As an entrepreneur, it be easy to slip into isolation, especially when connectivity is important in today’s world. Working at home is an affordable option, but when you are stuck in the home office, it can get quite lonely.
Have no fear! A solution is here. Coworking spaces. Offering salvation from the home office, it is the future that offers you an opportunity to network to your hearts content and to connect with the world.
Coworking, A History
In 2005, Brad Neuberg gave birth to the original coworking site, the Hat Factory based in San Francisco. Neuberg was also one of the founders of Citizen Space, the first “work only” coworking space, spawning the global movement with thousands of spaces in the U.S. alone.
Here or There
Taking the place of the stereotypical coffee shop as the entrepreneur’s office, coworking spaces were initially created because they offered an alternative workspace, away from isolation or home.
Coworking spaces are like a giant brainstorming session, offering new ideas to you all day, everyday. “We focus in group sessions and talk about choices and other things,” said Jocelyn Ibarra, self-proclaimed ‘Chief of Happiness’ at The Coop in Chicago, IL. “It’s like a tornado of ideas and it’s amazing to experience.” With networking being a must-do in today’s world, coworking spaces offer help to the networking challenged.
Though 九龍灣 coworking have fees, the Coop offers desk space for twenty dollars a day, it’s worth the cost. Baking in her free time, it is a common event to receive a baked good from Ibarra most days at The Coop. Depending on the space, perks like this are often offered with membership.
Hunting Down a Space
Can’t find any coworking spaces around you? It’s okay, there is an app for that. Created to help spread the word about the awesomeness that is coworking, Desktime is an easy to use program that gives you the information you need to know about any space you are interested in.
Pretty Sweet Spaces
Looking through Desktime, you can find some pretty awesome coworking spaces that make you want to travel the U.S. just for a tour.
HeraHub (San Diego, CA): Exclusively for women, HeraHub offers feminine qualities ranging from flowers and candles to chair massages. The calming, professional atmosphere is popular among the ladies, as well as the opportunity to meet and be inspired by like-minded women.
WorkBar (Boston, MA): Encouraging its members to rethink the workspace, this space brings together the ‘professionalism of an office, flexibility of a gym, and the comfort of a cafe’. It is bright and comfortable with plenty of open areas for collaboration and private spaces for those who want them.
COOP (Chicago,IL): This space offers the public a fun, affordable place to work and renting by the day, week or month. Members can even enjoy awesome events including mixers, collaborative shows and breakfast lectures.
With spaces like these popping up around the world, it’s easy to see why this is a growing trend. Offering all an entrepreneur needs and a bunch extra, coworking spaces seem to be here to stay and are taking the lead to be the entrepreneur’s new office.