Over the past two decades, the standard office space has been updated, enhanced, and changed in ways that are designed to improve the efficiency and productivity of the employees. Among the most revolutionary of these changes was the creation of the coworking space, which started in 2005 and has since become highly popular among entrepreneurs, startups, and innovators. Coworking spaces are essentially shared spaces with a combination of large tables, private desks, conference rooms, and numerous amenities.

Many people who want to avoid working at home or in a coffee shop will choose to work at a coworking space. These spaces are flexible and are ideal for individuals and small teams that are searching for a collaborative environment where they can work. Using a coworking space is also a great way to save money since it’s possible to rent only what you require. If you opted to rent private office space, the costs would likely be much higher. Keep in mind that the majority of coworking spaces have a variety of different pricing models, which include daily or monthly fees. The price for a shared desk will also be lower than the price for a dedicated desk.

Since coworking spaces can be rented on a daily basis, you could choose to rent the space only when you need to spend time at one. In terms of payments, you only pay for the space you need, which will allow you to try out different coworking spaces to find the one that meets your exact needs. Coworking spaces are growing at a rapid pace today because of the many benefits that they provide as well as the growing freelance economy. In 2018, the exact number of these coworking spaces increased by upwards of 16 percent in the U.S., which is a trend that should continue in the years to come. This article takes a look at seven of the top benefits that come with working in a coworking space.

Key Takeaways:

• Coworking spaces exist all around the world and range in price, but they can be extremely beneficial for many people.
• The top seven benefits of coworking spaces include networking, increase connection, great work-life balance, structure to your day, increased productivity, remote access, and positive uncomfortability. Read about each of these below!

1. Networking

Networking is among the most advantageous aspects of a coworking space. When you operate out of a coworking space, you’ll meet people who you otherwise might never have met. The types of industries that typically use these spaces include medical technology, web design, software development, and cloud services industries. Along with digital nomads and individual entrepreneurs, the majority of businesses that operate out of coworking spaces include startups and small businesses.

All of the people who work in one of these spaces will be given access to a collaborative community of highly motivated individuals. Because of the many different industries that are represented in coworking spaces, you’ll gain access to some fantastic networking opportunities. These opportunities usually come in the form of monthly networking events, which are held by many coworking providers. You can also build lasting business relationships through catered lunches, educational workshops, and yoga classes. The very essence of coworking spaces increases the likelihood that you will be able to network with like-minded individuals and professionals in your industry.

2. Increase of Connection

A top reason that many entrepreneurs and small startup teams use coworking spaces is because they provide an increase of connection. For many individuals who work remotely, it’s very difficult to socialize and connect with other people. Coworking spaces allow you to avoid the restrictions of traditional offices while benefiting from a sense of community. The isolation of a home office or living room can prove to be lonely, which doesn’t happen with coworking spaces. When you operate in a coworking space, you’ll have numerous interactions throughout a standard business day, which should help to facilitate an energetic environment. This environment may be what you need to find inspiration in your work.

3. Great Work-Life Balance

When you begin to work in a coworking space, you may find that it’s easier to strike the right work-life balance. Many coworking spaces provide access to staircases, gyms, indoor lounges, and exercise studios, which will give you the opportunity to participate in yoga sessions, exercise, and meditate. By improving your wellness, you can benefit from an increase in your cognitive ability and productivity, which should help you deliver better results. Many of these amenities aren’t available in a standard office environment, which makes it more difficult to have the right work-life balance.

4. Structuring Your Day

Working in a coworking space should help you properly structure your day. If you currently work at home, it can be very difficult to provide structure to your workday, which may make you less productive than you want to be. Without needing to commute to work, there aren’t clear dividers between your home life and your work life, which could pose problems when you want to focus solely on the work responsibilities that you have. On the other hand, coworking spaces provide an ample amount of structure to the day by giving you a place to travel every day. When you don’t have this structure, your work could easily become a part of your home life.

5. Increase In Productivity

Among the more notable benefits of coworking spaces is that they facilitate an increase in productivity, which can help businesses, startups, and entrepreneurs bring in more revenues. Coworking spaces tend to provide several different work environments in a single location, which means that every individual can use the environment that they work best in. While some people are at their most productive in a traditional office, others are at their most productive and energetic in a livelier atmosphere where natural light and background music are prevalent. The majority of coworking spaces have been optimized with productivity in mind.

You should feel more at home in a coworking space when compared to a traditional office environment. However, you’ll also have the structure that’s missing from a home office. The boost in productivity that occurs in a coworking space is linked directly to the equity theory. When in an office environment, you’ll be around other colleagues who can provide you with references points for properly tracking your own performance. On the other hand, home office environments don’t allow you to track your performance against colleagues, which could make you less productive. Coworking spaces provide the best of both work environments.

6. Remote Access

If you enjoy operating out of a coworking space, you can do so from practically any location around the world, which is perfect for people who love to travel. Coworking spaces are situated in hundreds of cities across the world, which means that you don’t need to be tied down to one location. Reputable coworking spaces that provide you with all of the amenities that you expect from an office setting can be easily accessed no matter where you are. Many employers are opting to use coworking spaces since they can hire the top talent regardless of location.

7. Positive Uncomfortability

Nothing is worse for creativity than not being challenged. If you work from home, you only answer to yourself, which makes it difficult to remain engaged and focused on improvement. Coworking spaces provide positive uncomfortability by getting you out of your comfort zone. The work environment in a coworking space changes constantly, which can be surprisingly beneficial for your productivity. By getting out of your comfort zone, working in different settings on a daily basis, and meeting new people, you should be able to remain creative and innovative throughout the work day, which are two traits that are essential with a startup or small business.

Where To Look For Local Coworking Spaces Near You

When you want to find coworking spaces near you, there are many fantastic and reputable places to consider in Long Beach. One option is Iron Fire Long Beach, which provides different seating options, free WiFi, and free weekly events. If you want to rent a shared space, the costs can range from $29-$149 per month. You can also obtain a business mailing address to the space for a small monthly fee.

Another highly popular coworking space is WeWork Long Beach, which is situated just nearby some of the top entertainment venues and eateries in the area. The on-site amenities for anyone who spends time at WeWork Long Beach extend to coffee, a separate internet facility, cleaning, phone booths, and on-site staff to handle any issues that might arise. Membership is divided into three separate tiers of dedicated desk, hot desk, and private office.

For a hot desk, you can expect to pay around $350 per month with a dedicated desk costing $100 more. The starting price for a private office is right around $700. Some additional coworking spaces to consider in Long Beach include Premier Business Center, Regus Long Beach, WTC Workspaces, and UpLab Coworking. You can easily find coworking spaces by writing “coworking spaces near me” into the Google search engine. Keep in mind that there are many different types of coworking spaces at your disposal. While most of the coworking spaces throughout Long Beach would be classified as traditional coworking spaces, some other types that you can select from include all-inclusive spaces, nomadic spaces that combine business with leisure, corporate spaces, and ascetic spaces.

No matter which type of coworking space you enter, you’ll be provided with a place where you can be more productive, gain access to standard office amenities, and work in a connected environment and community. Whether you’ve recently created a startup or work as an entrepreneur in the initial stages of ideation, coworking spaces may provide you with the ideal environment for the work that you want to do.