Goodbye office, goodbye kitchen table, Goodbye Coffee shop.
For small business and organisations as well as startups, indie workers and freelancers, Coworking is developing into a real viable option for getting things done. Traditionally when identifying places to work, Organisations and freelancers have had to choose between several scenarios all with advantages and disadvantages – working from home, coffee shop, library, office suites or other commercial spaces.
Enter Coworking.
Coworking is the phenomenon of workers coming together in a shared, collaborative workspace for many of these reasons: to reduce costs by sharing facilities and equipment, to access a community of fellow entrepreneurs and to seek collaboration. Coworking is fast making the traditional office setup an antiquated thing of the past.
Coworking offers an exciting alternative for people wanting to escape the isolation and distraction of working from home, coffee shop or library. The benefits and cost savings in productivity and overall happiness for organisations encouraging their workers to utilize Coworking spaces and telecommute are potentially huge. Companies are beginning to realize their employees don’t have to be physically “at their desk” from 9-5 to be productive; they don’t even need to be in the same time zone. Larger companies are beginning to recognise their management structures need to become more flexible. Younger workers, especially the millennial generation, have a fundamentally different view about work and career fulfillment. Many of them are interested in moving laterally, not vertically by taking on different and diversified roles within a company. They are becoming project focused and thrive on constant change. Many of them shun the traditional work structure in favour of project contracting. Baby boomers and Gen Y are also shifting to home-based work and telecommuting arrangements because it is easier to achieve work-life balance objectives they have set for themselves in a world where both parents work either by necessity or choice.
By working closer to home and utilizing Coworking spaces they are able to participate in their kids school events while keeping on top of their workload. Despite generally working longer and possibly earning less they feel they are in control of their workload and family time schedule by not wasting valuable time commuting to work everyday. Statistics state many telecommuters and home-based workers are far more productive and take less personal days off than office based workers. All is achievable due to the capabilities, affordability and accessibility of the Internet and technology. The environmental impact is also potentially considerable, think about it: less cars on the road means less carbon emissions, less car maintenance, less road rage, more money in your pocket, more time to spend with family and friends and a happier, healthier YOU. Both Companies and workers reap the benefits. Sounds great doesn’t it?
