In the previous couple of years, there’s been an explosion within the variety of coworking spaces worldwide. With an increase within the variety of folks now working remotely, many are actually in a position to ditch “conventional” workplace workplaces and reap the benefits of the quite a few advantages of coworking areas.
Whereas there’s little doubt that the liberty that comes with this type of life-style is a complete game-changer, one of many most important challenges faced by digital nomads is discovering a spot that’s appropriate for getting work accomplished whereas touring.
For many individuals, coworking areas provide the answer. I’ve been taking advantage of the digital nomad life-style for the final 2 years now and have labored in varied coworking areas all over the world.
So, on this submit, I’ll be discussing the principle advantages of coworking, in addition to a number of coworking disadvantages.
15 Professionals and Cons of Coworking Areas
To compile this checklist of coworking areas’ advantages and downsides, I’ve mixed my very own private experiences of coworking with these of different folks I do know.
Not all of those execs and cons of coworking areas will apply to everybody. In the end, everybody’s completely different, and each distant employee may have their very own distinctive set of necessities and preferences.
That stated, I’ve made this checklist as broadly relevant as potential to be able to assist as a lot of you contemplating the coworking hype for your self.
What’s Coworking?
Coworking primarily means sharing an office-like house with folks that you just don’t work with. It’s a comparatively new fashion of labor and is particularly standard amongst freelancers, entrepreneurs, and digital nomads.
Whereas the vast majority of coworking customers are inclined to work for themselves, a growing number of companies are permitting their staff to work remotely, at the least a part of the time. Many of those folks select to work in coworking areas, moderately than at residence.
Coworking areas present office-style facilities (quick web, assembly rooms, printers, kitchen services, and so forth.) to individuals who in any other case may not have entry to them. Many areas additionally placed on social occasions and different actions to assist foster a way of neighborhood amongst their members.
See additionally: 15 Best Coworking Spaces in the World
Professionals of Coworking Areas
Each coworking house is completely different, and a few have their very own distinctive benefits. Nonetheless, these are the principle execs of coworking areas on the whole:
1. Alternatives for Networking (One of many Greatest Advantages of Coworking Areas)
For me, essentially the most vital benefit of coworking areas is that they are often nice locations to community with different folks. I don’t wish to work from coworking areas the entire time, however at any time when I do, I all the time attempt to reap the benefits of the alternatives to community as a lot as potential. You by no means know who chances are you’ll be busying away beside!
In contrast to in a standard workplace, the place you’re normally surrounded by your colleagues solely, in a coworking house, you get to mingle with individuals who work in a variety of varied fields. This offers wonderful alternatives for networking and cross-pollination of concepts.
For instance, in case you’re a blogger, chances are you’ll simply meet the right net designer sitting at an reverse desk. In case you’re a writer, you may meet your subsequent famous person author over by the espresso machine. Or in case you’re a photographer, maybe you’ll meet somebody to collaborate with in your subsequent challenge.
It’s way more social than working from residence the entire time. I’ve made a number of mates with folks I’ve met in coworking areas and I’m nonetheless in contact with them immediately. I in all probability wouldn’t have ever met these folks if it hadn’t been for us each selecting the identical coworking house.
2. Entry to Workplace Provides and Services
Coworking areas provide a variety of workplace provides and services that you could be not have at residence (or wherever you’re staying on the time), together with high-tech printers, scanners, whiteboards, and conferencing services.
Accessing workplace provides and services is a large benefit for digital nomads. It may be particularly helpful in case you journey round quite a bit. I imply, who desires to hold round a large printer with them?
Good coworking locations additionally are inclined to have a variety of comfy workspaces, and lots of even have ergonomic workplace chairs for his or her customers. This makes them far more comfy for placing in a protracted day’s work than on the kitchen desk of your Airbnb or resort room.
Plus, having a quick and dependable web connection is important for almost all of distant employees. Talking from private expertise, coworking areas are inclined to have among the quickest speeds on the town, particularly in growing international locations the place your house’s WiFi may not be the strongest, to say the least.
3. Flexibility
Many individuals are drawn to coworking areas due to their flexibility. In contrast to a standard workplace, you usually don’t have to decide to long-term leases, and most coworking areas stress that flexibility is a key feature and benefit of their memberships.
Most coworking areas will let you hire a desk (or a small workplace house) for as little or so long as you want it. Many locations provide day passes, in addition to a variety of different part-term membership choices, so you will discover a bundle that fits you completely.
For instance, in addition to common day passes and month-to-month memberships, numerous coworking areas will let you purchase “packages” or “bundles” of hours. These will let you entry the house a sure variety of hours monthly, with no need to commit prematurely to express occasions and dates that you just’ll be there.
That is notably helpful for small companies and start-up entrepreneurs, permitting them to scale up or down their workplace house as and when they should. It’s additionally nice for individuals who (like me) benefit from the freedom of working for themself and don’t wish to be tied to any long-term office commitments.
4. Inspiring Ambiance
In my private expertise, I’ve discovered that being surrounded by different motivated people can encourage and push you to excel in your personal work. Coworking areas are typically full of people that work for themselves and are due to this fact extremely motivated.
In case you spend an excessive amount of time working from residence, it may be simple to procrastinate, or to really feel your motivation ranges drop, given the shortage of knowledgeable “work” setting.
Coworking areas are all about offering this setting, in addition to the services you may want, to assist preserve you feeling impressed and motivated to work onerous on no matter it’s that you just do.
This naturally helps create a constructive suggestions loop. The extra impressed folks you see round you, the extra possible you’re to be impressed – which then continues with the impact of your inspiration on different folks. It’s a win-win.
5. Cheaper Than Renting a Conventional Workplace
This one’s pretty simple – and overlaps with the part on flexibility (above). Conventional workplace areas tend to be fairly expensive and likewise normally require you to decide to a comparatively long-term lease.
By comparability, coworking areas are far more reasonably priced on the whole.
The precise costs range relying on the place on the planet you’re. However no matter your location, it’s virtually all the time going to be cheaper to make use of a coworking house than renting a standard workplace.
6. Separation of Working and Dwelling Areas
As many individuals came upon in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, dwelling and dealing in the identical house 24/7 could make you go a bit loopy. In my previous job, “working from residence” simply meant “dwelling at work”. And that sucks.
Having a office that’s bodily separate from the place the place you reside, chill out, and sleep may help present a level of needed separation between work and non-work time. It helps you turn off on the finish of the day by bodily leaving your work outdoors of your dwelling house.
For many individuals, this will have considerably positive impacts on mental health and well-being. It actually does for me.
7. Occasions and Workshops
Working for your self, by your self, could be fairly lonely at occasions. Many coworking areas placed on social occasions, like reside music, pizza and film nights, pub crawls, cooking courses, and extra.
Some even placed on academic occasions, displays, seminars, and workshops on a variety of various subjects, from entrepreneurship to mountain climbing, and search engine optimization to natural farming.
For instance, after I was working at Outpost Weligama in Sri Lanka, an area group known as Sea Sisters held a workshop on the superb (and essential) work they do to assist educate Sri Lankan ladies and ladies to swim (and surf). Additionally they taught us a number of useful Sinhala phrases and phrases.
8. Location and Accessibility
Coworking areas are typically situated within the hearts of cities, near the entire motion. Chances are high, there’ll be a variety of nice consuming, ingesting, procuring, and different leisure choices proper on the doorstep.
That is additionally an enormous plus in case you want someplace to fulfill shoppers, as coworking spots are normally comparatively simple to get to.
Many coworking areas are additionally a part of world networks (reminiscent of WeWork) which permit their members to entry varied areas all over the world. That is ideally suited in case you’re searching for a long-term coworking resolution, however intend to maneuver round all year long.
9. Useful resource Sharing
Utilizing a coworking house lets you reap the benefits of economies of scale. Most provide you with entry to top-spec services and assets that you just may not in any other case have the ability (or keen) to pay for your self.
For instance, chances are you’ll not want entry to costly conferencing services every day. Nonetheless, sharing these services with others could make it far more sensible and reasonably priced so that you can use these conveniences on an occasional foundation.
There’s additionally a wealth of collective information to be shared, particularly in case you reap the benefits of the alternatives for networking which might be all the time swimming round these collaborative locations.
10. Extra Advantages and Facilities
Lastly, coworking areas aren’t solely about working. Most coworking memberships embody entry to varied extra advantages and services. These additional advantages may help present an total higher working expertise, and may also typically show you how to justify the price of the membership.
Many coworking areas provide free tea, espresso, mushy drinks, and snacks. Most have some type of hangout/chill house with couches, TVs, and different facilities, and a few even have swimming swimming pools, gyms, libraries, and yoga studios on website.
Some coworking memberships additionally embody different advantages, reminiscent of particular offers at sure native companies, discounted health club memberships, and extra.
Cons of Coworking Areas
As with most issues, regardless of the quite a few advantages, there are additionally a number of downsides to coworking areas. A few of these shall be kind of of an issue to completely different folks in flip.
Understand that some points are prone to be particular to particular person locations too; some coworking areas are merely simply higher than others. Listed below are some common cons of coworking areas:
1. Prices
Memberships could be costly in some locations (particularly in North America and Europe). Coworking areas in Asia and Latin America are typically extra reasonably priced. Nonetheless, you’ll nonetheless have to issue the added expense into your total funds.
Chances are you’ll effectively determine that the added price is price it. However it’s nonetheless an added price, typically a major one, and that does put many individuals off utilizing them loads (myself included).
A method round this concern is to reap the benefits of versatile membership/entry choices, reminiscent of day passes. Quite a lot of coworking areas additionally will let you buy “packages” of hours (e.g. 25 or 50 hours monthly). These can typically prevent cash, particularly in case you’re unlikely to require entry each day.
I’m not a tax professional (and that is not tax recommendation), however in lots of international locations, it’s potential for freelancers and enterprise homeowners to write down off the prices of coworking areas in opposition to their tax invoice. Relying in your particular person tax circumstances, this may help make these prices simpler to swallow.
2. Distractions
Busy open-plan workspaces could be distracting. Some folks thrive in bustling environments, however for others, it will probably intrude with focus and focus.
Personally, I like there to be silence after I’m working. I discover it very troublesome to do any type of artistic work, writing, or considering after I can hear different folks speaking within the background. For instance, I can’t work in cafes, as a lot as I’d like to have the ability to. They’re a no-go for me.
Nonetheless, some persons are the other. I do know a number of individuals who hate silent environments and do their finest work in locations which might be buzzing and noisy. They discover the exercise of the place energizing, moderately than distracting.
In the end, it will depend on you and your preferences – there’s no “proper” reply to this one. You simply want to determine what works finest for you, (which is among the issues I like most about working for myself – you are able to do issues nonetheless you want!).
3. Lack of Privateness
The shortage of privateness in coworking areas could be a problem for some folks. For instance, in case your work is confidential or in any other case extremely delicate, coworking areas may not be appropriate environments so that you can work in.
I was a lawyer in a former life. It simply wouldn’t have been acceptable for me to offer delicate, confidential authorized recommendation to my shoppers whereas sitting in an open-plan coworking house. In fact, this isn’t going to be a problem for everyone, however it’s one thing to remember.
It’s typically potential to hire personal rooms or name cubicles, though this usually prices extra – typically much more (once more, it will depend on the place in query).
Ask your self: “Would it not matter if another person learn what was on my display screen, or overheard what was being stated on a name?”. If the reply is “Sure”, I’d advocate considering twice earlier than doing that type of work from a coworking house.
4. Competitors for Sources
In standard coworking areas, you possibly can typically end up competing with others for assets reminiscent of assembly rooms, printers, and different shared tools, which can be in excessive demand.
A standard grievance that I’ve heard in varied coworking areas is that there aren’t sufficient name cubicles for everybody to make use of when they should. Or that any individual is all the time hogging the assembly room (a frustratingly excellent recipe for battle).
Typically the printer runs out of ink (or breaks) as a result of too many individuals are attempting to make use of it. Typically the web slows down as a result of too many individuals are attempting to have HD video calls or obtain giant information. And typically there simply aren’t sufficient energy shops.
In fact, these can all be issues in “common” workplace workplaces too. However they’re all possibilites to remember, particularly if in case you have issues (like confidential calls or conferences) that require you to have the ability to use the decision cubicles or assembly rooms at particular occasions. You possibly can’t all the time depend on having the ability to use them.
5. Lack of Customization
Lastly, due to the character of coworking locations as shared areas, you have got restricted management over issues just like the temperature, lighting, and seating preparations.
This may be uncomfortable and distracting if the setting isn’t appropriate in your wants. Nonetheless, this may additionally be extra of an issue for some folks than others. Everyone has their very own preferences and necessities.
In a “conventional” workplace, it’s typically potential to customise your desk with images and different objects. You are inclined to have your personal chair which you’ll set to make it as comfy as potential for you. And also you may be capable of transfer issues round to make your workspace as environment friendly and arranged as you possibly can.
Nonetheless, in coworking areas, that’s typically not the case. You don’t sometimes have the luxurious of getting your personal desk or chair, and even the flexibility to maneuver issues round if wanted. In locations with hotdesking, you primarily haven’t any selection however to take no matter house/setup is offered to you on the day, and settle for it.
In case you rent your personal personal workplace inside a coworking house, you possibly can usually customise this a good quantity, however these workplaces normally price significantly greater than the basic open-plan coworking entry and could also be out of funds of many individuals.
FAQ’s Concerning the Professionals and Cons of Coworking Areas
Listed below are some solutions to continuously requested questions in regards to the execs and cons of coworking areas:
Coworking areas provide startups a good way to save cash, acquire entry to essential networks and assets, and promote collaboration between crew members. Coworking areas additionally present personal areas for conferences, giving startups the chance to have knowledgeable backdrop with out the overheads of renting a standard workplace house.
Each coworking house is completely different. However in my expertise, most coworking areas share the core values of networking, collaboration, creativity, innovation, productiveness, skilled and private growth, and suppleness.
Many additionally prioritize informality, enjoyable, aesthetics, and well-being. The necessity for good high quality espresso tends to characteristic pretty extremely too.
Coworking areas are usually designed to offer a snug, productive, and collaborative setting for distant employees, freelancers, and entrepreneurs.
Coworking areas can present an essential place for distant employees to community, collaborate, and entry assets and services that wouldn’t in any other case be obtainable to them.
They may also be nice locations for socializing with different like-minded folks and assist stop emotions of loneliness and isolation that can be common among remote workers and solopreneurs.
There are various advantages of figuring out of a coworking house. For me, among the most essential advantages are the alternatives for networking, the office-style services and facilities, and the separation of labor and dwelling areas.
Coworking workplaces have grow to be more and more standard in recent times. My prediction is that, as increasingly more persons are in a position to work remotely, coworking areas will proceed to develop in reputation. Increasingly will open, and I believe they’ll provide an growing vary of facilities and advantages as a means of competing for enterprise.
Is Coworking Value It?
I hope that this text on the benefits and downsides of coworking areas has been useful and informative.
Are coworking areas price it? The reply to that query relies upon largely in your most well-liked working fashion, the form of work that you just do, and (to an extent) the place on the planet you’re.
For many individuals, the reply is: sure, coworking areas are undoubtedly price it. As you’ve seen from this submit, there are a lot of advantages of shared workplace areas. Nonetheless, my recommendation can be to easily check out a number of completely different coworking areas out for your self to see whether or not or not they’re for you.
