Ever tried to explain your parents the concept of shared spaces? Have you told the pros and cons of shared offices? I did and the whole thing just went over their heads. This is because they belong to an old-fashioned time where working at traditional offices was considered to be very productive. Today, India is considered as a youthful country where the maximum number of employees are youngsters. More people are joining the freelancer sector and they just can’t work at a traditional office.
In the past few years, a new business concept has come into the limelight which is really loved by the youths of our country. Coworking or shared offices is a creative work technique which allows people to come together and work with like-minded people. More than 3000 coworking spaces have opened up around the world. Generally, these spaces are full of freelancers and start-ups which are creating an excellent work culture among the youngsters of our country.
According to a study by Deskmag, 92% people are happy with coworking spaces, 91% people have better interactions with other people at shared offices and 64% people find the easier to complete their tasks on time by working at shared spaces.
But wait a minute, before you decide to join a coworking space here’s a list of few things that will help you in deciding whether shared space is right for you or not.
Is coworking space right for you?
Rent
Renting an office space in metro cities like Delhi can be really expensive. Here shared offices might be a feasible option. You will be full access to excellent facilities like wifi, unlimited tea/coffee etc without worrying about lease agreements and broker fees. But just because coworking is a feasible option that doesn’t mean that you can bear it. If you have small business chances are that you might have spent much of your cash on basic necessities. So, before you make your mind to rent a shared space kindly go through your finances first.
Environment
Shared spaces provide an amazing platform to interact with other people. These spaces are full of like-minded people. You can interact with them and in future collaboration with them on certain projects. But every person has a separate working style. Coworking spaces are full of activities. It can also get noisy as people might be talking on the phone or chatting with other coworkers. So, if you like to work in a quiet noisy free environment then think twice before joining a shared space.
Security
You have full access to printers and scanners at shared offices which can help to reduce the costs of start-ups and freelancers. But this can prove to be a disadvantage as well. The shared internet can easily lead to data losses so you need to spend some money to make that network safe. Also if competing startups are working at a particular shared office then there can be chances of a leak of private information.
Culture
Every startup needs a company culture. Shared spaces provide such cultures. But every coworking space has its own culture. You will not get a chance to control the culture of a coworking space and neither you will have a choice with whom who want to share the office space. Also, you might not like a few people and you don’t want your team to hang out with them but it’s a public space so you don’t have a choice.
Convenience
Shared spaces offer a 24-hour access to its clients so that they can work according to their convenience. Also, coworking offices offer open spaces where you have a freedom to sit anywhere in the room and start working. But some people might be comfortable with fixed work hours and a permanent seat (like my father). So, if you belong to this category then coworking spaces might not be a good option for you.
Mentor
Coworking offices are full of like-minded people. You can interact with them, share your problems and get some suggestions in return. You can easily get mentors at a shared office. But some people think that they are a bunk of geniuses and they can solve their problems on their own. Such people hate to require any mentors.
Finally, it all depends on how you choose to look at the above points. Like any other thing, coworking spaces has its advantages and disadvantages. You need to make a choice depending on certain factors such as your goals, business size, and your team preferences.
