Coworking: Why Everyone Is Ditching The Traditional Office
Est. Reading Time: 1 Minute
People need to feel good about the work they do in order to be more productive. They need autonomy and freedom to work while being part of a structured surrounding. A co-working space is designed specifically to do that: to create a shared working space so employees can collaborate and thrive. Over the last decade, many successful startups have grown exponentially in the shared workspace. We Work, for example, founded in 2010, was valued at over $47 billion in January of 2019, a testament to the exponential growth in the shared working space industry.
Connecting with others makes us feel part of a community, and, for some people, the additional productivity and happiness gained from a coworking space outweigh working for free from home or in a corner office. And, unlike a traditional office, a coworking space consists of people who work for a wide range of companies and work on a variety of projects. Members can choose to collaborate with each other or to work independently. Most coworking places create a culture and office design that encourages collaboration and a sense of community. There are shared tables, coffee areas, and other spaces where members can socialize, learn about what others do, and potentially find ways to help each other.
Est. Reading Time: 2 Minutes
A coworking space is a membership-based workspace designed with the intention of increasing productivity, creativity, and job satisfaction, among a diverse group of freelancers, remote workers, and other independent professionals. Unlike a traditional office environment, a coworking space consists of people who work on different projects. Freelancers feel more productive and their work becomes more meaningful. Traditional employees may also feel more productive because they get to step away from company politics and be themselves. They may also feel a raised level of identity, as others who are not familiar with them can speak with them and ask about their work.
Many people join a coworking space so they can belong to an organization where attendees believe in helping their peers. The sheer variety of unique skill sets of members increases the probability of collaboration. It is the norm in the coworking space to help each other out. The best example of this is the Coworking Manifesto, a signed document by members of over 1,700 coworking spaces. The document outlines the values the coworking movement aspires to, including community, collaboration, learning, and sustainability.
Coworking spaces are usually open 24/7, making them accessible for members to work anytime. This flexibility allows members to work at optimum times where they can be most productive. Members enjoy the autonomous nature of such working spaces while creating routines that will make them more productive than working from home or the office.
Socializing is another reason workers opt for a coworking space as opposed to working in solitude at home or in a corner office. The bonus? Socializing in a coworking space is not forced. People can hang out at the cafe or be left alone. This adds to the feeling of autonomy, giving the employees the choice to be social or work independently.
An increasing number of companies are seeing the benefit of allowing their employees to work at coworking spaces, and are allowing them as alternate places to work. Spending time away from the office seems to spark creativity and innovation. It also gives employees a sense of independence and more meaning for the work they put in.
Other companies are trying to emulate the benefits of a coworking space by creating coworking environments within their own buildings. Examples are shared work tables, company lounges and cafes, and generally encouraging constant collaboration versus having their employees work in offices. These changes seem to suggest a general consensus among all companies that people are more productive when they are independent and have the support to be their best selves.
Find a WeWork space for rent near you. With over 600,000 registered workers, WeWork is the largest Coworking company in the U.S. with over 4 million square of shared office space. Space is available to rent for 1 person or hundreds of employees.
Another great one to join is SpaceWorks, for a more inspiring work space design. Founded as a space engineering company in 2000, SpaceWorks specializes in designing creative workspaces that encourage creative thinking and collaboration.
Read the Coworking Manifesto, a code of conduct for the community of coworkers which reiterates important shared values of collaboration, community, and participation.
CEO, Novia Marketing
Farbod is a serial entrepreneur having started 8 different companies in marketing, sales, and technology since graduating college. In 2015, he founded Novia Marketing, an innovative lead generation and full-service marketing agency. His clients have ranged from one-time data buyers to presidential candidates. He also owns a SAAS platform called SYNC Profiles for local businesses to help them gain better visibility online, manage their data across the Internet, and generate positive online reviews.
Full Bio | Connect With Farbod | LinkedIn
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