The co-working trend has taken root in the American landscape for a few years now, and with it, businesses have found this cost-effective method of office space has saved them thousands on overhead. However, co-working spaces have given businesses many more benefits as well.
For one, coworking versatility has made it possible for those businesses in transition to relocate or even expand easily. They also are at the root of many collaborative efforts on the part of start-ups. However, because co-working spaces have almost developed into societies, all co-working spaces are not the same.
Keep reading below to learn more about what you need to consider when you want to adopt co-working as an office format.
Culture
Because of the set-up, the coworking space encourages and even promotes, comradery among professionals. When walking into a co-working space, you might find that a certain culture founded on attitudes is already a part of the environment. While the purpose of being in the space is to work, one of the major characteristics of the co-working space is the fact that a lot of networking takes place at work and after hours.
For people who prefer to work in silence or who are not social people, leasing space in a coworking community might work to your disadvantage. In fact, one of the advantages of the co-working space is that it does promote the whole idea of collaboration, which might interfere with someone who really needs to work alone or someone who works with information that is sensitive in nature.
Flexibility
Another consideration professionals need to think about is related to whether the co-working space is flexible for your needs. While some of the niche co-working spaces can offer professionals industry support, they might not be able to offer flexibility in other ways. However, these smaller organizations can really nurture businesses while assisting with growth.
Larger leasing companies tend to operate offices in other locations, which can be beneficial to professionals who travel a lot. Also, these larger outfits can really be of assistance with relocation and expansion efforts because for many of them it is simply a matter of the professional contacting the leasing agent and modifying the lease. Not that one is better than the other, but when leasing space from any of these outfits, consider the benefits of going with local or international co-working spaces.
Support
As stated previously, many of these co-working spaces offer their professionals support in a number of ways. Yes, professionals can network during working hours, but many of the better co-working spaces offer events in the evening that encourage professionals getting to know one another. In both places, these networking events serve to provide professionals with valuable referrals, they are possible places where you can connect with mentors, and they are definitely sources of collaborations.
These collaborations are at the helm of some of the most innovative companies, companies such as Instagram and Uber. Because you could be seated next to professionals from any number of industries, collaborations are usually a part of belonging to these office plans. In addition to these informal collaborative efforts, business owners, especially startups, benefit from incubator programs that help aid professionals in showing them how to boost their business’s growth potential.
Choosing The Most Appropriate Co-Working Space
In America, coworking presents professionals with some great options in office space. However, finding a perfect fit among the plethora of co-working spaces takes effort and time. When considering a space, culture, flexibility, and support are some of the more important factors in deciding whether this workspace can fit your professional life.