Working independently has so many benefits: you have flexibility, you have autonomy, and you get to challenge yourself in new ways every day. On the other hand, it can have some serious drawbacks, like isolation and a lack of clear work-life boundaries.
For people who love working on their own but still crave some of the upsides of working in an office, coworking spaces can be the ideal solution to both sets of desires.
Coworking spaces provide a sense of community.
Working from home is nice at times. The commute is 10 seconds and the dress code includes fuzzy bunny slippers. But after a while, a sense of isolation sets in. Working in front of a screen with nobody but your dog for company, you start turning into the sort of person who keeps telemarketers on the line just to have a conversation with someone that’s not through an instant message or email.
Or, you might find yourself at a cafe dealing with wobbly tables, spotty internet, and whatever soundtrack the barista decided was going to be put on full blast today. Or caffeine-deprived at the library with its strict cell phone policy and no-drinks-allowed study room.
Coworking, on the other hand, provides a consistent community of people who also understand the realities of working independently. Rather than strangers, you have colleagues, each doing their own thing but still happy to bond over a coffee break and swap stories.
Coworking gives you a place to focus on work.
You have an invoice to send, but that laundry basket is calling. You could prep for your conference call, but is there still chili leftover from dinner last night? It’s time to get to bed, but maybe you should check your email one last time. When you work from home, it’s hard to find a firm line between your home life and your work. One is always running into the other, leaving you completely free to enjoy neither one.
Coworking spaces provide a physical location away from home for the work part of your life, enabling you to do just that thing and do it well. Free from the opportunity (or obligation) to take care of random errands or household chores, you can do your work well when that’s your goal, and enjoy your home to the fullest when you’re there.
Coworking gives you a professional edge.
You know you can have high professional standards while working from your kitchen table, but does everyone else? Coworking spaces offer a business address, a place to meet current or potential clients, and all the amenities associated with an office, without the confining regulations that normally come along with them.
For people who aren’t used to collaborating with independent workers, the idea of lacking a professional location can come across as sketchy. Coworking spaces give these people the comfort of knowing you take yourself seriously as a professional while offering you the flexibility of as much accommodation (like a reserved office and storage space) or as little (just an address and the ability to rent the occasional meeting space) as you like.
Coworking is new to many people.
Having hustled hard to get out of the office, many folks are hesitant to jump into an environment that looks even a little similar. Once you experience it firsthand, though, you may find that it’s exactly what you were hoping for from a professional environment all along.
Want to find out more? Schedule a tour at our Walnut Creek location and see for yourself what coworking is all about. And, if you are looking for a virtual office for an address, mailbox, phone number or any other benefit of a traditional office at a fraction of the cost, we have options for that, too!
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