Why Coworking Is Gaining Popularity Over Traditional Offices

Coworking VS Traditional Offices

Coworking spaces have become a common sight in recent years – spanning across metropolises, providing the increasingly independence-minded youth the freedom and flexibility that align with their schedules.

As opposed to traditional office spaces, where conventional rules and regulations can bog you down, a coworking facility offers multiple benefits, in addition to amenities and features that make it easier for you to focus on your work.

Here are some reasons why sharing a coworking space is preferable over getting an office space.

Networking Opportunities

You’ve heard this one from us on the “Hidden Must Have Features In Coworking Space” as well as on our post about coworking community. The reason we keep mentioning it is because it’s a big draw. In an office, you work with people because you have to. In coworking, you get to work with people you want to.

If you’re a startup or solo enterprise, you need the right people to establish your foundations in the industry. However, hiring the right web designer or developer, for instance, can be a daunting task. Here’s where coworking comes in.

The rising popularity of coworking spaces has seen top freelancing talent relocate to a coworking space. As part of a coworking community, you are surrounded by potential partners, clients, and mentors. You can outsource work to highly talented people with tough or time-strained projects – saving you the hassle of chasing talent.

Flexibility

A coworking space offers the liberty to work how and when you want – not stuck to a desk or bound to a fixed schedule. A group of motivated, independent people breeds a culture of openness and innovation – the hallmarks of a coworking space.

The freedom to counter various challenges and circumstances is constrained in a traditional office space; this can limit your potential and harm your business viability. In sharp contrast, the job control offered in a coworking space is a key factor in its rising popularity.

The absence of an enforced routine means people can put in longer days when the deadline approaches, or take extended breaks on days with a lesser workload. This is, perhaps, the biggest perk of working independently in a space where you are offered complete control.

No More Office Politics

A coworking community is comprised of members who belong to a wide range of ventures, careers, companies, and projects. The emphasis on individuality means there is no room for competition or internal politics that can demotivate a person. The lack of standardization is another reason people don’t feel burdened to put on a work persona to gel in – strengthening their identity and value for work.

Lower Cost

Setting up a separate office is hectic, time-consuming, and very costly. Contrastingly, coworking spaces offer freelancers and individual entrepreneurs a chance to work in a fully equipped office – without spending a hefty amount.

The initial sum is exemplified when calculating and allocating funds for insurance, rent, equipment, and various other seemingly minor expenses that come with starting a business. Even if setting up an office is financially viable, the amount of time spent on acquiring permits, furniture, and equipment can be invested on a much better cause – building the business.

Coworking spaces are priced by the space you occupy. When the efforts and costs are compared to traditional office spaces, the choice becomes clearer.

Cultivates the Feeling of Belonging

The human element is a significant reason why people look to work in a coworking space. Social interaction and bonding are necessary to facilitate a productive environment. Productivity is directly impacted by how much a person resonates, and is comfortable, with the workplace, and coworking places tick these boxes.

However, an important aspect of this socializing and feeling of belonging is that it is not at all forced. People, when sharing a coworking space, are not required to communicate and can work in a quiet corner as long as they like. According to the Harvard Business Review, even people who rarely interacted or talked with coworkers felt a strong sense of identity and belonging to the workplace.

Increases Work Productivity

Coworking spaces manage to strike the perfect balance between the monotonous routine conventional office spaces provide and the complete autonomy offered by the home-based work routine.

While traditional office spaces have long been criticized for curbing creativity and being repetitive, unsurprisingly, home-based work routine also fails to increase productivity. While work autonomy is valued by the new generation, a complete lack of structure takes a toll on their professionalism.

Most people lack the discipline to create a strict routine, and the abundance of autonomy further impedes productivity. Working in a community that caters to individual needs provides the perfect blend of structure and freedom. Paradoxically, a limited amount of structure is necessary to enable the optimal degree of job control for independent workers.

Is Constantly Improving

This is a fundamental difference which sets coworking apart from conventional or home-based working solutions. The social nature of coworking requires the working space model to be continually evolving to meet the unique and changing needs of the clientele.

Coworking, as a working space solution, has undergone several improvements and significant innovation in the last five years, spurred by the evolving requirements. Meanwhile, conventional offices have remained unchanged over the years.

The best part about coworking is that it caters to each and every workspace problem – be it full-time, part-time, solo entrepreneur, or team-based projects. The constantly improving nature of coworking is the reason for its increasing popularity and will form the base of its future success.

Why do you think coworking spaces are becoming more popular?