Saying goodbye to the commute
I used to work in a traditional Monday to Friday office based role – water cooler chats, passive aggressive post-it notes and stapler wars – the full works. Whilst my job was challenging and well rewarded, it was a weekly commute of 420 miles. Have you ever driven from London to Glasgow? It’s REALLY far. I’d recently moved to a fabulous new house (thanks to the traditional job) that was desperately unloved, and spending so much time not actually in it was frustrating.
A workspace in progress
Since joining Hoxby, the flexibility inherent in the ethos of the company has changed my life dramatically – I can work in my most favourite place of all: my home. The morning commute has diminished from an hour (on a very good day) of sitting in traffic, to the time it takes me to walk from my bedroom to my home office downstairs. I work in a semi-renovated office space in the house: log burner installed and fully re-wired. Being in the house that I’m working so hard to renovate is what keeps me fully motivated and focussed on doing the best I can. New flooring, plastering, and colour coming to the space soon!
My working companion
The very best part of my workspace is that I get to share it with Maddy (aka The Moomatron), my beautifully ageing Staffordshire bull terrier, who is just the best office buddy. Her tea making skills aren’t up to much, but she’s one heck of a listener and doesn’t indulge too much in office gossip. She even forgave me that time I accidentally rolled over her paw because she silently crept into the office behind me whilst I was working, like some gorgeous little canine ninja. My switch in workstyle has meant her morning walk has gone from a brisk 20 minutes to a full hour of quality fresh air and rabbit hunting in the fields near where we live.
Starting the day right
After walking Maddy, then there’s time for a hearty cooked breakfast. Porridge with cinnamon and blueberries is my ultimate brain food – slow release carbs are everything for a productive day. I make sure the log burner is fully stoked, and settle in to my Hoxby work as Accounts Receivable Manager. I’m in charge of raising all invoices and sending them to clients for settlement. Cashflow is a hugely important issue in any business, and I work hard to make sure this is looked after by ensuring our payments are all raised and received on time.
Workspace essentials
Its really important to establish what is going to work for you when it comes to your working environment, whether at home, in an office or hot-desking somewhere – personally all I need is a large glass of water, a calculator and absolute silence – which is why being at home works so well for me.
Housework, of a very different kind…
Once all things Hoxby are sorted for the day, I can indulge in some serious house work. No standard chores for me though. My key tools are a crowbar and a hammer. This house isn’t going to renovate itself!
Laura Derryman-Warren is Accounts Receivable Manager for The Hoxby Collective. Highly organised, she knows her way around spread sheets and has a keen eye for detail. Juggling invoice creation, cash flow management, and account settlement whilst dealing with a full scale house renovation, she is a master of multi-tasking. She also worked for twelve years as a Personal Tax Advisor, dealing with all aspects of individuals financial affairs. Happily based in the South West, she enjoys the great country air.