Freelancing is one of the most significant shifts in work in the 21st century. Thanks to developed technologies and digital careers, the possibility of working from anywhere has never been more appealing.
Naturally, many freelancers choose to work from home. However, working from home can have several drawbacks, such as distractions, inability to self-motivate and isolation.
That’s why many freelancers opt for taking their work to coworking spaces.
Unlike coffee shops and other popular freelancer work spots, coworking spaces provide you with the necessary infrastructure and tech that will enable you to work from your laptop.
There are also many perks to coworking that can actually boost your freelance career. In this article, we’re giving you some of the top reasons why you should consider a coworking space as your new workplace.
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It’s Great for Networking
Expanding your network of contacts in different industries and areas has never been easier with coworking spaces. Working alongside designers, creators, writers, and developers can give you a versatile network of experts and professionals.
When you work from home, the possibilities of networking are limited. Sure, you can use online professional communities like LinkedIn to expand your contacts, but nothing can beat face-to-face interaction.
In a coworking space, it’s likely that some of the people you will be working alongside with have a similar background or goals. So, you can use these acquaintances to find out about experience from others and learn.
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Good for Inspiration and New Ideas
If you are working in the creative industries, you are probably very well aware of the “creative block” problem. It’s very easy to run into an idea block if you’re stuck in a routine or if you’re constantly in the same surroundings.
Working alongside many different people, having interesting conversations and hearing about new things will definitely get your creative juices flowing.
Hearing about other people’s business ventures and start-ups will surely get you in the right mood to feel ambitious yourself.
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Keeps Motivation Up
For some freelancers, it’s incredibly hard to stay motivated when working from home. For some, this can be so problematic that they ditch the freelance mode of work altogether and get back to working in an office.
Coworking can be a great solution for this type of person because it gives you a structured commitment and a place to go every morning (or afternoon, depending on your work habits).
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More Active than Working at Home
This doesn’t imply that you will be more productive in a coworking space than at home (although chances are, you will!), but that your entire day will start off much more productively if you’re not working from your pajamas.
“I love working from home, but I also love writing in a coworking space. Depending on my mood that day, I decide whether I want to stay at home or go to the shared office. I stay home just a couple of days per month, actually”, says Kristen Johnson, a freelance content writer at WritingJudge.
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Allows Flexibility and Freedom
If you escaped the 9-to-5 office life, it might seem counter-intuitive to go back to office life when you don’t have to. But, coworking is anything but a traditional office setting!
In most coworking spaces around the world, you have the opportunity to enter and leave whenever you want to. So, you can drop by the coworking space for an hour or two or pull an all-nighter: it’s all up to you!
There is also absolute freedom about how you want to work in this type of space. Of course, you’re not allowed to make noise or disturb others in their work, but you can decide whether you want to work alone or take some time out for socializing with your coworking colleagues.
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It’s a Cost-Effective Office Option
Hardly anything can be cheaper than working from home, but if you want to work from an office desk, coworking will be the most cost-effective option that you can get.
Most coworking spaces will provide you with a desk and chair, with access to fast Internet, along with a kitchen, common room and sometimes conference rooms.
It’s also much more affordable than any other office option. Most spaces rent out on a per-desk, per-month basis, but you can choose a rental model that fits your needs the best.
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Keeps You Surrounded with the Right Kind of People
Being part of a coworking community is not only a chance for networking in a professional sense. You can also learn a lot and get inspired by seeing the way other people work and think.
If you join a coworking space, you will be surrounded by a particular type of person. Generally speaking, you can expect to come across entrepreneurial-minded, ambitious and driven people who are willing to take risks for their idea to come to fruition.
If you are a freelance entrepreneur, you probably possess these qualities as well. So, it’s very beneficial to surround yourself with the same type of people that will nourish the feeling of understanding and acceptance.
No one understands an entrepreneur like another entrepreneur does!
Surround yourselves with the people who have decided to invest time and effort into their passion and you will surely catch the fever yourself.
Conclusion
As a golden mean between office life and working from home, coworking solves some of the biggest issues connected to these two working options.
Unlike in a corporate office, you will enjoy a much higher degree of flexibility and opportunity to tailor your work schedule however you want to. You will also be surrounded by people with different backgrounds and businesses, so opportunities for growth and learning are practically endless.
On the other hand, coworking can save you from some of the hardships of working from home such as distracting surroundings, lack of motivation and inspiration or loneliness and lack of human connection.
By combining these two solutions together, coworking can be the smartest choice for freelancers who want to have a successful career.
