In today’s working world, where plenty of remote workers, freelancers, small business owners, and entrepreneurs find themselves working predominantly on their own, co-working is an alluring concept. It places groups of talented, driven, and ambitious individuals in the same working space, where they’re able to work as if in a cafe but without the precarious nature of such an environment. What’s fantastic about these spaces is what you can pick up from simply being there. They are, after all, collaborative spaces with an open and sharing climate, perfect for learning new things.
- New Perspectives
So, you’ve decided to work in a co-working environment. Let’s say you’re a young entrepreneur who’s been looking for a reliable place to work without having to buy coffee after coffee in your local cafe. What you won’t have accounted for, perhaps, is the fact that people in these spaces are pleasantly curious about the work that you do. Indeed, they’re not only there to learn from you, but they’re also willing and excited to offer their perspective to your work. Feedback from other young professionals can be precious in shaping your perspective as you progress your ideas and grow your brand and business.
- New Contacts
Another key benefit to hotdesking is that you’ll quickly fill your contact book with useful individuals who’ll provide an essential network for you to delve into when you need advice, skills or opinions about where your business should be heading. Networking has never been easier; since you’re all in the same space day after day, your network will feel far more like friends than they do professional relationships. Still, there will be a great deal to learn and harness from this diverse and knowledgeable new network. With smart people at your fingertips, just a few desks away, you’ll have the opportunity to contact them instantaneously whenever you have a query that they’ll be best placed to resolve for you.
- Business Practices
If you’re the owner of a small entrepreneurial business, you’ll be sharing your workspace with like-minded people when you choose to co-work. Inevitably, some people will be a little further down the road towards lasting success than you are, and you’ll be able to learn from their mistakes and their achievements. To give you a simple idea, consider that in a co-working environment, you quickly grasp the significance of cleanliness and order, as the presence of office cleaning services ensures a professional and inviting setting for all members. Beyond that, you can learn from the diverse businesses around you, observing different strategies, networking opportunities, and collaborative ventures. Applying this new knowledge, you can inform your business direction, ensuring that you’re avoiding some of the bumps in the road ahead that other businesses in your co-working space have struggled over.
An important aspect of coworking that makes it so beneficial to young professionals is its layout and design. Coworking spaces are ingeniously designed to foster collaboration and networking among individuals. The open layout, possibly with a glass partition installation and flexible seating options encourage spontaneous interactions, allowing coworkers to sit and work alongside different people regularly. Common areas and shared amenities, like coffee bars and relaxation zones, create natural gathering spots, making it easy for individuals to strike up conversations and exchange ideas. The overall aesthetic and atmosphere are carefully curated to promote a positive, productive, and social environment, enhancing the likelihood of forming meaningful connections with coworkers.
Co-working spaces are also hives of talent from which you’ll not only be able to draw advice; but you’ll also be able to outsource some of the more complex and specialist tasks to those in the know, hopefully on a reciprocal basis. If there’s a talented web designer in the office, you’ll be able to ask them for advice and perhaps even commission them to design a particular part of your website. It’s all learning, and it’s all productive.
You are choosing to work in a co-working environment because of many benefits, not least the three main methods of learning that you’ll be able to enjoy while working in such an office.
