Coworking Spaces are Taking Over the Startup and Freelancing Industry

How Did It All Start?

Office workers social distancing in a working space

Coworking Spaces, also known as shared office spaces, are essentially shared workspaces that allow people from various disciplines to share a working space. It offers some amenities you will find in a traditional office and other special features such as Wi-Fi, printers, conference rooms, kitchen, living rooms, shared workspace with ‘hot’ desk, dedicated desks or small private office and other special facilities.

Workspaces are common in startups and the freelancing world. The success of some startups such as Uber, Wanderfly, and many more have been associated with Coworking Spaces. You shouldn’t be surprised that the most widely used social media – Instagram, was incepted in a shared office space. The shared office spaces idea came to life in San Francisco in 2005, and the idea is becoming popular around the world.

According to recent statistics, shared office spaces are gaining more acceptance over alternative working environments like libraries, coffee shops, cafes and home working offices. The statistics showed that users utilising coworking plans worldwide stand at 8%, those working from home offices stand at 84%, while those working from libraries stand at 3%. There are more benefits of working in Coworking Spaces than working from the other alternatives such as home office since you can access many services at your disposal, for example, you can order snacks and coffee without shifting your work environment. The following are some of the underlying benefits of working in shared office spaces.

Flexibility Is the Main Advantage

A woman using her laptop

Signing up for a good space plan solely depends on you. It means that there is no long-time commitment like leasing a building. When you no longer have an interest in working in the environment, you can end the subscription with no overhead cost. Another advantage of this shared office space is improved productivity. In this dedicated environment, there is less distraction like being disturbed by kids and other possible distractions you would face in a traditional office setup.

Networking

Unity amoung office workers

Networking is another attraction of this working environment. When you are under one roof with people of common interest and from different disciplines and walks of life, you can easily land an advertised opportunity or even collaborate with them in solving a real-world problem. You will also get motivated working in a room with people who are driven in nature, and it is almost impossible to slack off.

It’s Cost-Effective

A woman wearing a face mask while working in an office

The main deal in working in a Coworking Spaces is cost-efficiency. Starting your own office may require you to incur a lot of charges such as costs associated with purchasing Wi-Fi, installing electricity, and leasing a building. Subscribing to a shared office space plan can save your financial struggles. The huge growth of shared office spaces has been attributed to many factors. The main one is that shared spaces are favourable for startups because of the less cost incurred in purchasing a space. Another thing is that they are sociable and let you access everything you need.