A coworking space is a neutral space for people to work independently or in groups on projects. The main difference between traditional office workspaces and coworking spaces is that the people participating in a coworking space aren’t necessarily working for the same company. Coworking spaces offer the same type of amenities as a traditional workspace, but provide the flexibility of not needing a long-term lease for those who work remotely some or most of the time.
Most coworking spaces provide things like WiFi, printers, conference rooms, break rooms, and some even offer additional tech like 3D printers and digital assets. Other spaces have fewer frills and offer little more than a desk and WiFi, but are often more cost effective.
The flexibility that coworking spaces offer provides a comfortable environment for workers and cost savings for businesses who are utilizing an entirely remote or hybrid labor model, and therefore no longer need to pay for a large, full time office space. Today, we will take a closer look at how coworking spaces are being utilized and the pros and cons of using a coworking space.
Who Uses Coworking Spaces?
Coworking spaces started out catering to startups, freelancers, and up-and-coming entrepreneurs. However, as coworking spaces have become more popular, more established companies have begun to invest in them instead of the traditional rented workspaces. Coworking spaces are an ideal choice for satellite offices, remote workspaces, and professional service providers.
Sole Proprietors
Professionals like CPAs, lawyers, and marketers use a coworking space to save money and retain the ability to work in a well-equipped office. Conference and meeting room availability allows them to reserve and rent a professional and private space to meet clients. In addition to cost savings, many coworking spaces provide a business address, telephone answering service, and office equipment to help run a business.
Freelancers
Coworking spaces provide the freedom of where and when to work for freelancers. They get the benefits of a productive office environment as well as being part of a community of workers. Using a coworking space helps avoid the distractions of working from home or at a noisy coffee shop. Because coworking spaces are full of exciting and ambitious people, freelancers aren’t isolated and can network with others to find potential clients and business opportunities.
Work From Home Or Field-Based Workers
If your employees are mostly field-based or work from home, you may not need a full-time office space, but your staff may still need a professional office space to meet with clients, focus on work, and utilize amenities like printers, WiFi, and conference rooms. Coworking spaces provide the office necessities your employees need while delivering cost savings for you.
Benefits Of Coworking Spaces
We’ve touched on a few benefits of using coworking spaces for employers. But on the employee side, coworking provides the freedom to work in a way that’s best for the individual. As more companies move to coworking spaces, these benefits have become more prevalent and standardized to accommodate. These benefits include:
- Working remotely in a professional setting
- Cost-savings for business by cutting down on larger leases
- Networking opportunities for freelancers and mobile workers
- No facility maintenance and upkeep
- Flexible pay-as-you-go or monthly membership options for leasing space
- Various workspace types like individual workstations to group spaces
- Work hour flexibility
Potential Negatives Of Coworking Spaces
While coworking spaces provide flexibility, cost savings, and various other benefits, there can be drawbacks. Most of these detracting factors generally revolve around working in a more open space. When space is more open, and multiple people are working on a multitude of projects, there is the inherent risk of increased distractions. In addition, because of the removal of a singular company’s structured office setting, there’s a lack of traditional hierarchy and order in the workspace, something that can take some getting used to. A few additional drawbacks include:
- Lack of a dedicated personal space for employees used to a traditional workspace
- Excess noise and the potential for lack of privacy
- Personality conflicts between individuals using the same space
- It may be costly for companies with a rapidly growing need for space
- Lack of direct oversight of decentralized workers
- Availability for desks, conference rooms, or other workspaces aren’t guaranteed
- Inability to establish or experience the company culture
Even with these drawbacks, as coworking space use grows, these issues may become less impactful. Not to mention, some coworking spaces can manage desk and conference room rentals more efficiently.
Who Thrives In Coworking Spaces and Why?
Remote workers, freelancers, and field workers tend to thrive in coworking spaces. Thanks to the benefits that the coworking space provides, they often also experience personal and professional growth by working in a space with a diverse group of motivated people. So, what is it exactly about coworking spaces that results in these benefits?
Work Is Seen As More Meaningful
Unlike a traditional office, coworking spaces are the home to members who work for various companies. Since there is little to no direct competition and internal politics, workers report that they don’t feel like they have to put on a work persona to fit in. When working amongst people doing different types of work, their own work identity is stronger.
Each worker in the space has unique skill sets that can benefit the cowork space community members and create a positive workplace culture. The coworking movement has been shown to foster a feeling of community, collaboration, learning, and sustainability, an interesting revelation considering the lack of a traditional single-business environment — a factor that has historically been associated with developing culture and increasing productivity. However, that culture may not be reflective of the employing company culture.
Greater Job Control and Sense of Community
Most coworking spaces are accessible 24/7. Workers can decide how and when they want to work. They can work in a quiet area or a collaborative space, allowing them to interact as much or as little as they wish. Having a community to work in helps create structure and discipline to motivate workers without restricting them to specific times or spaces to work in.
Designing The Right Coworking Space
T2B is committed to creating exceptional workplaces. We help Central PA organizations meet and achieve their business needs through quality design, ergonomic furniture, modern flooring options, and window treatments.
Our in-house designers cover the latest industry trends, balancing aesthetics and function on a budget to meet your needs. We understand that your office or coworking space should be more than just slotting desks into workstations. We are here to provide you with a unique design to meet all your workspace needs, so that you can manage your workspaces in the way that works for you and your business.
Our values drive us to create an exceptional experience from design to installation. We are dedicated to finding the best solutions, at the best price, within the right time frame, and wowing both your workers and your clients. And, if something goes wrong, our customer service team is here to help work out any issues you have with your new office interior.
Let’s get started. Contact us today for a free design consultation.