Coworking spaces are popular in many cities across the UK. but they’re especially helpful to freelancers and entrepreneurs looking to work outside of their home office.
Coworking spaces allow you to work alongside like-minded individuals who share your passions and interests and give you access to people from other companies and industries who can provide assistance with your business ideas or offer potential partnerships and/or clients.
Here are 7 reasons why you should consider working in a coworking space in the UK. if you’re an entrepreneur or freelancer living in England, Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland.
Cost-effective
Do you like working from home, but wish you had a professional space without having to rent out an office? A coworking space offers low-cost workstations (sometimes even free). As well as special rates on conference rooms, print/copy services, and more.
So while you may be paying less than what it would cost to rent your own private office, you’ll still have access to all of these resources at a fraction of what they would cost if purchased separately.
Professional Networking
One of our favourite perks of coworking is being surrounded by other like-minded professionals. Connect with colleagues who may help grow your business, or make new friends who can add value to your life.
Building strong professional relationships is important for anyone’s career growth, and working alongside fellow freelancers can be very beneficial in terms of networking opportunities.
Some coworking spaces host events (and give discounts for members) that foster collaborations between freelancers within their space.
Reliable internet access
This might seem like an obvious one, but it’s still worth mentioning. Whether you want to work on your startup while travelling or telecommute, reliable internet access is essential.
A coffee shop with public WiFi will do in a pinch, but if you’re working from home, it may make sense to invest in your reliable connection. If you don’t have your own office space, you can get a reliable coworking space at IBC and other locations across London!
Limited distractions
Working from home can be great, but there are disadvantages. When you’re home and things get tough, it’s easy to start procrastinating by cleaning, cooking, or browsing Netflix—and before you know it your day is over and you haven’t gotten anything done.
If you work from a coworking space, however, you have access to other people who will keep you on track with your work. It’s also easier to focus when other people are around because there aren’t any distractions like pets or family members running around.
Opportunities to learn
Even though working from home is liberating, it’s sometimes hard to get anything done. Coworking spaces can help increase productivity by creating an inspiring and collaborative environment that helps you focus on work.
Plus, coworking communities are hot spots for industry networking, which can be particularly helpful if you’re trying to build your business. Make sure you find a space that best fits your needs: Do some research into different options near you and try out a few before committing.
Increase your productivity
Working from home is great—you can set your hours, you have total control over your environment, and you’re less likely to get distracted.
But working from home is also difficult for many people: You might feel lonely and isolated (or too lazy), there might not be anyone around to bounce ideas off of, or you might even end up unconsciously avoiding work by cleaning out your inbox or surfing online. A coworking space can solve all these problems and more.
Accessibility and convenience
If you work from home, getting dressed, driving or taking public transit somewhere can be part of your daily routine. Sometimes it’s necessary for a meeting or appointment, other times it’s just because you forgot.
Your headphones and need a laptop cable.
Whatever it is, chances are at least once every week or two you get out of your house. And go somewhere else just because you have to.
