Co-working - what you need to know about this new trend

Before Covid most companies were reluctant to embrace the idea of employees working from home and slow to make use of the new technologies that enable virtual meetings.  Now WFH (working from home) has become as normal as working from the office, with most businesses adopting some kind of hybrid model (workers splitting their time between these two locations), making full use of tools such as Zoom and Teams.  There is, however, a third option that is becoming increasingly popular with a number of workers – co-working.

What is co-working?

It means working in shared space that is not a home and where the occupants are not employees of single company.  The term co-working, used in this sense, was coined by Brad Neuberg, a programmer who opened the first official co-working space in San Francisco in 2005. 

The concept has caught on big time across the United States with estimates suggesting that there were about 760 co-working spaces in 2011.  Co-working spaces have popped up in pretty much every major city around the globe (and quite a few smaller towns too).  There are at least half a dozen in Bristol.  Most co-working spaces are also fully equipped with the usual amenities like speedy internet access, audio and video equipment, printer/scanner, reserved desks, meeting spaces and somewhere to prepare teas, coffees and snacks. 

Photo by Brooke Cagle on Unsplash

Why is co-working becoming so popular?

Because it caters to the needs of a growing number of today’s workers.   Over recent years there has been a huge rise in the number of people becoming self-employed or working freelance – professionals setting up on their own, solopreneurs, entrepreneurs working alone to get start-ups off the ground, independent contractors, consultants.  The same is true for remote workers - the employee that travels a lot in the course of their work (a trainer or a salesperson for instance).

All of these people could work from home, hire a small office or, in the case of the remote worker, work from their hotel room - but it’s a lonely existence and the home environment is full of distractions. 

What are the benefits of a co-working space?

Sense of community

You are less isolated because you become part of a group of people with whom you probably have a lot in common.  Because all of you are working alone everyone is keen to make connections and support each other – it’s easy to build relationships.  This kind of social interaction is great for your mental wellbeing but it’s also really useful to have people to bounce ideas off and whose brains you can pick.

A professional environment

Working from home can present a few challenges.  Lack of space may be one – unless you have a spare room you’ll end up in the living room, on the kitchen table or under the stairs, none of which are ideal.  Working from home can also mean that concentration is difficult – there are distractions like children, pets, a partner or the TV.  The flipside of this is the fact it can be hard to switch off at the end of the day – there’s no physical separation from work life and home life.  An added aspect of that is that it’s hard to feel “at work” when surrounded by laundry and dishes.  Likewise it’s hard to feel “at home” when there’s a laptop and piles of reports spread over the floor.  All of these issues are immediately resolved when you use a co-working space.  

Networking opportunities

When you join a co-working group, and start building relationships, you’ll find that some of these people may be interested in your services, or know others that could use them – you’ll probably pick up some new clients, either directly, or through referrals.  You’ll also discover that some of these people have skills or connections you could use – you might become clients of theirs or become collaborators.  The bottom line is that new people represent new opportunities – how many great opportunities will you miss in a week, a month, a year if you work from home in isolation?

A few questions for you

Have you tried using a co-working space?   What was the experience like and would you recommend it to others?  Do you have any tips on how to choose between co-working spaces and find the one that’s most appropriate your needs?