Working remotely and as a self-employed individual is becoming more and more common in today’s professional market. Non-manual work is becoming increasingly digitised which means that people from many occupations can conduct their day to day business fully without being confined to a specific place of business. Another way freelancers and even SMEs can provide their services without faltering on quality is by using coworking spaces and virtual offices.
Coworking is a concept designed to help individuals from different areas and specialities combine their expertise to produce imaginative and creative new products, techniques and projects. Coworking space features include everything that a professional could need to be efficient and productive in a place they find comfortable and with ideal conditions to carry out their work.
Let’s take a closer look at some of the ways that coworking spaces can offer your business more flexibility.
Facilities Provided
A typical coworking space offers various functions and types of support that make it the ideal place to get your work done. Often freelancers and self-employed individuals will work at a home office or in cafés around town. Although this can be a nice change, it often comes with its own set of issues, such as lack of tranquillity to concentrate or too many distractions. Coworking offices allow workers to find a quiet place to focus or meeting rooms where they can communicate with coworkers, clients, suppliers and managers.
Businesses can benefit by using coworking space facilities because they offer dedicated receptionists to answer the phone on behalf of the worker so that no business is lost, in-house administration staff to help with necessary printing, copying and faxing. They also have IT support available to help with technological glitches.
Freedom To Develop
A lack of constant supervision over staff members can actually mean more productivity in business. Employees feel that they have more control over their own work and therefore are likely to put more effort into each day. Companies using coworking facilities tend to focus their management styles and performance evaluations more towards professional development and reaching objectives as opposed to the typical how many hours does one employee spend at their desk compared to another.
It has been proven over and over again that employees who feel trusted are more likely to be loyal to the company and more efficient with their daily tasks, giving the individual more purpose in their overall employment and in turn, improving productivity.
Diverse Talent Pools
Working from a coworking space allows professionals to mingle with people from different backgrounds with varying expertise. It also permits entrepreneurs and business owners to find new talent and prospective clients by collaborating and communicating with other professionals in the community.
Coworking spaces offer a wealth of networking opportunities. Hot desking, which is the phenomenon of not having one set desk per worker but finding any desk to work at, is fast becoming a global trend, improving productivity and communication throughout enterprises as well as externally in coworking style environments.
The Coworking Community
The advantages to be gained from engaging in a coworking space’s community are endless. Not only can a professional find new talent, suppliers, partners and clients but they can also benefit a great deal from other people’s knowledge. The coworking system normally includes a community in each office which aims to give every member a unique and effective experience. This means that they become a part of the community despite not being a joint entity.
The potential for interaction and the sense of identity that is created in each coworking office is great for both introverted and extroverted professionals. It allows every personality type to find a way to succeed and excel, without worrying about the traditional company hierarchy or structure.
In addition to the day-to-day operations in coworking spaces, it is common also for members to host and attend training programs, events and workshops whether they are focused on their field of expertise or not, allowing them to progress on both a professional and personal level.
Let The Creativity Flow
The social structure and idea behind coworking promotes the collaboration of different professionals in order to develop new concepts where creative notions can come from any member of the coworking community to help other businesses or individuals grow their project. This is a kind of assistance that is not found in a location that simply serves as a shared office.
Versatile Coworking For Your Business
With a variety of packages on offer in different coworking spaces around the globe, with an especially high number based in London, SMEs, freelancers and self-employed individuals can all find something that suits their professional needs, timetables and budgets. The ability to adapt to coworking is something that has helped many businesses grow and looks set only to continue to do so in the coming years.