Although coworking has been creating a buzz for many years now, it’s still a fact that not everyone is not aware of what it is. And even if other people have already heard about coworking spaces, shared office spaces, and coworking, there are still quite a lot of misconceptions floating around them which we would like to clarify in this blog.
For starters, let’s first take a quick look at first on the definition of coworking.
Coworking: What, Who & Which
According to Oxford Languages, coworking is:
noun
the use of an office or other working environment by people who are self-employed or working for different employers, typically so as to share equipment, ideas, and knowledge.
“the whole idea of coworking is to bring bright, creative people together and let the ideas collide”
In a simpler meaning, coworking is an arrangement where different employers and employees from different companies, remote workers, freelancers, etc. share an office space but still work independently, allowing them to save expenses rather than having their own private office or building.
A coworking space’s market doesn’t just stick to one group but to many individuals or teams who seek a place or venue to work in a professional environment.
Debunking Myths About Coworking
As mentioned, there are a lot of misconceptions surrounding coworking. And in this blog, we will share with you the top five of those misconceptions so that you would have a clear understanding of how coworking works.
#1 Coworking Is Expensive
Many believe that in order for someone to cowork, he or she must have a high salary to afford to become a member of a coworking space. Although when you inquire about the membership in a coworking space and the manager explains the affordability of it, still others think it is expensive. But the truth is that setting aside the fee, there are a lot of merits when coworking. One of those benefits is that by being in a shared office environment, you will be surrounded by focused and driven people who can help boost your work productivity. Thus, it leads you to network, collaborate, and showcase your skills and talents with your fellow coworkers.
#2 Coworking Is ONLY For Freelancers And Start-Ups
This is absolutely not true! When you go to a coworking space, you will actually see—and possibly meet—different individuals with different career backgrounds. What it means is that a coworking space welcomes anyone who wants to work remotely whether you’re a team, company, freelancer, or entrepreneur. Yes, most of the time whom you will meet are probably freelancers and start-up entrepreneurs because they seek a place where they can do their work in a professional environment even if they are sharing the space.
#3 Coworking Is Just A Trend And Will Fade Soon
Yes, coworking has become a trend, but it is not fading and did not fade over the years. Coworking is continuously evolving as the business industry is in order to adapt and cater services to many. It has the flexibility to adapt to what is happening. There’s no denying that when coworking spaces started, they were mostly just big shared office spaces offering desks to people who wanted to work. But as the years passed by it was able to offer more and more services that allowed coworkers to interact and build networks.
#4 Coworking Spaces Are Noisy
Since a coworking space welcomes different types of individuals with different career backgrounds who want to cowork, many people think that the place would be so noisy. But, in reality, this is not the case because each and everyone are professionals who respect someone’s privacy.
Thus, a coworking space is tailor-made to make working easier compared to a traditional office or a work-from-home setup.
#5 Coworking Spaces Have No Privacy
One of the many worries other people think is that when in a coworking space there is no privacy. They worry that business confidentiality won’t be protected, especially when meeting up with partners or clients. But, in reality, coworking spaces value each and everyone’s privacy.
There are meeting rooms, conference rooms, and office equipment available for use to protect your business. You can book a reservation for a meeting or conference room if you want to speak with your client privately. There is office equipment that can protect files of your business such as lockers to keep your files safe, or a paper shredder if you need to dispose of a file.
Setting The Records Straight
Coworking is continuously becoming popular because it meets people’s needs regarding work and business. In short, it provides solutions to help your work or business grow but don’t forget that your comfortability must be given importance also. For employers, it provides flexibility to make their employees work productively. For employees, coworking gives comfort while working which makes them feel treated well. For freelancers and entrepreneurs, the coworking space is a great venue that hosts them to be able to work and network. And for companies, the coworking spaces offer a community of creative talents to keep the business going further.
It is understandable when other people have misconceptions about coworking (and even other things), but it is not okay if they don’t open their minds to acknowledge and clear up these misconceptions. One best way for you to debunk these misconceptions that you have about coworking is for you to experience it. There are coworking spaces that before availing a membership lets you have first-hand experience to cowork in their space through a free-day pass.