Co-working: The Middle Ground Workspace
Most freelancers I know work from home. It’s often seen as one of the perks of freelancing: it means having a five second commute to work and being able to work in one’s pyjamas.
However, there are plenty of downsides. It can be hard to focus, especially with the lure of the television or the video game console. Plus, it can be lonely, given the limited social interaction.
There are, of course, means of changing the scenery and gaining a little more interaction. Some freelancers will work out of a Wi-Fi equipped coffee shop while others will rent office space elsewhere in search of a better place to focus.
But there are still disadvantages. Coffee shops aren’t very private and they aren’t a real workspace while renting an office can be fairly cost prohibitive if the businesses isn’t bringing in a lot of money.
So, enter co-working, a middle ground between the two.
What is co-working?
Co-working is essentially a shared workspace where everyone in the facility pays a portion of the costs to make it affordable. It’s hardly a new concept — artists have been renting out lofts and sharing the rent for studio space for years — but it is quickly gaining popularity among folks working in other fields.
Co-working locations have been starting up in cities across the world, a list of which can be seen on the Coworking Wiki. The locations tend to host freelancers from a variety of fields, from programmers, writers, web designers and almost any other type who’d normally tote a laptop to a coffee shop.
Pricing varies but in reading up on the subject, I’ve noticed that most large locations offer different options, including the ability to buy a day pass for those who only need a part-time office or just want to see if the facility works for them.
Along with providing a desk or table to work at, most co-working locations also include some basic office amenities like conference rooms, printers, faxes and of course, an Internet connection. Plus, as the name implies, co-workers.
Indeed, one of the strongest appeals of co-working is being surrounded by other freelancers all working away and once again having that camaraderie in the workplace.
Not available everywhere, but it could be
Not every place in the world has an established co-working location (looking at the wiki, it seems more prevalent in North American than anywhere else) but it could be a worthwhile project to organize. Like all the artists in lofts, it doesn’t take much the find a group of like-minded freelancers and split the rent on a small office.
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Stop stalling and announce the contest winners. Or was the whole thing just another Freelance switch scam?
There’s a design collective I went to visit back when I was starting my degree. It was a small studio called Peep Show in London, they’re very successful. It was a bunch of people who all do different things and have different styles, but because of that a client can walk in and one of them will fit the bill. Also, they can farm out to each other, which is one of the benefits of sharing with other designers.
I know there are times when I had a few more designer friends or knew a few good developers that I could grab input from more often…
woohoo, glad someone wrote about coworking communities. I’ve researched a couple of these myself, but much of my work has to be done on site. I kinda like working on site as opposed to working from home so I’m not so lonely. But coworking could be in my future if I start doing more off-site work.
One of the advantages to sharing an office space is that there will (usually) be someone there to accept deliveries if you’re out. When you work from home and need to step out for a bit, it’s very easy to miss the courier and it can be a hassle to get them to come back.
Jelly is a great way to experience co-working without the pseudo-formal arrangements of a coworking space – they’re all around the world, in people’s lofts, offices, coffee shops, etc. Check out their website: http://www.workatjelly.com/
I cowork at The Hive here in Denver. It’s a pretty nice spot and definitely affordable. I’ve found a few people there I’ve been able to team up with on projects, which is especially nice. That alone has been worth the extra $ spent outside of the house. Lots of people take advantage of the conference room and the added legtimacy to their businesses by having a location like that. I don’t have many local clients, so that part hasn’t really mattered to me.
The only downside is kinda the upside as well. It’s not your house. If you’ve gotten picky about how you like your coffee made or if you like having an office where you can shut your door and keep the noise out, you might struggle at a coworking place. It’s all about your work style.
Nice concept. Never heard of this before that’s probably I just started being a full-time freelancer. I see myself doing this, perhaps not in an office like environment but rather a private house like place from the link David above posted at workatjelly.com. I don’t like working in a crowd, but 2-3 fellow workers are ok to keep me going. I wonder if they have anything like this in NYC.
They have a lot of these in NYC, generally advertised just as desk space instead of “co-working” but in most cases it’s the same thing. I work for a small design company in an office bigger than we currently need. We’ve been renting out a desk or two for over a year now and it’s been great. Not only does it help with everyone’s expenses, but the social aspect is a huge plus for me personally. And often times there are great business opportunities with having people at your fingertips that you might not have met otherwise. The biggest issue is freelancers tend to have shifting needs, and short term commitments. I would love to have someone move in and just stay put… but you wouldn’t meet as many people that way.
If you’re in NYC and interested in seeing what co-working is all about first hand, email me at elaveyra[at]desudesign.com and I can show you our office space
Awesome Concept , Removes all temptations but i had never really thought about it
I tried it.
I worked in a space that i shared with other workers, in each room there was something different (web development, video editing, 3d animations), but if you don’t pay much attention to your professionality and to your freedom you easily fall into a stressful condition.
Now I work from home, and at this moment I like it more than what i did before.
I’ve never been able to understand the need to have co-workers around. I work from home and it’s highly social – I send and receive some 30+ emails each day, and I talk to some of my clients and partners over IM much of the day. And when I’m done work, I call up my friends and socialize the night away.
There’s one thing I don’t miss: having awkward small talk and forcing fake laughter with co-workers I’d rather never see again!
Nice post.
These are becoming more and more popular but also with the way rental properties are right now, you could probably afford your own office. I have looked around my area (Tampa, FL) and have found dozens of small office parks just dying to rent out some space. Some of them you can even rent out for the day as well in case you need to have that “real-life” business meeting. I think it’s important to be continuously looking into these types of options in order to grow your company. I love freelancing but would much rather it grow into something bigger, instead of me sitting in my home office until I’m 65.
Great article! Yeah, the coworking scene has definitely been catching some momentum. I’m in NYC and part of a group (CooperBricolage http://www.cooperbricolage.com/) that’s currently coworking out of a combo cafe space and Jelly, but we’re in the process of securing a dedicated coworking office space (called New Work City). If you’re interested in maybe getting in on this, check out our site at http://www.nwcny.com/
Having twins under a year and a half make working at home a little difficult. While it would be ideal to have a separate den/office, realistically that’s not possible. I like the idea of being able to share with other professionals and have looked into getting desk space from a company that I work with. They have the extra room.
If I co-worked, I’d have to increase my overhead. And I’d also have to commute to some other location. As for client meetings, I go to the client’s office and have them there.
So, I think I’ll keep working from home. Been doing it for 14 years and it’s worked fine so far.
This is interesting – not something I had ever thought about. Not much in my area though, which is a shame as I’d love to try it.
I’m somewhat interested. I do have productivity probs at home…too easy to take a nap, too easy to schedule maintenance appts- exterminator? sure come on over… plumber? yeah come by… neighbor wants to chat, mailman wants to chat, BLAH. yet, um, I work at home cause I don’t want to pay $4 gas
argh
One just opened up here in LA. Amazing space… http://www.blankspaces.com
Hi. I think that this is a great idea to fight against isolation in the home office. I’m a designer and am realising that I’m not as productive in my room that i used to. Perhaps it was the familiarity and comfort that the space provides but it could well and truly be because of lack of interaction and collaboration. I’m an Interior Designer by the way and am also completing my Honours year here in Melbourne. My thesis is actually about this- collaborative spaces for freelancers. Just to keep my momentum going, what do you think constitutes a collaborative space for it to be effective/ efficient? What would make you take that little bit of time to travel to a site rather than just stay at home?
I really hope that you guys can help me out on this
I’ve never been able to understand the need to have co-workers around. I work from home and it’s highly social – I send and receive some 30+ emails each day, and I talk to some of my clients and partners over IM much of the day. And when I’m done work, I call up my friends and socialize the night away.
Thanks for the article, it really helps…
Joshua
“The Hive” in Denver? Recently the first CW centre in CIS was opened in Kiev (Ukraine). Named “Vulyk” which means “hive” in Ukrainian:)
After February 20 there is a large CW movement in Russian-speaking segment after some article in NY Times translated into Russian. Another centre opens in Yekaterinburg (Russia). The second one in Kiev. Something is going to happen in St. Petersburg. So… this part of the world will soon be covered too.
We’ve been coworking in Brighton, UK for 6 months now and it has become part of the fabric of freelancing. The great thing that starts to happen is how easily people help each other out or pass work around which makes it easier bid for projects.
3rd Ward (www.3rdward.com) in Williamsburg offers great and affordable work space for freelancers! Work-stations are available starting at $299. Custom designed packages can be created to include some or all of the following: wireless internet, reception services, personal mailbox and an “I Heart Brooklyn” membership which grants unlimited access to all that 3rd Ward has to offer – FREE photo studio bookings, FREE classes, access to our wood and metal shop and entry to our events.
Contact Phil @ 718.715.4961 or email pweinrobe@3rdward.com.
Excellent article! Thank you. Now I can stay out of cafes and plan on looking
into Hive and other places in Denver.
Yorubawoman –
Here’s a recent post listing all the co-working setups in colorado… I’m also in denver + a few on the list I’d never even heard of but look great (and am planning on visiting to check out their vibe in the next week or so).
Each coworking space will always have their own unique type of atmosphere… some are dim-litted rooms with programmers and writers typing away (heads down w/ ear-phones) while others can be huge lofts where everyone’s just casually chatting & brainstorming with others.. Most have a special day each month where you can go for free, if not just email them asking for a day pass to test the waters until you find one that fits your personality.
Yorubawoman -
Brent has it right on. Each coworking facility has it’s own culture and atmosphere, much like the wide variety of cafes throughout the city. It seems like there is alays a closer cafe, but you keep going to one that’s an extra block or two away because you like the people and atmosphere a bit more. Coworking is the same. Currently there is The Hive, which is mentioned in the story, Green Space (focus on environmental ventures but open to all), and Creative Farm (not much activity coming out of these communities but always worth checking out, and Workbrite (brand new and with a focus on tech incubation).
Fort Collions has a great community called CoHere Community and Boulder is developing some unique spots as well. Cohere is establishing themselves as a community focused coworking center for all freelancers and is growing.
great article man
i was googling for this even before i knew it was called “coworking”
cheers
CoWorking or in general Virtual Office?
Great article and I’m glad that you are loving your experience at The Hive. I’m starting to put together another coworking facility in Denver in the Capital Hill neighborhood. I’d love to talk to you sometime and learn about what you like and what you would change if you could create your won community. Thanks for helping to spread the word on coworking, and specifically in Denver.
I cowork at a hip office space in Asbury Park, NJ called Cowerks.
I find it refreshing to get out of my home office and work in this type of environment. If anyone is in NJ, check Cowerks out for sure! They even have
FEE FREE Fridays, can’t beat that!
http://www.cowerking.com