Being such a fast-growing trend, there must be some reason that co-working is taking off so quickly, and there is. Actually there are several reasons for this.
An excellent alternative to working from home.
For many freelancers working from home has remained the norm for many years, however, there has always been one vital problem to this as an office solution. That is, working from home can provide very little, if any social interaction during the workday. With humans being extremely social beings, this social isolation can have detrimental effects on mental health. Even if freelancers decide to spend a few hours a day at a coffee shop, the level of interaction still remains superficial and minimal, not to mention they end up drinking far more coffee than they probably should.
For many of these freelancers, co-working is the perfect solution. Not only does it take the stress out of worrying when the internet goes down, but simply having an office to show up to, with familiar people can help to combat these feelings of isolation and help improve your productivity.
Co-working also allows freelances to give their business a more professional base, offering a more premium meeting space than the traditional coffee shop meet up.
Communities that help you and your business to grow.
Some research has shown that the community created in some co-working spaces can greatly improve productivity and focus. Co-working is also thought to create a more positive attitude towards work, resulting from the more relaxed nature and this is thought to produce greater productivity.
Flexible open hours.
Many co-working spaces offer the option of 24/7 access, this means if you are one to come in earlier to skip the morning rush you can! Other co-working spaces allow for rental of desks outside of regular business hours at a reduced rate, allowing for great savings.
Savings!
One of the biggest reasons businesses turn to co-working is the savings on operating costs it offers. Traditional methods of office rental can quickly become quite costly. For example, if you are renting a small office for only 10 employees you need to worry about paying a cleaner their base rate, purchasing a printer, providing a kitchen area, providing meeting rooms that may be used infrequently and many other facilities. When you choose to go with co-working these costs are shared by all other members of the space and hence are drastically decreased.
Location.
Co-working spaces can provide offices in prime and central locations that normally don't have space available at a greatly reduced price.
Opportunities for promotion and collaboration.
Being a part of a co-working space can provide a great and unique opportunity for brand promotion. Not only that, you could find yourself sharing your office with the perfect company to help your brand grow.
All the extras.
Many co-working spaces provide a range of extras not usually included by the traditional method of office rental. These include networking events, skill-building workshops, and talks from special guests. In combination, these can help to inspire and create drive within members.
