EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT CO WORKING SPACES
WHAT ARE COWORKING SPACES?Walk into a coworking space and you’ll immediately notice that it feels different from a regular office. The smell of fresh coffee in the air is second only to the electric atmosphere that the energetic and excited occupants bring to the space. You’ll see a mix of those in deep focus at private desks and others striking up engaging conversations at large shared tables. This is the culture of the coworking space.
Coworking spaces are essentially shared workspaces. They offer affordable office space for those looking to escape the isolation of a home office or coffee shop.
These shared workspaces offer a suite of office-like amenities such as hot-desks, private meeting rooms, kitchens, coffee and more. Often, they also offer a community. Occupants typically are freelancers, entrepreneurs, start-ups and small teams who want to take advantage of a flexible space.
In addition to culture, cost is another big draw. One of the advantages of these spaces is the ability to rent out only what you need vs an entire private office space, which can be costly. Through various membership based models, costs vary and allow for flexibility. These include options for daily fees or monthly fees. Membership costs also differ based on whether you use a shared desk or want a dedicated one.
If you want to learn more, and be extremely inspired at the same time, the video below from space provider, NomadWorks, is useful. It brilliantly sums up the essence of coworking spaces.
WHO USES COWORKING SPACES?
THE USUAL SUSPECTSFREELANCERS
Co-working spaces create the best of both worlds for freelancers: The flexibility of choosing your own hours and schedule without the isolation.
These shared spaces are thus great for freelancers. A feeling of community is created for those that would otherwise be forced to work alone at home, or a coffee shop.
START-UPS
Start-ups appreciate the flexibility of coworking spaces. Coworking spaces don’t come with the high costs and commitments of a traditional office leases. They also provide the chance for small teams to interact with others in the space. These spaces also may even help entrepreneurs find a co-founder for their start-up by connecting the right people at the right time.
THE CONCEPT IS WORKING WELL
Coworking spaces provide a great fit for these type of small organizations. There’s an inherent alignment between what the spaces offer and the goals of freelancers and start-ups.
A team of researchers have been studying the effects of coworking on productivity and recently recounted some of their findings in the The Harvard Business Review.
Source:
https://www.chargespot.com/workspaces/coworking-spaces/
