Storefront is the worlds leading online marketplace for renting short term retail space. With a digital offering for a physical product, Storefront understand the importance of a combined ‘phygital’ approach to running a business. With an aim to make 94% of offline retail accessible to any business, Storefront are driving innovative brands towards the future of retail through aiding their holistic and combined retail strategies.
How does a growing, global company with a physical offering find business continuity by working from home in a stop-start economy?
We talk to Charlie Farr, Co-founder of Storefront
What is your profession and where you did you work before COVID-19 kicked in?
I am the Co-founder and Director of Storefront. Before the pandemic I was working alongside the rest of the Storefront team at our HQ in Cavendish Square. Like many other companies, employees are now encouraged to work from home when possible.
Given the current circumstances, where do you now work the majority of the time?
My wife and I now both work from our home in South London.
What are the benefits of the way you work now?
Time is key for any working parent. I spend a lot less time travelling during the working week which saves on the cost of travel and eating out when working long days. I have been able to create space to exercise consistently without having to wake up at an unsustainable hour which contributes to increased productivity. I have more time with my family, and less distraction from colleagues. When I need to focus on a task, I can turn off emails and other lines of communication until I have completed it.
What are the challenges of working from home?
I have tried working from coffee shops to find this separate space. The cost of a co-working space near me was around £45pd, a coffee shop could be anything from £5-£10pd, but they are noisy and there are confidential calls I cannot make without packing up and leaving.
Whilst less interaction with colleagues can help with efficiency, communication is key when it comes to running a company. We have had to find ways to compensate for this to enable open streams of communication throughout the working week.
My commute was also one of the few times where I was forced to stop and reflect at the start and the end of the day. I miss having that space to think, the space to fully prepare for or wind down from my day and to separate my work life from my home life.
How would having a dedicated space to work from home be beneficial for you?
Ideally I would like a space where I can split work life from home like, so that I can enjoy the benefits of working from home, without the challenges that I have mentioned. We looked into an extension, but with planning and building, we don’t know what the working world will be like by the time the end-to-end process is completed so have decided to hold off.