Do you work for yourself? Maybe from home or the local coffee shop? Ever felt lonely? Isolated? Away from it all? Speaking as someone who has spent 11 years working from a makeshift desk, and then a dedicated home office, it can be a cut-off life. Even when you connect with people online and log onto the occasional video call, you’re still in the same four walls, or perched on the breakfast bar, by yourself. A coworking space is one of the best things I have found as a self-employed individual. In this blog post, I will explore the benefits of a coworking space and hopefully encourage you to find one near you.
What Is A Coworking Space?
A coworking space is exactly what it sounds like. A dedicated area for people to work from, enjoying the atmosphere of an office without the politics. You can spend the day hotdesking, drinking coffee, making connections and finding yourself hugely productive. There are many different setups of coworking spaces throughout the country and worldwide. However, they all have the same main principle. They are designed for people to work from when they want.
Ever since working from home, hybrid working or whatever you want to call it became an option for many, the isolation perhaps started to creep in. Whilst the massive benefit of remote work is that you can do it from anywhere and work from companies scattered in every corner of the globe, you do often find yourself alone at your desk in the box room of your house. By finding a coworking space, you can surround yourself with like-minded people, work from a fresh location and avoid distractions that do often appear in the home environment.
The Benefits Of A Coworking Space
Freedom
Perhaps one of the most prominent benefits of a coworking space is the freedom. You can decide when you’ll be working from there. It has to work for you, which is why main of them have different plans that you can sign up to. It could be one day a month, or even running your entire business from a selection of dedicated desks within the space. There is something for everyone and it is so beneficial for your business.
People
Another of the benefits of a coworking space is the people. As mentioned, when you are self employed, you are often by yourself. But in a coworking space, you meet someone new every time you enter the building. You will get to know the owners and the staff that work there, whilst the conversations you have with those working nearby and the people you meet at the coffee machine can be fantastic. Not only in terms of friendship but the opportunities that can come in terms of business.
Networking
Like you, these people are probably self employed or freelance, without some of the skills that you provide services for. You never know, you could find your next big project or some regular work by making connections. Of course, you are there to do work, but taking some time to network is hugely beneficial. Plus, you’ll find that you nail the work you are planning to do that day, due to the lack of distractions such as that dishwasher that needs reloading that home.
Opportunity
Whilst you might decide, like many of us who like familiarity, to sit in the same space every time, one of the best things to do is move around the area. There are plenty of hot desks to choose from and you will come to know different people, yet engage in conversation with new members and those you perhaps haven’t met yet. You’ve got to think, if you are only going in once or twice a month, there will be others like you who are doing the same but on different days. Eventually, you might venture in on the same day and meet someone new.
Socialising
Many coworking spaces also organise socials, meetings, groups and nights out for members. This can give you the feeling of being part of something, without being an employee. When was the last time you felt connected as a self employed person? Make sure to interact with the coworking space online too, which will help people get to know you. If they are a well known business with a huge following, it could lead to more work and a rise in engagement on your own accounts.
Flexibility
The terms of membership are usually fairly flexible, which is one of the final benefits of a coworking space. This means that if things change with your work, you can cancel or even pause your membership. Whilst also being able to purchase extra work days at discounted rates, or enhance or decrease your membership to different plans depending on your needs. It’s pretty affordable too, with a price point for every different type of worker. Remember, you can also claim back this membership on your expenses when tax return time comes around!
Examples Of Coworking Spaces
Where are you based? There is hopefully a coworking space near you that you can check out. Some of them even offer a free day pass for potential new members to try before you buy. This is well worth taking advantage of so you can see how things work and if this way of working is for you or not.
A couple of examples that I have found include Society1 Preston and The Createry Nottingham. If you are near those locations you should definitely give them a try.
Of course, if there is nowhere near you, maybe you could consider starting your own. There are probably other people in your local area who would welcome a place to work just like this and you could bring the benefits of a coworking space to the town where you live.
Final Thoughts
If you work from home, are freelance or self employed, there is nothing to lose by scoping out a different place to work from. You can start to realise that the benefits of a coworking space could be exactly what you have been missing in your WFH life. Maybe a couple of days a month is perfect for you to get out of the house and have some sense of working ‘normally’ whilst also being flexible enough to do the school run on other days and stay on top of the house during your lunch hour. Now is the time to give coworking a go and you’ll soon enjoy the company, mixture of people and the productivity that comes with the space you find!
