Imagine a perfectly structured and formal, yet relaxed working environment where innovation is achieved through ideas exchange and collaboration. This is the idea behind coworking spaces. The rise of coworking spaces has coincided with the rise of the millennial workforce, which strives for a new, more flexible workplace that respects the need for work-life balance and increases productivity. But who uses coworking spaces? Well, mostly freelancers, remote workers, SMBs, and startups. But lately, larger companies have realized the benefits of coworking spaces and are increasingly using them too.
Is a coworking space right for you or your business? And how can they increase your or your team’s productivity? To help you decide, we’ve listed the 8 most notable advantages of coworking spaces.
Avoid distractions and be more productive
Who can say in all honesty that they can pull off working from home without the occasional break to check their Instagram or fold two pieces of laundry? Maybe if you got out of your sweatpants and worked in a more formal environment, you’d forget about house chores and other distractions and get down to business.
This is where the first benefit of coworking spaces comes into play. It sets a limit to how much your mind can wander. Because when you’re in a place where everyone’s working, and which has been designed for this purpose, you can’t help but enter “work mode” and stay focused. Leaving home does half the work, actually. What’s more, a coworking space helps you structure your workflow and stop working random hours without a pattern. If you’ve been wondering how to increase your productivity and working speed, a coworking space is an answer.
Don’t believe us? Try our time tracking tool, Elorus, to see for yourself your progress.
Fight loneliness and stay motivated
We’re social creatures and we need social interaction to stay emotionally balanced. Loneliness will eventually bring you down and take its toll on your mood and motivation. When you start feeling less-than-enthusiastic, productivity starts to go down.
In a coworking space, you can have the much-needed water cooler conversation. A little chit-chat and some harmless gossip will give you a refreshing energy and mood boost. Not only that. Watching other professionals work with ardor on their projects will keep you motivated and focused on your goal. Enthusiasm is contagious!
But the advantages of coworking spaces don’t stop there. In coworking spaces, you’ll meet other professionals who are either currently or have been in the same place in their career as you are. They can understand your struggles and worries better than anyone else. So more than the occasional friendly words, these people can offer you actionable advice and support when you’re encountering difficulties.
Achieve better life-work balance
Despite the inviting, friendly atmosphere, a coworking space can never feel like home. Thank God for this! Because when you’re working from home, your living space and your working space are one and the same. Remote workers often work beyond reasonable hours because their workload is constantly under their noise and their virtual office is open 24/7.
Apart from being tempted to work yourself to exhaustion, you may find it hard to wind down as well. Especially when you’re just starting your business and have a million responsibilities to take care of. Having a dedicated space to work (that is not right next to your bedroom!) will help you set healthy boundaries and finally separate life from work. Quite literally.
Join a new kind of community
When you’re joining a coworking space, you’re at the same time joining a community. In this newfound community, you’ll find all sorts of professionals, startups, and small businesses. Grab this unique opportunity to mingle, be inspired, and become an inspiration for others. Share your ideas and visions and – who knows? – the next big business idea may be just around the corner.
There’s no rivalry here. Coworking spaces are built on the premises of collaboration and learning. But you don’t have to take our word for it. It’s all stated loud and clear in the coworking manifesto.
Explore networking opportunities
One of the most notable benefits of coworking spaces is that they’re the perfect place to expand your professional network. Acquaintances are essential to get the word out about your business and find new opportunities for growth. A valuable collaborator that can help you skyrocket your business may be sitting in the office next to you. Their neighbor could be your next investor or your next client.
The possibilities that networking can unfold are endless. At the very least, you’re going to meet some interesting people and even make new friends. Do you really want to stay put and miss out on all that?
Get the mentorship you need
Here’s another reason why coworking spaces are so popular with startups. They are a great place to meet experienced entrepreneurs who have a lot of business wisdom to share. Plus, as we mentioned above, collaboration and learning are highly encouraged here. Anyone you meet in a coworking space should be more than happy to answer your questions and give you advice. Advice that can help you grow as a professional and contribute to the increase of your productivity. Just make sure you’ve really bumped into a knowledgeable individual and not a know-it-all.
If you’re looking for a more formal type of mentorship, you can find that here too. Coworking spaces organize mentorship programs and speeches by successful entrepreneurs that will not only educate but also inspire you.
Find the right freelancers for your cause
The other ultimate benefit of coworking spaces is the abundance of freelancers that could match your business. From copywriters to graphic designers and programmers, think of coworking spaces as a hub of creative and knowledgeable individuals.
The best part is that you get to build an efficient, productive team with talented people you’ve already met and seen in action instead of blindly picking among candidates. This is all the more important for new entrepreneurs who want to kickstart their business and can’t afford to waste time and resources.
Mind your own business
When you’re new in the business world, you need to focus all your energy and resources on growing your business. You need neither the hassle nor the commitment of signing a lease or equipping an office with furniture.
Using a coworking space means you will not have to worry about any of the above. And let’s not forget about the tedious tasks that come with managing an office, like utility bills, catering for office supplies, or fixing damages. Actually, you can forget about those. And mind your own business, no strings attached.
Given the abundance of growth opportunities and other perks of coworking spaces, it’s no wonder why more and more businesses move away from traditional office settings. Pair that with the increasing popularity of remote work, and it’s safe to say that coworking spaces are here to stay. Step into the future and be one of the entrepreneurs who use coworking spaces and increase your productivity to its zenith!
