If you’re a remote worker, one of the biggest benefits is that you don’t always need to work from home. In fact, according to “State of Remote Work” survey conducted by Buffer in 2019, over 20% of remote workers find working from home distracting and counterproductive. If you’re one of these people, you should consider joining a coworking space to improve your business.There are many benefits of coworking spaces that might not have crossed your mind before. Read this article to find out more about the many benefits of coworking spaces, how joining one can help you, and how to make the best of your use of them.
6 benefits of coworking spaces
Opportunities to socialize and collaborate
Perhaps among the most important benefits of coworking spaces is that they provide a unique opportunity to connect with different people.The power of networking is undeniable when it comes to doing solo work, and being part of a collaborative working space can be the perfect chance to grow your community. You can expand your circle, figure out how to make better connections with people, collaborate with remote workers in many different areas, and exchange experiences without much effort.
Boost in productivity
Using a shared workspace can also help increase your productivity. Besides providing a new environment and a breath of fresh air, being part of a community of like-minded individuals is a sure way to easily exchange ideas with other remote workers. This way, you can easily gain new perspectives and become inspired in brand new ways.Being surrounded by other working professionals is a great way to motivate yourself in the face of procrastination. It might be a great way to eliminate remote work burnout and help you get started on the right foot.
Cost-efficiency
Being part of a shared space, as the name implies, also creates a financial convenience for the coworking community. Compared to buying or renting an entire office for yourself, a shared office is much more cost-efficient. Along with its cost-efficiency in terms of rent, the added costs of electricity and internet bills, snacks, coffee, etc. will be easier and cheaper to split.Having a communal working space can eliminate some of the financial anxiety that comes with being a remote worker. It also means that you can invest in other things that can be so much more beneficial for your business, such as online courses, digital nomad networking events, and more.
Access to various spaces and tools
One of the top benefits of using coworking spaces is the range of amenities, technologies and spaces you can access according to your needs. For focus sessions you can opt for small rooms and silent spaces, for your collaborative work needs you can benefit from meeting and conference rooms. Most coworking spaces also offer different amenities from whiteboards, phone booths, TVs, to conferencing tools and printers.In short, a communal work space can supply you with a larger selection of amenities and tools that you might not reach otherwise.
More flexibility
One of the lesser known benefits of coworking spaces is the added flexibility they provide. Compared to a regular office, most community coworking spaces operate on a membership/subscription basis with customizable options. This gives you the chance to choose a plan that best fits your working conditions and business model, along with the ability to cancel or freeze your renting subscription as you wish.The option of flexibility can also make you feel less ‘stuck’ in your environment, and ultimately affect your feelings of creative freedom as well. Who knows, maybe it’s exactly what you need to boost your productivity!
Better work-life balance
Focusing on your job-related tasks can easily turn into a challenge if you work from home. In opposition, remote work spaces can be the perfect opportunity to separate your work life from your home life.Among the top benefits of coworking spaces is the environment it provides you to complete your work. Even if you choose to utilize a coffee shop as your working space, you’ll still be physically detaching yourself from your responsibilities at home. Having a dedicated workspace might get you in the right mindset quicker.
Tips to make the best of shared workspaces
Now that you know the top benefits of coworking spaces, it’s time to learn how you can use them to your advantage! Here are our tips to make the best of shared workspaces:
Choose your shared space wisely
Before you make the commitment, you should first figure out what type of shared space best fits your business model. The coworking space design should accommodate you as best as possible. Identify your wants and needs, and tour the space beforehand if you can.There are a wide range of choices available, and it’s up to you to decide on the ideal shared workspace for yourself. This might be a conventional shared office, one with professional and full-service assistance, or even simply a coworking cafe.
Be respectful towards others
If you’re considering becoming part of a collaboration office space, you should be able to navigate a diverse environment.You’ll be working together with people of different identities, beliefs, backgrounds, jobs, etc. in remote working spaces. It’s extremely important that you treat everyone with respect and work towards achieving an environment of equality in not only your work life, but everyday life as well. This is an important step towards truly becoming a member of your coworking community.
Set a structure and routine
Going to an office everyday might seem productive, but it won’t amount to anything unless you actually put in the work. Setting a clear structure and sustaining a routine are the key points to maintaining your productivity in a shared office. No matter how much fun you’re having socializing with other workers, you should still try to keep yourself in the business mindset.
Attend coworking community events
As we mentioned above, being part of a coworking community has many unique advantages, one of which is that you’ll meet a lot of people with similar interests to yours. Expanding your circle in this way can instigate you to attend networking events.Coworking space events can be extremely helpful to further your career. You can strengthen your bonds with your newly-formed community, share industry tips and tricks, broaden your horizons, increase your communication in collaboration efforts, gain potential coworkers/clients; and most importantly, have fun while doing all of these!
Seize the power of networking
A major contender of coworking spaces’ benefits is, undoubtedly, the ability to network. You should utilize this in any way that you can. Reaching out in a friendly way is a great start towards getting your business booming.Don’t be shy to pitch your services to people who you think might be interested. Even if they don’t personally need to work with you, they might recommend you to others, which can eventually lead you to gain more clients.
Invest in the right equipment
There are many tools that can amplify the already-existing benefits of coworking spaces. Since you’ll be saving tons of money on rent and amenities, it will be much easier to increase your budget for the right equipment.Choosing the right equipment is up to you and your office space. These can be for individual use (such as noise-canceling headphones, extra charging cables, monitors), or bought to share with your coworkers (speaker, coffee machine, etc.).
Don’t hesitate to seek and offer help
It’s right there in the name: co-work – You don’t always have to do everything alone!Once you truly become a part of a coworking community, you should be able to both offer and expect help from other remote working professionals in your circle. It might be hard to request aid at first, but once you get used to it, you’ll be amazed at the power teamwork can bring.Similarly, you should be an active part of the community and offer help whenever you can. This means that you also need to familiarize yourself with your coworkers and take interest in their business.
Explore what the space has to offer
And finally, try to reap the benefits of coworking spaces as much as you can. There must be some upsides that stand out to you among the other ones we listed. While enjoying them, try to explore what other things the space has to offer. You might encounter some things that didn’t cross your mind before.
It’s time to review your options!
Since you’ve considered some of the many benefits of coworking spaces, and reviewed our tips on how to make the best of them, you can begin the journey of deciding for yourself. Compared to a regular office space, the added benefits of networking, collaboration, and sharing costs are a huge selling point. If you believe you can find a place that fits your work needs, start reviewing your options as soon as possible – you won’t regret it.
