When international fintech company WeCash decided to branch out into Europe, it didn’t expect to be doing so during a pandemic. The firm, which is already well established in China, Singapore and the US, was excited about the opportunities the continent offered and chose to base itself in the Netherlands because of the country’s openness and business-friendly environment. Li Zhou, executive assistant at WeCash, explains: “The Netherlands is where we really started, and we have a business model for Europe. We see a promising future here.”

The team began the process of recruiting and rented a Regus office space in the Amstelveen region – chosen for its close proximity to Schiphol airport and affordability compared with high central Amsterdam prices. When COVID-19 hit, WeCash’s operations across Europe were put on hold indefinitely. Recruitment was also frozen, and it was left to Li Zhou to run the business alone from home until lockdown restrictions were lifted.

Pre-pandemic, one of the main attractions of the Regus office was the opportunity to network with visiting international colleagues or welcome clients in the facility’s business lounge or meeting rooms. But suddenly flights were grounded, offices closed, and Li Zhou was left with no choice but to connect with her global colleagues online via technology such as Zoom or Google Meet.

Because the business is already in the tech industry, its staff was familiar with the software needed to work remotely, but it’s been far from ideal. “It’s not always very efficient,” she explains. “In the office, if you have any questions, you can just get up and go to your colleague or boss. You don’t need to make an appointment. It’s spontaneous. With social distancing and technology, it creates barriers for communication.”

Li Zhou, who is responsible for administrative-related assignments in the Netherlands, conducting business research, building and maintaining business partnerships and building the office and team, admits she has also struggled with the challenges of maintaining a work-life balance. During lockdown, she’s found it increasingly difficult to separate work from home, has been more easily distracted and sometimes finds herself putting in far longer hours than she would normally do in the office. She’s also found it quite socially isolating and misses face-to-face encounters with colleagues.

“I liked being able to walk into the office and have everybody greet you,” she says. “It felt like an official start to the day. When you’re at home there is no opportunity to just chat while making a coffee. I’ve really missed that.”

While restrictions have since been reinstated and employees advised to work from home, the Netherlands was one of the first countries in Europe to ease lockdown measures and fortunately Li Zhou was able to return to WeCash’s Regus office after COVID-19 safety measures were implemented. Her main concern was hygiene and social distancing. But she was pleasantly surprised by the precautions taken by Regus.

“I’ve been back to the Regus office many times,” she says. “It is very clean and there are also rules in place to prevent virus infection, including allowing one person to use the elevator at a time and encouraging people to use stairs more. Also, their own staff on the front counter have protective screens.”

“I am also taking precautions by wearing a mask in public spaces such as the office and I feel safe at Regus because there are still not too many people working in the building.”

The proactive way Regus implemented these safety measures and the excellent service it provided, despite the difficult circumstances, is the main reason Li Zhou was glad to return to its flexible workspace.

“If I have any questions or concerns, I always get an immediate response, which is really good. The staff are also very friendly and easy to approach,” she says. She adds that although WeCash only signed up for a short-term contract, it has been so impressed by the service received, they would like to continue to stay with Regus for a longer term.

Importantly, once the crisis is over and WeCash Europe is able to push forward with its business ambitions, it will be able to properly take advantage of everything Regus has to offer. The option to upgrade the size of the office as the business and team also grows is ideal. 

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