You can work remotely and still not work from home if you so choose. And many people that are either working for themselves or remotely for a company have no desire to sit at home. Either it is too lonely, or there is no space for their home office. Living in an apartment with roommates is not a good combination when you have work to do.
Luckily, there is a proliferation of co-working spaces. These are offices in which you rent out a desk or small area within the office and you can get your work. They usually cost a fraction of what it would cost to run an office of your own.
But, they aren’t all created equal. To make sure that you get the most out of your co-working experience we put together a list of the things you need to look for.
1 – The Amenities
There are some owners of co-working spaces that really aren’t interested in providing you with much more than some space and an internet connection. In these types of spaces you are often left to your own devices when it comes to office equipment and other amenities.
Make sure to come up with a list of things that you need to get your work done and then check out if they provide those things. They should have more than just an internet connection; providing all-in-one printers for documents and faxes is also important.
Some co-working spaces also will provide you with your own small filing cabinet and other office features to help you stay organized. And if you are holding meetings there then a small boardroom is essential.
Also, a small break area with things like a fridge to keep your food in and even a microwave and coffee machine are nice touches but maybe not deal breakers.
2 – Location
Where the office is located is going to play a big part also. It should not only be easy for you to get to from your home, but also near things you need to get work done. If your work is not entirely online and you need to meet clients or colleagues then being close to where you need to meet them is also essential. If they need to meet you at your office then it should be in an area that has parking and is in a desirable part of town.
From this outlook, cities with business growth potential, such as New York, Seattle, Chicago, Fort Lauderdale, should be considered. As an instance, Fort Lauderdale may be a convenient choice, as thousands of office spaces and coworking areas are located here. Therefore, there might be an opportunity of leasing such a working space, which will be comfortable not only for your business development but also for your customers. In addition, selecting a Fort Lauderdale coworking office space for your business will lead to a new pathway for the international market, as the number of international startups continues growing in this area. Besides, low taxes and affordable fees of coworking spaces will save a noticeable amount of income.
3 – The Community
Networking is really important, so being around other people in different fields could be ideal to grow your business. Look for a community atmosphere that encourages members to socialize and possibly even collaborate on work together.
It makes working much easier when you like the people in your office and you don’t feel lonely even though there are people around you. To make sure that you click with others, rent it short term, say a month, at first to see how it feels. If you don’t click with people there, move on to another.