Coworking office space is proving a godsend for so many self-employed AND directly employed UK professionals
Remember all those interminable rat race days, before you went freelance: gazing out of your office window across a grimy teeming city, dreaming of one day escaping corporate Alcatraz, of calling all the shots like Tony Soprano in the Bad-A-Bing, becoming your own boss and working when you felt like it, not when you had to? Hmm... Hasn’t quite turned out as it was cracked up to be, has it?
At the 'You CAN be your own boss!' seminar (with free refreshments, speed networking, and a smiley M&S-suited guest speaker with wafer-thin dental veneers), they didn't tell you about the downside of solitary working, eh? Yeah, that bit was conveniently left out. Beaming, they waxed lyrical about the "wonders of self-employment", but neglected to mention the bit about the impact upon mental health of one day being part of a team in a busy thriving office, to the next finding yourself in a back bedroom home office or a converted garage, with only the Internet and the cat for company all day, every day, all-year-round; and with years like that stretching out before you...
The first thing to know is that you’re absolutely not alone. Well, not in one sense. Across this green and pleasant land, there are thousands of home-based workers feeling exactly the same. Working at home sounds great but in reality, it's a punishingly lonesome endeavour; even with modern communication tools. The good news is that in a coworking space you can work on your own but without being alone.
Problem solved?
Yes; as long as it's the right space, that is...
So, when's the best time to make the switch? When should you sign up as a member of a coworking community and begin contemplating reconverting your home office to that pool room or cool home gym you've always wanted? Well, not all spaces should be, almost mindlessly, flocked to. A basic serviced office simply isn't the same as a modern space sharing facility, so don't sign up for membership until you've taken a look, read reviews online, chatted to others on social media.
Desk sharing venues are a bit like cafes, restaurants, bars and other hangouts: if the place is always packed, they must be doing something right, right? Right. Then, once you've found a good place local to you, consider membership. Some places will let you try before you buy, of course. So go and get a feel for it all. New memberships always rise markedly after Christmas each year, as going into a new year start-ups pledge to "really get serious" about growing their businesses. Summer months traditionally see a drop in memberships, so if you're struggling to get into your local facility, your chances of doing so will be increased when the sun has got its hat on. Things get busier in the autumn and remain so as business professionals enjoy grafting away at a fun place in the lead up to the Christmas and New Year break.
Look forward to working in a supportive social atmosphere, get a buzz from interacting with other members, feel part of something, at a cool contemporary facility with a well-thought-through infrastructure, a good transport link, and where you get plenty of bang for your buck!
And DON'T LOOK BACK.
