Smells Like Success: Work Scenting in the Gig Economy

Work isn’t what it used to me. In the old days, people would often work for the same company for decades and retire from there with a pension and a gold watch.

Today, the Internet has enabled a transformation of the workplace, with millions of Americans participating in the “gig economy.”

The Freelance Revolution

This includes freelancers, people who share their cars or homes to make extra money, solopreneurs working to build a business and those with a full time job who are self-employed on the side. According to the 2017 UpWork/Freelancers Union survey, 36% of Americans, or 57.3 million people, did freelance work last year.

Flexible Work Environments

The majority of these individuals do not have a fixed office or store location. Some work from home offices and others work at local coffee shops or at co-working spaces. Co-working spaces are shared temporary offices with amenities like a shared receptionist, meeting rooms and kitchens. And they are leading the way in workplace scenting.

In a recent survey by coworker.com, users of co-working spaces said that the co-working’s sensory characteristics were important to them. In fact, 41% said that ambient scenting is a key way to improve the workplace experience.

Scent Improves Workplace Productivity and Morale

Ambient scent can make an otherwise sterile office (since these offices don’t have personal items) more comfortable. Specific fragrances facilitate work-related tasks and goals including thinking (rosemary, lemon), alertness (peppermint, rosemary), building cooperation (vanilla) and establishing trust (vanilla, lavender).

If you are a freelancer who works from a home office or a coffee shop, you know how difficult it can be to shut out distractions. Using a desktop  diffuser or reed diffuser with your favorite fragrance can help you concentrate on work.

Even if you have a traditional office, you may benefit from having an office-wide (if you are the boss) or personal scent system. You’ll be happier and more productive when your surroundings smell wonderful.

To find out which size scent system is right for your working environment, contact Air Esscentials today.