Coworking space was an unknown concept about ten years ago, but that has changed. The modern coworking space has transformed the way the contemporary worker relates and interacts with the business world. As it is, statistics show that there are currently about 17,000 coworking spaces globally, and their demand is on the increase. Moreover, forecasts show that coworking spaces will increase by 6% per year in the US until 2022.
The trend is fueled by the changes in work culture, including remote work and flexible working conditions. As a result, coworking spaces like WeWork are not secluded for freelancers and entrepreneurs only. Instead, they’re a blossoming network, bringing together established professionals in private offices, remote enterprise teams, and diverse gig economy workers. The growing popularity is for good reasons, as discussed under the advantages of coworking spaces.Â
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Increased Productivity
One of the advantages of coworking spaces is increased productivity, especially for small business owners working out of a home office. When working from home, it’s easy to get distracted by personal issues that need your attention. For example, kids need you to attend to their needs, and special personal projects keep cropping up in mind.
Working from a coworking space makes it easy to solidify a “work mode” that boosts productivity by encouraging you to focus on the tasks at hand.
Besides, focus and energy fluctuate throughout the workday. Most coworking spaces provide a blend of different work environments to accommodate these fluctuations. Since they’re optimized for productivity, they offer a more excellent structure compared to working from home.
As such, it’s easy to keep up with your work progress in these intentionally designed spaces. Moderated air temperatures, natural lighting, limited distractions, and soft background music are some factors that help you remain refreshed and energized.
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Networking with Other Small Businesses
Coworking spaces can provide the best networking opportunities with people from other companies. They provide fertile ground for finding like-minded people with similar business goals, motivation, and shared interests.
Digital signage in the coworking space comes in handy to help you accomplish this goal. For example, you can ask to display content that showcases your company’s accomplishments. Alternatively, you can share opportunities for partnership with like-minded coworkers.
Another way you can use digital signage is to promote your company’s special deals and upcoming events. Further, you can leverage the signs to feature discounts for products and services relevant to the audience. You never know who might be watching and how your digital signage content will impact them.
Networking with coworkers could be the pathway that launches you to your next big project. Additionally, you get exposure to other kinds of work, inspiration, and workflows to help your business grow.
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Enhanced Flexibility and Cost Savings
Paying rent for traditional office space doesn’t come cheap. This is especially the case when you have to meet additional costs for your employees. For example, if they want perks like snacks, free coffee, and occasional drinks, you’ll have a host of extra expenses and bills to foot.
Fortunately, coworking spaces provide these perks at no additional cost. The monthly rate is inclusive of these services, including built-in business services like business mail. Besides, other amenities and resources like printing services, front desk and cleaning staff, coffee shop, and internet connectivity eliminate various overhead costs. This can save you a great deal of money in the long run.
With this in mind, always consider the features you’d like to have in a work environment before choosing a coworking space for your business. You’ll enjoy cost-efficiency and save your business from the cycle of paying expensive leases.
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Stepping Out of Your Comfort Zone
If you’re not used to opening, buzzing spaces, coworking spaces could present a challenge for obvious reasons. To explain, most workers worked in small private offices before hybrid working conditions came along. However, workers can now break out of their comfort zone by working in new settings each day while meeting new people.
In these spaces, you must stay innovative and bring out your creativity in the face of uncertainty. It’ll be as if you’re growing a startup. Being in a new environment will boost innovation and entrepreneurship as you interact with people from different backgrounds and learn new ideas.
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Promoting Healthy Work-Life Balance
Another one of the benefits of coworking spaces is how well they allow you to separate your work from personal and home life. Specifically, many coworking spaces feature design elements that encourage you to keep moving during the day.Â
Examples include expansive indoor lounges and internal staircases. Others give you access to gym facilities, exercise studios, meditation rooms, yoga sessions, and onsite showers, convenient for post-workout. Exercising during the day keeps you productive and enhances your cognitive ability.
Final Thoughts
If you’ve been skeptical about working in a coworking space, you now have several reasons to. The above are just a few of the advantages of coworking spaces. Whether you work alone or have a team, this workspace provides flexibility, enhances productivity, and presents collaboration opportunities. Moreover, you never know what could come out of your interaction with new coworkers.
