SHARE
READ & LEAVE A COMMENT
Filed in
How Co-Working Could Be the Key to a Freelancer’s Success
The power of the internet and emerging new online marketplaces has opened the world to a lot of freelance opportunities. This has led to organizations actively seeking outsourced talents that can assist them in overcoming hurdles related to their operations and complete task-oriented jobs.
Many economies around the globe find freelance contributing to their service sector growth. This independent contractor form of work has become increasingly popular around the planet and is projected to grow further in the coming years.
According to a recent study by DDIY (Don’t Do It Yourself), freelancers represent about 35% of the global workforce where the total global workforce is around 3.5 billion people. This translates to over 1.1 billion freelancers around the world.
Furthermore, it was found that by 2019 there were 57 million freelancers working from home and 75% of freelancers proclaiming that they simply wouldn’t trade their freelancing job any other type of work. Moreover, 55% of freelancers have full-time jobs, and 35% of freelancers are females.
In light of this information, let’s take a quick look at some of the ways freelancers can benefit from co-working environments and settings.
Amenities and Features
Co-working spaces are arrangements in which people belonging from different walks of life or different companies share an office space. These workspaces are often rented, and the cost is shared by all those who use the co-working space to enjoy a professional venue that can truly serve as their office.
However, in recent years competition for the best co-working spaces has greatly increased, and this has led them to adopt additional conveniences and facilities that they can provide people.
This allows them to attract new customers (office workers, independent contractors, etc.) and have their rental space booked.
Additional amenities and features can include refreshments, espresso machines, snack dispensaries, cafeteria, TV lounge, receptionists, custodial services, parcel acceptance services, guest waiting rooms, etc.
In other cases, some co-working spaces also offer you indoor games just so that you can relax and socialize a little with people around you.
Be Gone Micromanagers!
Perhaps one of the greatest reliefs of working as a freelancer in a co-working space is the absence of micromanagers. In fact, if you come across a person there even slightly trying to micromanage someone, you could simply go up to them and say, “Hey! I am my own boss!” Just what a terrific relief it is to step far away from those prying eyes and good for nothing eavesdropping pair of ears!
Micromanagers are some of the worst aspects of working in an office where they might think of themselves as heroes, but in actuality, they become the biggest antagonist in the lives of corporate people. The freedom of working in your own capacity, keeping your work private, and the feel of no one spying on you is simply fantastic.
Cost-Effective
There is no doubt that co-working spaces require membership fees, but renting an office solely for yourself can be quite cost-intensive. This is why co-working spaces are quite affordable, and the membership fees are comparatively much cheaper than renting office spaces.
Plus, the more people work at co-working space, the lower the shared expense becomes to bring the prices further down. Co-working spaces can charge you as little as $150 and up to $4,500 depending on the team size and space required.
Dedicated Workspace
Dedicated workspaces are a great benefit for freelancers as they are finally able to separate themselves from household duties, distractions, and interruptions. This offers them the peace of mind they need to work at their fullest capacities and be more productive during working hours.
Furthermore, dedicated workspaces can be selected based on the environment that can meet your needs and requirements. This makes co-working spaces great as they are more affordable and provide people a professional setting where they can work for longer hours without being disturbed.
Enjoyable Work Environment
Many co-working spaces in the US have opened up recently, and they offer people enjoyable working environments. Some of the best amongst them include:
- Bok in Philadelphia is offering daycare facilities, 24/7 access throughout the week, loading docks, discounted event space, and the ability to bring your pet to work, amongst many other facilities.
- CO+HOOTS in Phoenix, AZ, offers a peer-to-peer mentorship program, networking happy hours, industry-specific meet-ups, stocked kitchen, WiFi, conference rooms, and 24/7 access workspace.
- NeueHouse in Hollywood, LA, offers convenient food and beverage options available within the building along with screening rooms, private phone booths, bike programs, in-house production services, and much more.
Greater Sense of Professionalism
Even though co-working spaces offer you a tremendous amount of freedom, it doesn’t mean that the place doesn’t follow an office’s basic etiquettes.
This means that when meeting or interacting with people, there still some decent formalities and practices that are followed, such as being polite and abstaining from the rash treatment of others.
Furthermore the co-working space itself is imbued with a flair that is akin to that of a professional work environment.
This guides your behavior to not treat yourself as a professional but also behave in a well-mannered way. Such a feeling can simply not be imbued when working at home where you can downright work while wearing only your undergarments.
Networking & Socialization
Perhaps one of the biggest benefits of co-working spaces is that it allows you to meet new people and socialize with them. Instead of working all alone in an isolated place at home, this can be a great opportunity to grow your networking skills.
The chances are high that you can meet like-minded people who can help you out in overcoming work-related challenges and become valuable work partners.
You might also end up working on a project as a team, and from there onwards, you can continue to grow and strengthen the bonds that you make, which can definitely improve your success in the future as well.
Pupils who request professionals to write my dissertation should understand that networking and socializing skills can help them make great friendships.
Official Work Mailing Address
If you are sick and tired of separating your work-related mail from all other mail that you get delivered at your house mailbox, then co-working offers a tremendous facility.
At many co-working spaces, you can sign up for an official mailbox dedicated to work-related endeavors. Hence you no need any further frustration of separating your mail and going through all of them one by one.
An official mail address is allocated to you whom you can share with your colleagues and clients from work. Here you can receive all of your mail that you can later go through with complete peace of mind.
Young learners who buy research papers have yet to understand how tedious it can be to have mail sorted and how bothersome it can be at times.
Time Management & Routine
Working at home for freelancers can lead to all sorts of disarray, and one of the biggest challenges is managing time accordingly. However, at co-working spaces, you have the capability of making reservations and bookings as per your need and requirements.
This can help you to properly manage and track your time, stay up to date, and deliver on your predefined due dates and deadlines.
This can also help you to develop a work-based routine where you can check-in at your co-working space and sign out of work every day.
Hence essentially, you can find a way not to find yourself working throughout the day but working effectively and productively at designated time slots throughout the day.
Work-Life Balance
Last and certainly not least, you can find a reasonable work-life balance once you join a co-working membership. This is hardly possible when a freelancer stays at home because they are either working or managing household affairs and sometimes both simultaneously.
Co-working spaces are able to help you draw the line that separates work from your everyday life, giving you the essential time to switch off from work to relax and rejuvenate your spirit.
Unfortunately, a lot of freelancers become fatigued with on-going tasks when working at home because they simply do not experience the feeling of getting off from work in the first place.
Conclusion
As an ending note, I would like to point out that co-working spaces are actually a great remedy for those who find it hard to work from home during turbulent times such as the current COVID-19 pandemic.
It is a great way to step into a professional surrounding that may not be your actual office but can still operate as a great alternative that is neat, clean, full of amenities, and incredibly cheap. That’s it for now. All the best for your future endeavors.
Author Bio
Stella Lincoln currently works as the Assistant Editor at Assignment Assistance and Master Thesis. This is where higher education students can acquire dissertation editing services UK from experts specializing in their field of study. During her free time, she likes to surf the internet for the latest developments in the world of tech.
