New research from Sage UK reveals that half of us are now ‘remote workers’ with unusual working locations on the rise

Newcastle, 5th July: Britain is a nation of digital nomads with half of all people now working out of the office at least once a week, and more than one in four (27%) of us working out of the office every day.

The research, conducted by business software and services provider Sage amongst 1,000 business owners, revealed that 15% of people work whilst commuting on the bus or train. However, it also found that 1 in 20 people have now made the great outdoors their office, having completed work either up a mountain or on a beach.

While stereotypes may suggest that the coffee shop or golf course are the common business locations away from the desk, the study revealed some unusual alternatives with one respondent working from a cow barn and another firing up their laptop at a rifle range.

When working outside the office many participants undertake a variety of in-depth tasks that require particular time to focus and think clearly. Fifty per cent of respondents use the time away from office to work on their finances, whilst 17% use the time to complete planning.

The research suggests that time away from the office positively impacts productivity, with over half of respondents saying they are more or equally productive out of the office as in the office.

The increase in remote working is being underpinned by faster broadband speeds and better IT infrastructure enabling business people to access their critical business information wherever they are, when they need it over the internet. Software providers understand this trend, with solutions such as Sage 200 Online having a choice of deployment online or on-premise, providing the flexibility and freedom of choice for small and medium businesses and enabling all the main business functions to be run out of the office.

Steve Attwell, Managing Director for Sage’s Small & Medium Business Division commented: ‘Mobile working has broken down the barriers to business and the traditional confines of an office are a thing of the past. Thanks to proliferation of mobile devices and sophisticated software solutions accessible on any device, people have the freedom to choose where they run their business – be it the boardroom, bedroom or a hilltop.”

To celebrate cloud working and the launch of Sage 200 Online, Sage are holding a Twitter competition to find the most unusual places people are choosing to work in. To enter, all you have to do is tweet @SageUK using #sage200, #unusualplaces and a picture of the most unusual place you have worked in and you could win a Microsoft Surface Tablet.