Perfect workplace

6 April 2021

I was chatting the other day with Matt Rowe, the founder of the independent Hire Standards in Westbury. He is trying to make the business as environmentally friendly as possible, implementing measures to minimisepaper waste, introducing recyclable coffee cups and using biodegradable plastic bags.

Matt also tells me that his wife, Natasha, is adopting a similar approach in her own business.

“Natasha is an accountant and during the first lockdown she decided to downsize her operation, called Busy Books, give up the office she was renting and work from home,” Matt says.

“We moved a 20ft shipping container into the garden by our rear driveway and converted it with full insulation, French windows, sliding doors, a patio, LED lighting and a wood burning stove. There’s full internet connection, phone lines and three work stations for her colleagues.

“We’ve also installed a sedum roof, which is basically a turf of wild flowers that can prevent overheating, absorbs moisture and encourages biodiversity. It’s the perfect place to work.”

And continuing another thread on the blog, Natasha has also switched to driving an electric car, a Tesla 3 which she tops up using a charger installed just outside her new office.

It fully recharges the vehicle in 15 minutes and she finds it perfect for the local mileage she typically does each week.

Again, as earlier blog posts have discussed, going electric suits certain working routines better than others.

• Read the earlier story about how Matt introduced an innovative franchise model for Hire Standards here.