Co-working spaces are popping up all over the country. As more and more people join the ranks of the freelancers or are looking to start a new business from the ground up those co-working spaces can play an important role. Is it right for you or your business? It may be.
Bringing Freelancers Together
For a freelancer, out navigating the treacherous world of business all by yourself, you will inevitably run into a project that you do not have the necessary equipment or skills to complete. Of course the natural inclination is to go out and purchase the equipment or develop those skills but that may not always be practical or efficient.
By being a part of a co-working space that equipment may be available to you so that you can use it for an hour or for a day at nowhere near the cost of buying it. You may also find people who have the skills necessary to get what you need done and in nowhere near the time it would take you to learn how to do it. That allows you to work on other jobs.
All The Benefits Of An Office With Much Less Cost
Ask any person who owns an actual business or office and they will tell you that it is expensive. From rent to taxes to insurance your bank account can take a hit before you even open your doors. That is something that many startups cannot afford.
So what if you need meeting space for more people than your current space can accommodate or are tired of keeping the cats away from the morning meeting in your living room? What if you want to start doing something like a podcast or webinar but don’t have the room to set up that equipment? What if you don’t need an actual office every single day of the week?
Meet Clients In a Professional Setting
That is where a co-working space can come in handy. Co-working spaces offer room for meetings, whether it be with clients or with your own staff. These spaces can have the technology available to meet your technical needs so that you do not need to purchase them or even store them. Co-working spaces also don’t require you to be in everyday, much less paying for the space when you are not utilizing it.
Now here’s a question for any freelancer or startup owner: Where would you rather meet with a potential client, in your home or apartment or in a professional setting? You hopefully answered a professional setting. A co-working space offers that for anyone to use and it can make a good impression on any potential client. It may be what sets you apart from your competition.
If eminently successful you may one day graduate to owning your own office. That will be a great day! Until then remember that you do not need to go at it alone and a co-working space may be exactly what you need to get your business off the ground. Some of the most successful companies today like Uber, Instagram, Timehop, Indiegogo and Wanderfly are just some of the companies that began in a co-working space.
Could yours be next?