When people cannot work successfully from home but can’t afford to rent an office, coworking spaces are a nice solution. If a person is freelancing or starting their own company, renting a coworking space can be an economical way to get professional space to operate in a professional setting. Coworking spaces are office spaces that people pay for by the hour or the day as they are needed. When a person is not working, they are not paying for space. Sharing a large office atmosphere with others saves money.
What Are Coworking Spaces?
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A lot of people have never heard of coworking spaces. Coworking spaces are large office-type spaces that are a neutral place for people to assemble to work independently on their own projects or in small groups working on shared projects. This is a space that people can rent space in to work on their own company projects along with other people doing the same thing. Generally, people rent either desk space or a private office by the hour or by the day.
If you’re wondering if a coworking space near me will offer the amenities needed, consider this. in addition to desk space, most locations will provide Wi-Fi, printers, some type of conference room, a shared lunchroom, phone service, utilities, and a receptionist. Each coworking space offers its own unique set of amenities and fee structure. People renting coworking spaces can interact socially with other renters or choose to stay to themselves to get work done.
Owners of coworking spaces provide a professional work space with certain office equipment and other amenities. The space provides a professional atmosphere as opposed to working at home with distractions such as pets or children.
A renter can expect these facilities to include:
• Shared workspaces with desks that are rented by the hour or by the day
• Worktables
• Conference rooms
• Shared Kitchen space
• Lounge areas
• restrooms
• Office equipment such as printers, copiers, or fax machines
• High-speed internet connections
Advantages of Renting Coworking Spaces
Coworking spaces are becoming more popular and available because they meet a need that working from home does not.
• They are furnished and ready to use for nominal rent.
• They can be a collaborative community with members sharing ideas and advice.
• They are low cost with short commitment requirements and are less expensive than renting a traditional office space.
• Their membership fees might include amenities like socializing opportunities and coffee and snack availability.
• Coworking spaces are a good place to look for networking opportunities. They may offer special business events, workshops, and conferences.
Disadvantages to Joining a Coworking Space
While coworking spaces offer advantages to people on their own or with small start-up companies, they do have a downside that should be considered.
• Coworking spaces can be noisy and distracting as well as lacking privacy. Walled in private offices can be prohibitive in cost.
• A person might find themselves sharing office space with others who compete with them for the same business.
• Anytime several people are sharing a common space, personality conflicts can happen.
• The hours the coworking space is available might be more limited than is convenient. Many are only open on a 9 to 5 basis.
• When a startup business is ready to hire additional employees, a coworking space may no longer work. The added space needed can get pretty costly.
Because coworking spaces have both advantages and disadvantages it is important to consider the needs of the person or company needing space to work. Do some cost comparisons before making any commitments.
