Despite the worldwide surge of coworking spaces, the misconception remains that coworking spaces are for “digital nomad” types only. Nomadic entrepreneurs and freelancers have certainly helped popularize the coworking lifestyle; however, nomads tend to get extra recognition in any arena they touch these days.
If you consider yourself a digital nomad or remote worker, you’ve almost certainly experienced coworking spaces for yourself, since they’re fairly essential to the lifestyle. But what if you’re an entrepreneur or freelancer based exclusively in one place? Coworking spaces are absolutely for you too.
Coworking spaces are meant to bring together all types of professionals, regardless of their work mobility or preference for a traveling lifestyle. If you’re serious about entrepreneurship and see value in working alongside like-minded individuals, you’re in the perfect position to get out of your home or rented office and get into a coworking space right where you are. And you probably won’t look back.
Share a workspace alongside like minded professionals in the productive environment. The space welcomes solopreneurs and freelancers from across industries, often creative ones – it has the best vibes for creative breakthroughs. With an open layout, huge desks, chill-out lounge, a fully-stocked kitchen, and weekly happy hour, it’s no wonder it’s members have formed a highly collaborate community.
The Coworking Space: A Natural Evolution
More than ever before, the professional world has opened up to the advantages of lateral rather than vertical career progress. To freelancers and entrepreneurs, the corporate ladder has never been a desirable gateway to success. While vertical growth often emphasizes authoritarian job titles and corner offices, lateral growth is about gaining and implementing knowledge across different roles within an organization or project. Entrepreneurs like to be be able to generate their own solutions in their endeavors, and therefore appreciate being around others who can help them grow or challenge their skills.
This is just the kind of environment a coworking space cultivates. Unlike traditional office spaces, a coworking space encourages networking, collaborative work, and creative problem-solving. You can gain new knowledge from community skill-sharing that you may be able to implement within your existing work right away. Interacting with people from various industries also increases exposure to other products and service possibilities.
From getting work done to chit-chatting with fellow coworkers, Amsterdam’s Spaces Herengracht location is a highly flexible work-chill environment. There are growth and development lectures, skill-sharing opportunities, brainstorming sessions, and more, always underlaid with positive energy. No matter your work needs, you get 24/7 access, really delicious coffee, and super speedy internet. Spaces truly has everything covered
The Advantages for Freelancers
For an individual freelancer or solopreneur, a coworking space provide several advantages over your standard home workspace or cafe – and fast internet is only the first of many.
Connection. It’s little discussed but undeniably true – working independently can be utterly isolating. And the murmur of your neighborhood cafe won’t be very satisfying if you’re not actually connecting with anyone.
Sharing a workspace makes a huge impact on feelings of loneliness and isolation, not only because you have more opportunities to network and collaborate with other driven people. The coworking spaces of today actually function as communities that socialize as often as they work. Many spaces hold mixers, seminars, and even off-site activities to help sustain the community environment.
A shared workspace on the Google Campus, London’s TechHub is a powerful community to be a part of. The startup support program and professional resources are just some of the perks of the space. Membership allows access to all networking, educational, and social events at TechHub locations worldwide. It’s a great place for new or aspiring startup founders to get connected and set themselves up for success.
Time Management. Separating home life from work life also fosters better time management. If you’ve ever tried working from home, you know that relaxation and work time start to become indistinguishable. It’s all too easy to slip into idleness. Take a break on the couch, and before you know it, you’re three episodes deep in the new season of Game of Thrones. But if you transition into a coworking space, you can maintain a healthy separation and enjoy the comforts of home with much more ease.
Amenities. These days, there are so many coworking spaces vying for the same clients, that they have to complete somehow. In order to charm prospective members, coworking spaces offer a whole array of amenities. An open floor plan, flexible desk seating, lounge spaces, and a clean, modern aesthetic are givens for most spaces today. Many spaces stay open late into the evening, and some even stay open 24/7 for their night owls.
It’s fairly standard for coworking spaces to offer printing and copy services to their members at little or no charge. Many spaces also have designated conference rooms for members to rent by the hour, which are great for meeting with existing and potential clients. A number of coworking spaces also have a coffee machine and kitchen, or even a full cafe.
This Queens Central Road location is considered the hippest of Hong Kong’s three Garage Society coworking spaces. The space attracts a young, savvy crowd with an international flair. It’s a great place to get connected with people in the startup scene. When you’re not working from the beautiful terrace or taking advantage of some of the extensive services, you can grab a glass of FREE Peroni on tap!
Networking. Establishing a network of friends, potential clients, and mentors alone is impossible. But at a coworking space, you’re surrounded by potential clients who may very well be looking for your service. And plenty of your fellow members have the business experience to make great mentors. It’s just a matter of connecting with the people around you.
Exposure to Innovative Thinking. Coworking spaces are hotbeds for breakthrough ideas and innovative solutions across industries. There’s just no substitute for working next to talented, ambitious people who are always sharing strategies, tools, and new methods for greater success. Even if you don’t collaborate with others on physical work, opening up to collaboration of ideas can enable your productivity to flourish.
Situated 15 minutes from the center of Brussels, transforma bxl is an especially inspiring coworking space for startups, entrepreneurs and freelancers. The space prides itself on its sustainable practices; the community maintains vegetable garden, where people can pick and help grow fresh organic produce, and two bee hives that help maintain the garden’s ecosystem as well. Think Brussels is all grey? Transforma bxl it green, open, and full of natural light to encourage creativity, collaboration, and optimism.
Cost-Efficiency. When it comes to membership, you’ll be pleased to find that coworking spaces offer flexible commitments. You can even pay by the day if you’d like. However, there are discounted monthly packages for those who are willing to commit to the space a couple days a week, and more so for those who plan to come in every day.
If you’re building a startup and see yourself acquiring a team in the near future, coworking spaces are great for saving on overhead. This will also allow you to allocate funds where they’ll be most needed in your business. And the month-to-month, non-binding rent tends to be much more appealing than committing to an office space long-term.
Validation. Daily interaction with other freelancers and solopreneurs does wonders for personal validation. It’s a huge boost in confidence to share a workspace with those who have made a similar career move, and share in their little wins and frustrations. You become a part of a community whose sheer existence helps keep its members focussed and determined. It’s a beautiful symbiosis.
If you’re on the lookout for a new space to thrive in Singapore, JustCo may be your spot. A fresh space with a creative outlook on shared workspaces, JustCo is designed for independent professionals seeking that hip vibe within a professional work setting. There are shared desk spaces, a cozy corner by the chalkboard wall, and ergonomic chairs in the communal work spaces. JustCo is comprised of a vibrant community that loves to collaborate for a more global approach to business solutions.It’s an exceptionally well-balanced environment.
At the end of the day, any coworking space’s greatest assets are its members. It’s the people you’ll meet across the table or over the coffee machine who will teach, support, challenge, and inspire you to crystallize your vision of success and strive harder.
A Note on Competition
It’s not uncommon for freelancers to shy away from coworking spaces to avoid a competitive atmosphere. While some spaces may tend to attract more assertive, self-promoting types, they are not places you have to worry about proving your talents or justifying your participation in the community.
If your space caters to a freelancers in your particular industry, you may get the chance to participate in small community contests, like a coding hackathon or logo design challenge. These are merely meant to stir some healthy creativity, activate fresh ideas, and open you up to pivoting in a direction you may never have considered.
Chicago’s The Study is a hip space with plenty of single desks, known for its freelancer friendliness. It’s done in a minimalist style, with white brick walls and dark wood floors. Despite its industrial environment, The Study has plenty of creative areas, including lounge chairs and hammocks on wooden decks, where you can bask in the sunlight on a work break. The Study also has a full kitchen, complete with a coffee and tea station.
Transitioning into a Coworking Space
The rise of coworking has created a true revolution in the lifestyles of entrepreneurs and freelancers everywhere. With technological advancements in communication, cloud computing, and consumerization, those formerly confined to offices can now embrace mobility. Coworking spaces stand in stark contrast to traditional offices not only because encourage this mobility, but because they nourish ingenuity rather than stifle. They create the freedom integral to a gratifying work life.
Finding your own work-life balance as a freelancer can make an enormous impact on your satisfaction, productivity, and long-term success. So if you haven’t already, pop in to a local coworking space and see what it’s like to think, work, and create outside the box. It could be your best venture yet.
