Mike Friend’s 5 top tips and venues for remote working success in Manchester
Mike Friend is a Manchester resident and a search marketing consultant for iThinkMedia. He’s set up a branch of the specialist SEO agency in Manchester and has won local clients - all without needing a fixed office!
With an expected 70% of UK businesses adopting remote working by 2020 according to The Work Foundation, Mike is not alone. The less office space you need - the more savings for your clients and your business, right? Remote working can also reduce stress, increase productivity and help with work-life balance. It makes Mike’s life easier because he can regularly meet up with his local clients in person.
Mike says: “It makes total sense for me to work like this. You can’t beat face to face meetings with customers and I can build our client base in Manchester and pass on savings made on overheads to our customers- as long as I don’t spend it all on coffee!”
“I’m fast becoming the remote working expert of Manchester - I know all the best spots to take clients or get some work done in a quiet spot between appointments.”
iThinkMedia has completed on-site search engine optimisation (SEO) and paid media training for Manchester-based ticketing platform Nutickets, and has just signed Stockport-based experiential marketing experts Splatter Group as a retained SEO client.
Mike’s top five remote working hotspots in Manchester:
• Eastern Bloc Records, City Centre
Great coffee and quality music in the heart of the northern quarter. If it's too loud there's a little suntrap out front in the late morning.
• The Dockyard, Media City
You have to time it well here as it can get very busy, but it’s great if you’re meeting a client around Media city. It has decent coffee and space, including outside - just try and resist the bar!
• PORTER + Cole, City Centre
Recently opened, this is a great quiet space in the northern quarter. It has big tables, nice coffee and they let me try their new offerings, such as Hordor bread!
• Strip Health Cafe, Worsley
Free WIFI, good little booths to work from, really friendly staff and super healthy and very tasty breakfast - try the stripped grill. Free parking nearby. Good for local celeb spotting too!
• Worsley Park, Worsley
Great free WIFI, good coffee and plush surroundings. Being a hotel it is always buzzy. There is convenient free parking and the beautiful setting will impress clients - but beware of becoming wedding crashers, a quiet corner can turn into an impromptu dance off!
Mike said: “The North West is a hotbed for exciting brands, technology and emerging digital talent so Manchester is exactly where iThinkMedia should be. I love Manchester, I know the business landscape and am excited about the local companies I’ll be working with. I’m proud to bring iThinkMedia to my home city.”
Mike’s top five tips for remote working success:
1 Come prepared! Always carry a portable phone charger, extra USB leads and make sure you have fully charged your kit the night before.
2 Invest in a quality pair of earphones in case of noisy neighbours or kids.
3 Book meetings close to the client’s office - but choose somewhere a bit different as a treat - remember they probably go to the Starbucks every morning!
4 Timing is everything, you soon learn how to get the best seat and even freebees!
5 Keep in touch - you don’t want to be ‘out of sight out of mind’ to your colleagues. Talk to them every day and communicate all your activity and achievements.
Mike Friend is available to talk about remote working, the Manchester business scene, SEO, paid media, content marketing and probably a fair few other things too. To set up an interview with him or ask for expert comment please get in touch:
Media Contact:
Natalie Howard
Digital PR Specialist
natalie@ithinkmedia.com
01438 900 886
iThinkMedia is a specialist search engine optimisation agency, established in 2008, the 23 strong, expert agency is well regarded in the industry due to its principled, transparent approach to search engine marketing. Working in synergy, it offers SEO, PPC and content services to a range of businesses mixed in size and industry. Read more at www.ithinkmedia.co.uk
Follow iThinkMedia @iThinkMediaUK and on LinkedIn.
