working six hours or less a day whilst a third admit they focus solely on work so they can finish earlier than they would if they were working in an office.

The majority (46%) said they relied on a mobile or smartphone to work flexibly. This contrasted  with the 26% who continue to work in an office and said their average day lasted at least eight to nine hours.

Martin Lyne, SME marketing director, Everything Everywhere said, “When running a business, many dream of shorter more flexible working days with the hope of leading a better quality of life. Whilst there is no denying that setting up a company can involve a lot of blood, sweat, tears and time; what this research highlights is that small and medium business owners are able to work when it suits them and make the most of their free time. The Orange business customers that were surveyed felt that they were able to get a lot more done in the day, not only in terms of finishing their day earlier (or starting later), but by also having the option to mix work and daily chores throughout the day through working more flexibly.”

The news is at odds with recent findings from the Trades Union Congress (TUC) which found that nearly one in five workers want to work from home but are being prevented from doing so by their employer.