According to DeskMag’s 2019 research, there are over 2 million people working in over 20,000 coworking spaces across the world! With that in mind, we look at how to choose a coworking space!
What do you need from a coworking space?
Coworking comes in many different sizes, shapes, styles and prices! What are you looking for?
For example, are you:
- A freelancer who needs to work on weekends?
- A digital nomad who is in a place for a few weeks?
- A startup who needs space for a team, but flexibility to grow?
- An entrepreneur who wants to find clients or investors?
- An entrepreneur who wants to escape the home office?
- Working remotely and need to be online to work in a different timezone?
- An individual looking to grow your network in a specific industry or niche?
Coworking spaces can help all of these types of members, and many more. However, choosing a coworking space is a personal decision. You’re more likely to find a suitable coworking space if you to have an idea of what you’re looking for!
What about the basic elements of a coworking space?
There are some basic considerations in finding a good coworking space. For example:
- Is the wifi strong and reliable?
- Is the workspace large enough?
- Are the physical conditions ok? Too hot? Too bright?
- Is the space open when I need to work?
- Is the location safe and secure?
- Is the coworking space an appropriate price?
These considerations are hard to waiver on: if a coworking space can’t meet your requirements, maybe you need to find another space.
Do you need extra features?
Some additional items or amenities may be really important to you. For example:
- Does the space have a meeting room?
- Can the space handle large events?
- Does the space offer somewhere to take calls privately?
- Is the space open 24 hours? What about on weekends?
- Is reception available to assist me?
- Are there showers and other ‘end of trip’ facilities available?
Are you looking for a specific community or connection?
The community in a coworking space is also a vital consideration. And based on the membership, coworking spaces can have many different types of communities.
Maybe the community is full of entrepreneurs, or maybe it’s full of freelancers. Maybe the space focuses on a specific sector, like HealthTech. Alternatively, some spaces have a diversity of members, particularly if they’re a large space of over 200 members.
Coworking communities can also operate in very different ways. Some coworking communities are active and/or self-driven, while others are quiet or only get together rarely. Some communities are exclusive, while others are highly connected.
Different communities work for different people. For example, the needs of an extroverted entrepreneur differ from an introverted graphic designer. If you’re the founder of a new startup looking to find funding, a coworking space that has investors as members or actively hosts events with investors is likely to add much more value to you.
Speak to your space about the type of community in that location.
Don’t be afraid to try them out!
Most coworking spaces allow you to try them out before committing. Don’t be afraid to ask!