How to Find the Right Co-Working Space
Owning your own business and working from home can be a wonderful lifestyle. However, sometimes it’s more productive to work out of a designated office space. At home there are a million distractions. Some of them are self-created and others are just part of the reality of working from home. If you don’t have the budget to rent a full time office space, co-working might be the solution.
What Is Co-Working?
Co-working is about sharing space. The idea is to find an office space that you can share with others. Often the other people you share the space with will also be self-employed business owners – just like you. You might go into the office on Mondays and Wednesdays while your co-working partner uses the space on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It’s a great way to be more productive and to save money on rent.
You can also share the rent and both work at the space full time. It depends on the size of the space and your needs.
Identify Your Needs
Before you begin looking for a co-working space, decide what you need. Do you need an office space that you can go to every day? Can you work with others in the office? Or do you need to have the space to yourself? Also, what is your budget? Finally, if you are sharing space with someone else, or several people, what type of people do you want to share space with? This is important for two reasons.
If you’re working together in the same space you’ll want to have complementary work styles. If you need quiet and the other person is always on the phone, then it might not work for you. If you’re not sharing work time together but you are sharing a desk, then you’ll want to work with someone who respects your space and belongings.
Look at the Classifieds
Co-working is growing in popularity. Chances are there are already advertisements for space in your local newspaper. Check on Craigslist, too. Also ask around. Connect with other self-employed people in your town to see if they know of anyone who needs to share a co-working space. Often you’ll learn that many people are also interested in this productive option and you’ll be able to create your own community.
Create Your Own Community
Because the people you’re co-working with are often more important than the actual space, consider creating your own co-working community. Once you have a few people who are interested, determine your budget and start looking at available spaces. Many larger corporations have space available. You may find that instead of working in a small office you have all the amenities of a corporate building for a fraction of the cost.
