Freelancers wind up working everywhere: I’ve done my work at coffee shops, coworking spaces and even truck stops in in the middle of nowhere. But there are some big differences between using a general public space and an area built from the ground up for working.
Coworking spaces are becoming more common, especially in big cities. As a rule, they’re worth considering when you’re in need of a place to work. But working from a coworking space isn’t quite the same as working from a coffee shop, if you’re in the habit of moving your laptop to wherever your favorite barista is working this week.
A True Work Space
When you work from a coworking space, you’re geting a space that is purposefully catering to folks with laptops and work agendas. That means fewer fights over the outlets, but it can also mean higher prices. When you sit at a coffee shop for a day, you may pay $15 for coffee over the course of the day. There are few coworking spaces with a day rate that low, however: the lowest that I’ve regularly seen is around $25 and I’ve seen significantly higher.
There are, of course, rates that allow you cheaper access if, for instance, you pay for a month at a time. But over all, the prices of work space at a coworking space presents some pros and cons for a freelancer’s budget. Higher prices always mean more money coming out of your pocket, after all. But you’re likely getting more for that money and you will be able to write off on your taxes — that doesn’t negate the fact that you’re spending money, but it can put it in perspective.
The amenities you have access to at your local coworking space can vary dramatically: some spaces may offer free coffee while others offer inexpensive printing. It’s important to look at the breakdown of what you are getting for the fee you use to work in a given space. Of course, the benefit of having a works space that you can use, where you can’t be asked to move along if you haven’t bought anything in a while, can be a huge benefit in and of itself.
The Benefits of Networking
There are some advantages to working in a coworking space that probably won’t be listed on any brochures. One of those benefits is the boost your network will get just by being involved in a coworking space. You can connect with other freelancers, who in turn might offer complementary services to your own. You can meet people who can help you figure out the nuts and bolts of moving your own freelance business forward. You can even team up on cool projects or startups with other people involved in the coworking space.
Networking can be a big problem for freelancers: when our only interaction with the outside world can be our occasional trip to the coffee shop, it gets hard to create an effective network that will help us land great clients and grow our businesses. Coworking spaces can help fill that gap. Even if you don’t get a whole lot of work done when you head to your local coworking space — a continuing problem for me because I keep meeting people I want to talk to — you may still come out ahead.
The Nuts and Bolts
The easiest way to find a coworking space in your area is usually to check out the coworking wiki. It lists a lot of spaces that are available in different cities, making it much easier to connect with the broader coworking community. And, if you can’t find a coworking space in your area, the same site can provide you some direction if you want to start one of your own.
Photo credit: Some rights reserved by Yuri Arcurs.
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