The Co-Working concept has really taken off over the last few years and is becoming increasingly popular worldwide. So we ask ourselves, what is co-working, what is a co-working space and what are the benefits of a co-working space.
What is Co-Working
Co-Working is an alternative to working from home or at your own office. It offers flexibility, networking opportunities, and, for some individuals, productivity benefits. Let’s have a look at what co-working is and whether you might benefit from it.
Instead of working remotely in separate offices or places, independent professionals, telecommuters, entrepreneurs, startups, and others who have the ability to work from anywhere share one single working environment. This can be on an occasional basis or for regular full-time work hours, depending on your preferences. The option to use one of these spaces is generally available 24/7.
A co-working space is often like an informal collaboration space, but it could also be an office-like settings for more formal spaces when required. The main idea is that individual workers come together in a shared place to enjoy greater productivity and a sense of community.
What are the Benefits of a Co-Working Space?
While working on alone may have many advantages, it also has disadvantages like sometimes making you feel isolated, unmotivated and unproductive. There are so many more benefits including the increase in productivity and creativity gained from co-working spaces within a supportive community of professional individuals where there are also so many financial benefits also.
One of the most appealing aspect of co-working is the creative environment and the sense of community gained from being around like-minded professionals. Even from simple acts like greeting each other at the start of the day or sharing a coffee break or having a quick chat, this all contributes towards the community atmosphere. A co-working space offers these benefits while allowing to maintain freelancing freedom.
(Image property of Flex Work Space)
Another benefit of co-working is the networking potential. The people that you meet at a co-working space could be looking for your kind of work and/or they could be great resources in the future.
Also, many co-working spaces offer amenities like kitchens stocked with snacks and beverages, high-speed internet, printers, meeting rooms, cafes, couches and other places to take a comfortable break or rest. A better set up is a co-working space for productivity.
Flexibility is also important as you increase your business. Co-working spaces can easily accommodate changes to the size of your team and do not require a firm commitment to a year long lease like most commercial spaces ask. Co-working spaces offer memberships ranging from a daily drop-in pass to a monthly or yearly membership to make changes in the size of your team or even a location change easy.
Co-working spaces are also a great place to get hired if you want to work at a startup. Co-working spaces can ease some of the stress and difficulty of starting a new business and provide valuable resources and connections that you will be unable find anywhere else. They are popular for the flexibility they offer new businesses, but the real value is in their assisted serendipity: the informal conversations and the expert advice members are happy to offer to one another.
More Information…
There are some very informative websites that discuss co-working and the benefits that come with the use of a co-working space. For more information, please follow the links below to these websites:
http://www.deskhub.com/why-co-working/
http://www.thrive-hubs.com/blog/6-benefits-co-working-spaces/
https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/230446
https://www.lifewire.com/what-is-coworking-2377413
https://hbr.org/2015/05/why-people-thrive-in-coworking-spaces
