2 August 2017

Find out why coworking works. From the obvious to the unusual, we’ve listed the 15 coworking benefits businesses, freelancers and remote workers can enjoy.

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15 Benefits of Coworking Spaces

Perhaps you’re sitting at your desk at home wondering why you should join a coworking space. Maybe your business is growing and you’re weighing up the benefits of coworking spaces ready for the next step. You might even be a freelancer who already knows why coworking works and wants to try somewhere new. No matter your reason for considering coworking spaces, here are the key advantages that explain why coworking really is the answer.

Key takeaways:

• Coworking has a significant number of benefits for both businesses and individual workers
• For businesses, the cost of hiring a private office in a coworking space is much less than leasing a traditional office
• The built-in community that comes with co-working creates networking opportunities that help individuals and companies grow
• The flexibility to work when and how you want and manage a better work-life balance is one of the key benefits of coworking
• Having a dedicated space to work, with a mix of quiet zones and collaborative areas, increases productivity and creativity

Contents:

1. Cost-effective
2. Networking
3. Boost creativity
4. Build your brand
5. Flexibility
6. Scalability
7. Premium facilities
8. Prime locations
9. Improved productivity
10. Self development
11. Connection and community
12. Work your way
13. Work-life balance
14. Freedom
15. Privacy

Why Use A Coworking Space?

Here’s our rundown of the top benefits of coworking spaces to show you why so many people are now choosing this way of working.

1. Cost-Effective

Let’s start with your bottom line. For businesses, the cost of leasing an independent office space means paying for square footage, utilities, furniture and any maintenance. Those costs stack up. One of the greatest benefits of coworking spaces is that these overheads are bundled into a single, flexible membership, making them significantly cheaper for startups, freelancers and remote teams.

2. Networking

Coworking spaces naturally bring together freelancers, startups, remote employees and small business owners. You’re walking into a ready-made network with opportunities around every corner. Being so close to such a diverse range of professionals leads to unexpected collaborations, referrals and partnerships.

Many coworking spaces also host structured events, such as workshops, learning sheds and industry meetups. These built-in social opportunities can forge long-lasting connections and fuel business growth.

3. Boost Creativity

Stepping outside the four walls of your home into a bustling city and lively coworking space is a great way to ignite creativity. Conversations in the shared kitchen, thought-provoking talks by industry experts, and working through a particular challenge with colleagues can all help you achieve the innovative breakthrough you’ve been waiting for.

4. Build Your Brand

Reputation matters, and having a welcoming reception area and a proper registered business address is a distinct advantage of coworking space models. It signals a professionalism that a home office doesn’t quite match. Having a fully equipped meeting room to onboard clients or conduct interviews sets a great impression, elevating your credibility and reinforcing your brand as a serious contender. If you’re a COLONY coworker, you can even impress with an event on one of our roof terraces.

5. Flexibility

Flexibility is one of the most compelling coworking space benefits, particularly for remote workers and entrepreneurs. COLONY coworking spaces offer several memberships ranging from day passes to monthly dedicated desk plans. Whether you need a quiet desk four days a week or somewhere to work on an upcoming pitch for a short burst, there’s a flexible solution that fits.

6. Scalability

As your business grows and changes, your workspace should be able to keep up. The beauty of coworking is that you can easily add more desks, move into a private office or scale things back during quieter periods, all without being tied into a long lease. It takes away a lot of the usual stress that comes with growing a business, which is why coworking works so well for startups and expanding teams.

7. Premium Facilities

Coworking spaces give you all the perks of a big office set-up, without the price tag. You’ll usually have access to fast Wi-Fi, well-equipped meeting rooms, printing, and fully stocked kitchens. Many of these things would be expensive when fitting out an office on your own, but sharing them helps keep costs down. You can expect a high-spec finish and state-of-the-art equipment that you’re unlikely to get in a traditional office or when working from home.

8. Prime Locations

There are many reasons why location matters. Most coworking spaces are in well-connected city centres, giving you access to the buzz and vibrancy of a city and all of its bars, restaurants and entertainment. You’ll also be close to transport links, making it easy for clients to visit and for staff to commute. Proximity to other centrally located businesses opens up chances to network, while hiring a private office with a prestigious business address gives a boost to your reputation.

9. Improved Productivity

With a coworking space, you eliminate the distractions of home, whether it’s chores, family interruptions or the dog. COLONY coworking offices are specially designed to improve focus and motivation. Well-planned colour palettes, dedicated quiet zones and creative breakout areas create a space that improves your workflow and keeps you on task.

10. Self-Development

Another of the benefits of coworking is the opportunity it provides to grow and develop both professionally and personally. You’ll be meeting people you might not otherwise encounter and pushing yourself out of your comfort zone. Your home office can be an appealing place, but it’s less likely to challenge you - being in an environment with smart, creative and entrepreneurial people most definitely will.

11. Connection and Community

Isolation is one of the biggest challenges remote workers face. Coworking spaces directly counter that by providing you with a ready-made network of people to connect with. Community is a core feature of life at COLONY, with active breakout areas to meet new and familiar faces, stocked kitchens to share a brew in, and a host of social events throughout the year. This sense of connection often opens doors to collaboration and provides plenty of opportunities for after-work drinks.

12. Work Your Way

Not everybody enjoys the 9-5; some prefer a 5-9, some are productive in the morning, others work long into the night. Add other commitments, such as family, hobbies and even second jobs, and it's clear to see why one working pattern doesn’t work for everyone. COLONY offices are open 24 hours a day for members, so if you have an imminent deadline and know you’ll get more done in the evening, you can do exactly that. Autonomy over your working day keeps motivation high and burnout at bay.

13. Work-Life Balance

Coworking spaces create a clear boundary between work and personal life. With some remote workers struggling to establish healthy habits at home, a dedicated work environment is one of the clear advantages of coworking spaces. When you commute to your hot desk or private office, your brain switches into work mode and can shut off better after you leave. Creating a physical boundary reduces the tendency to overwork, helping you protect personal time and recharge fully.

14. Freedom

Colony has locations across Manchester City Centre. This means if you need a change of scenery to refresh, have a client who’d prefer a shorter journey time, or are meeting friends in another office, you can choose where to work. Be inspired by the creativity of Northern Quarter one day and enthused by the hubbub of Spinningfields the next.

15. Privacy

Confidential conversations aren't ideal in a coffee shop. Likewise, a traditional office with an open floor plan often doesn’t have the space for several employees to take private calls at the same time. Coworking spaces like COLONY have multiple private phone rooms and sharing booths to take calls that require discretion.

Why Join a Coworking Space by COLONY?

Experience the advantages of coworking for yourself by joining the COLONY network. With private offices for teams of 2 to 100, dedicated desks to hire for you and your team, or one-off day passes if you’re just stopping by, we help you work smarter. Choose from one of our exceptional locations and find out why coworking works when you’re part of the COLONYcommunity.