This breed of worker could choose to work from home or maybe their local café or library, but these spaces tend to present challenges to the solo worker or the startup. Workers who lack discipline can soon become distracted, startups trying to make a name for themselves can lack the professionalism that comes with an office and the isolation of working from home can soon become debilitating for freelancers.
Coworking has become the worldwide phenomenon it is today because it addresses these problems for freelancers, entrepreneurs, digital nomads, remote workers and startups alike, giving them all a place to thrive and succeed. We wanted to look at some of the reasons that coworking is so beneficial for so many workers and organisations around the globe.
Productivity
Coworkers have consistently reported feeling more productive as a result of joining a coworking space. This increase in productivity is unsurprising, as coworking spaces offer a perfect balance between structure and collaboration. The spaces give previously home-bound freelancers or entrepreneurs the opportunity to have an official workspace and a real sense of discipline and focus, while also providing the kind of buzzing, collaborative atmosphere to allow the creative juices to flow.
Morale
Workers who are indeed home-bound can soon begin to feel isolated and lonely. This can, in turn, have a damaging effect on their work and productivity, slowing down the growth of their enterprise. Coworking spaces offer a remedy to this loneliness. Those who join will soon be met with a great number of like-minded, entrepreneurial spirits who will become their workmates and likely friends as well. Coworking spaces foster an atmosphere of friendliness and togetherness that will recover any home-worker’s wellbeing.
Cost
Of course, working from home is clearly the cheapest option for many freelancers or startups, but even cash-strapped startups might recognise that the harm this causes their organisation requires them to find office space. If they are looking to save money then coworking spaces are clearly the best option. Managed offices, like coworking spaces, are the cheapest option for organisations for a number of reasons. The monthly rent is all-inclusive, organisations don’t have to make any costly long-term commitments and super flexible options are available for even the most struggling freelancer who can choose to work as little as one day a month at a coworking space. WYND offers a whole range of flexible membership options for their members.
Networking
The networking opportunities are endless in coworking spaces. Members are constantly in contact with other entrepreneurs, startups and freelancers. This means that opportunities to collaborate, share knowledge and interact with different kinds of enterprises are always available, which in turn is only beneficial for the growth of coworkers and their personal business. Coworkers cannot help but develop as a result of this, as opposed to working from home, where the opportunities for growth are minimal.
Business Growth
Coworking spaces have built-in factors that will immediately benefit the growth and success of your organisation or enterprise as soon as you become a member. The advantage of having a business address with official meeting rooms and conference rooms will give you the professional look necessary to impress prospective clients. Often coworking spaces will have staff to help you with administrative tasks and help with day to day issues. Many coworking spaces actually consider their role to be facilitators of their members’ growth, so coworkers will often find themselves suddenly supported by a team helping them to succeed when they join a new space.
sTABILITY
Working from home, the café or the library certainly keeps costs down, but there are a number of problems that can soon arise. At home, distractions like delivery people and household chores can get in the way. In the café, internet connection can be unreliable, often there may be nowhere decent to sit and there may be no plug to charge your laptop. At the library, opening hours might be unfavourable and the internet connection can also be unreliable. Coworking spaces, however, are often open 24 hours and never shut outside of normal working hours, they don’t involve the distractions of home but actually provide a focused work environment and often come with super-fast and reliable internet connection, as well as all the facilities necessary to get work done. This stability can be crucial for people to work consistently and productively.