Dear Anna,
I have been working at home for the past 2 years. Its been pretty alright overall, but…when I meet friends I have nothing to talk about, the kids wonder in and out, and I realise that my network has stagnated.
I am really ready for coworking! My problem – there are over 50 in my city! How do I choose my coworking space?
Too many choices – London
CoworkingBasics is a fortnightly column by Anna Cashman, market research and social media person for Deskwanted – online portal to find and book coworking spaces worldwide. Are you a coworker, coworking space operator, or just want to know more about coworking? Email [anna (at) deskwanted (dot]com) her your questions.
Dear TMC,
Well it sounds like you know what you need. It is great that you have identified coworking as the answer, as there are millions of others who still don’t know what coworking is!
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Frustrated man at a desk
So now to the question, ‘How do I choose my coworking space?’
Of course the first thing to consider is budget. If you are a freelancer it is quite important to think about, you should add this expense in to your costs, and perhaps raise your quotes for work to supplement the cost. On this same note, coworking spaces come in all shapes and sizes, and prices. Have a look at our list, which is easily sorted by price.
It is also important to consider travel time. One reason we all love flexible work is that it gives us the option to have less travel time per day, in fact according to the Global Coworking Survey 85% of people travel less than 30 minutes to their coworking space. So proximity should be taken into account. It works a bit in the way of a gym – you won’t go as often if it is difficult to get to.
Take a look at the photos and videos that the space has posted. This will give you an idea of the look and feel of the place, and you can sometimes assess pretty easily if the place fits your own aesthetic intuitions.
Finally, visit the space. Talk with the community manager. Even give it a try. More than half of the coworking spaces in our community have free trial days. This will give you a chance to meet the people who you will potentially see everyday at ‘work’.
My final thought on this question – Congratulations on finding coworking and best of luck to you in your choice. We would love to hear how it goes, and I think that everyone here would to – so keep in touch!
