In 2019, more than half of British working adults have dreams of setting up their own business, with more than 320,000 self-employed workers holding down two or more jobs. With so many of us juggling multi-hyphenate careers and side-hustles – and that’s before we’ve even set foot in the office – a little help is a blessing. We speak to four self-employed workers who say smart technology has made all the difference …
‘The office environment is much more cheerful’
Charlotte Sheridan, 38, director of digital marketing agency The Small Biz Expert
“I’d been using [Amazon Echo’s voice assistant Alexa] at home for a while when I realised it would make a great addition to the workplace too. To start with, it was primarily used as a radio, but over time I started using it for other tasks – we use it all the time now. My job responsibilities include handling social media, content creation, writing and PR, so my days can be jam-packed, and I use Echo like a super-efficient additional employee who acts as PA and researcher. Day-to-day, we sync it with our office’s online calendar, so we never forget a call and get reminders about meetings. Reminders on your PC are easy to miss – if you have lots of tabs open or you’re away from your desk, for example, but audio reminders are harder to ignore. Personally, I find the time-tracking skill helpful too, because I sometimes struggle with time management. We’ve set it so we receive flash briefings [which provide a quick and customised overview of news] from places such as Tech News, the BBC and Reddit (checking Twitter means I get distracted), which is useful. We’re always asking the Echo random questions – and occasionally playing silly quizzes too – which definitely alleviates a slow day and boosts camaraderie.”
‘My productivity has improved tenfold’
Tim Prizeman, 53, director at PR firm Kelso Consulting
“I run a PR agency, which means my job is very varied – I could be doing anything from having meetings to brainstorming ideas, presenting reports or writing proposals. I use the Echo as soon as I wake – before, even, as I’ve programmed a series of alarms to wake me up (and to stop me snoozing). Because I often work from home, I keep the Echo near my work computer downstairs, with Echo Dots in both my bedroom and kitchen, so I can listen to the news as I’m getting dressed and making breakfast. That way, I always know key news stories and have a sense of what’s happening in the world. When I want to spend a specific amount of time on a job (say an hour), I’ll use the Echo to set a timer, so I know when to stop. Once you get used to speaking commands, it’s so much easier than fiddling around with an app on your phone – particularly when in the middle of another task. The background music function is useful, too, for unobtrusive background noise. I’d really recommend it to anyone struggling with productivity – it’s been incredibly helpful in terms of time management and means I now use my time much more efficiently.”
Tim Prizeman and Jamal Ahmed
‘I’m now on top of industry news and my client relationships have improved’
Jamal Ahmed, 34, founder of Kazient Privacy Experts
“When a friend bought an Amazon Echo and raved about how much he liked it, I thought I’d give it a try too. I primarily use my Echo Dot to read out relevant news to me each morning. As well as helping me stay on top of my game, I think it’s helped me build a better rapport with clients and peers too – for example, before speaking to someone in Singapore, I can quickly check the time using voice commands to make sure I’m calling at an appropriate hour. Before I leave for meetings I’ll check live traffic information and weather, so I always arrive on time, and I’ll use it to order Ubers too (when I do it on my phone, I end up getting distracted mid-task). Another function I like is making video and conference calls – it’s brilliant not having to wear an uncomfortable headset.”
