Coworking is much more than an office alternative for small businesses – read our top 6 benefits of coworking spaces.
Escaping from the office rat race is often cited as one of the most attractive aspects of starting your own business. No more rush hour commutes, no meetings that drag on, and no more projects landing on your desk at 4:55 PM on a Friday.
Working at home, or taking your laptop to a coffee shop, sure sounds like a dream. But it presents its own challenges and frustrations. Have you got the drive to follow a set schedule each day? Can you work well with little or no accountability? This is why coworking spaces have blossomed as a viable option in recent years.
6 Benefits of Coworking
A coworking space is a place where you can go daily, sit down at a desk, and work among like-minded people in a structured atmosphere. It offers an office-style environment that fosters all the autonomy an entrepreneur could want without any of the politics. If you’re an entrepreneur working from home, have you considered the benefits you could enjoy from the coworking space? Read on as we list six advantages to ditching the couch, or coffee shop, and moving into a coworking space.
Structure
Working from home presents an abundance of distractions. It’s tough to work effectively when you’re close to your TV, pets, your bed, and family. Keeping work separate from home allows you to keep structure in your life, and provides a reason to get out of the house.
Becoming More Effective
An office environment creates an energy and mindset that can only come from interacting with fellow workers. According to a study featured on Office Vibe, a coworking office environment made 64% of entrepreneurs more productive, 68% of entrepreneurs more focused, and 90% of entrepreneurs more confident. In a coworking space, where everyone is busy on their own passion projects, this buzz will drive you on to make your own business a success.
Avoiding Loneliness
It’s often said the life of an entrepreneur can be a lonely one. Working alone is isolating and can have a negative effect on your mental wellbeing. Interactions in a work environment are an important part of daily life. Though you’ll be working on your own business, a coworking space surrounds you with like-minded people who have picked an independent lifestyle that matches yours. It will leave you feeling energized, social, and happy.
Networking Through Coworking
Working alone places a barrier between you and people who could potentially help your business. Another one of the benefits of Coworking is that it puts you near people who might have vastly different skillsets or solutions to problems, allowing you to “pick their brains”. If you can find a coworking space that aligns with your field of work, it makes this benefit all the stronger.
Flexibility
If you’re starting to consider office space, you’ll soon learn the baggage that comes along with it. Are you ready to sign a fixed-term lease? Install infrastructure? Pay utility bills? A coworking space takes care of all of that, and allows you to rent the space on much shorter, more flexible terms.
Emotional Support
If you’ve ever encountered self-doubt as a small business owner you’re not alone. Stepping out on your own removes the safety net we enjoy as a cog in a larger machine. Surrounding yourself with fellow entrepreneurs allows you to push through moments of self-doubt. You can even use them as a sounding board for your ideas.
Learn More
If you’re interested in finding a coworking space, or want to learn more about the concept, visit the Coworking BC Society website or The Network Hub, to find out more.
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