By Patrick Southwell:
I’ve worked from home every day for the last 18 months. Just like so many others, the commute has been from the kitchen to the loft and back down again. During lockdown, days merged into each other. Months flew by, while also dragging themselves out endlessly.
Luckily, I think the worst of the pandemic is over. Especially from a personal perspective given I’ve had COVID and both jabs. However, that doesn’t mean a return to how things were before. In fact, while lots of people are now going back to the office, the ONS says that 85 per cent of us want a hybrid model from now on.
In short, everyone is used to some level of home working and want the option to continue. It’s become the norm and we expect to connect with colleagues remotely – even if not all the time.
Therefore, Five not 10 is launching as a virtual agency (for now). It’s what we’re used to and often what clients expect. In fact, far before the pandemic, I spent most of my time on the road working between offices in London, Reading, Bristol and occasionally Munich and New York. What is more, most of my clients have been based around the globe for many years.
One recent large customer had a team spread across the Middle East, Romania, the UK and US. We had regular calls, created great content and achieved fantastic results. We didn’t need an office to do that.
We believe it’s the same for us as we get going. We’ve invested in great technology and have all we need to continue doing fantastic work from our respective home offices. If we need to meet, we can do so wherever our clients want us. And as we grow, we can consider the requirements of staff and offer a hybrid working model.
So, as Five not 10 launches and we go back to the office, we’re continuing the same old commute we’ve done for ages. Up the stairs in the morning. Down the stairs in the evening. Does it change anything in terms of the work we do? No. Does it mean we’re any more remote from our clients? No. Does it mean we get to pop for a walk at lunch time and be home on time? Yes. And do we get to meet with clients in cool locations of our choosing? Yes.
Fancy a cocktail?
