Working alone is bad for you. Really bad. Studies show that not only does solitude reduce productivity and problem solving abilities, it also affects our social skills, your physical and even mental health. As we become more digitally connected, loneliness is becoming more acute and coworking could be a cure. A powerful one.
Support Network
Doing something hard is easier when you’re doing it with others and starting a business is no different. A coworking space provides a remedy to the sense of isolation that comes with setting up a new business as well as a support network where struggles and successes are shared. The space is a rich knowledge pool where you can bounce ideas off others from completely different disciplines – a ready-made outside the box approach.
A Non-Bureaucratic Structure
Coworking can also reduce the risks of developing bad habits that can be tempting the newly self-employed. But it can go further. It can provide a structure and discipline that was inherently present in the secure environment of a salaried job. Not the ridged bureaucratic structure that led members to leave, but rather the discipline that it imposed – getting in for 9am, dressing right, behaving themselves, being accountable – all conducive to a routine which lends itself to productivity. Many fledgling entrepreneurs discover that they miss the structure that their old jobs provided and coworking supplements this by reintroducing a structure to the work environment.
“Coworking can provide a welcome structure and discipline that’s inherent in the secure environment of a salaried job but without the bureaucratics”
A Social Connection
We’ve also discovered that coworking can provide a social support network – particularly for those who are new to a city or lack the local presence of family and friends. Of course joining a workspace with the sole intention of making new friends can feel a little creepy, but I’ve heard from friends and colleagues that a shared workspace can be one of those places to “meet people” in a safe environment. Just like in a yoga or spinning class, it’s easier to just come up and say hi. Once people already see each other on a regular basis, introductions become relatively painless and are rarely unwelcomed.
At Office Suites Club we don’t screen our members but we are mindful of building the right community so as long as you have the right balance of work and play we’ll welcome you in. We also want to ensure that our space caters for the broad spectrum of personalities out there and with this in mind we’ve found that some of the best entrepreneurs can be shy, particularly in shared and social environments. This is why space design is important and why we’re mindful of providing workspace that not only facilitates different types of work (eg checking emails vs preparing a presentation) but also different types of personalities (private of semi-private spaces as well as open plan desks).
Want to talk Coworking with us? Lets connect.
