The freelance revolution has been “up in the air” for some time already. However, as the last 1,5 years have changed the perception of working and remote work is the new standard, freelancing has become a real alternative for many.
Freelancers tend to work at home or in coffee shops. Of course, a home office or a coffee shop are good places to do the work, but we all have experienced how inspiring it is to work with others. So, how to avoid loneliness when “flying solo”? Just pop into some coworking centres, and check out the environment and its influence on your business. Here is a list of five benefits of coworking:
1. Working with others could boost your productivity
Well, procrastination is something that we all do. It is nothing terrible if it happens once in a while, but procrastinating gets to us more quickly and often if we work from home. At home, there are many exciting alternatives to spend your time on! Freelancers usually have a very high sense of discipline, so they might be less prone to step into the procrastination trap, but they are also only humans.
How to beat procrastination - by having a working buddy! The person working beside you has a strong influence on your productivity, says the research covered by Harvard Business Review. For example, when person A works side by side on person B, who is twice as productive as person A, A's efforts increase 10%. It is understandable - seeing someone being extremely focused on the task at hand is inspiring for most. So why not surround yourself with people who are result-oriented and highly focused?
Besides better productivity, having like-minded business-oriented people around can boost your creativity. Steve Jobs, a famous opponent of remote work, believed employees’ best work came from accidentally bumping into other people, not sitting at home in front of an email inbox. “Creativity comes from spontaneous meetings, from random discussions,” Jobs said. “You run into someone, you ask what they’re doing, you say “Wow,” and soon you’re cooking up all sorts of ideas.”
2. Widen your business circle
Coworking communities include people from many business fields. If, at first, these spaces seemed dedicated to IT companies or tech startups, then by now, the perception has changed. The members of the coworking communities involve businesses and freelancers from various fields like marketing, law, journalism, fintech, real estate etc. The specialists and managers with different backgrounds and experiences provide boundless networking opportunities. You likely meet your future customers, collaborators or entrepreneurs like yourself, all open to sharing the knowledge and ways of coping with the challenges.
3. Find your work-crowd
Freelance work has several perks - being your own boss is appealing to many, but it also has some downsides. While being a business owner and enjoying making your own decisions could be exciting, people, in general, are social creatures. We like to be part of a team, have some colleagues discuss issues face-to-face, and be surrounded by like-minded people.
According to Viking’s survey, nearly two-thirds (64%) of freelancers say their job makes them feel lonely daily. Feeling lonely for more extended periods could impact the overall mental health, so it is crucial to pay attention and find ways to change the situation.
Besides getting a pet or working at restaurants, one of the opportunities suggested by Sage is getting a desk at a co-working office with a community of other freelancers, entrepreneurs and startups. According to the research, 83% of freelancers feel less lonely after joining a coworking office. Sharing a coffee break with another community member could have very promising side effects for you and your companion.
4. Home is home - for family, friends and hobbies
Working remotely, as we have established, is a new normal. Still, we should all take some time to think if working only from home is the most helpful way and best for our business. Many have said that even though working from home sounds like bliss, it actually is not, at least not all the time. Especially when other family members are around unintentionally trying to steal your focus, working from home could turn into a stressful experience and leave you with unfinished tasks and frustration.
It is worth pointing out that remote workers tend to take shorter breaks and fewer sick days than people who work in a regular office - and many find it difficult to separate their work from their home lives. As a result, it might make it challenging to achieve a desired work-life balance.
So, one of the options is to do the work away from home; having a different working environment helps to find the balance between work and personal life. The time for commuting from one place also helps switch the focus between busy work and family life.
5. No stress about daily office-fuss
Some say that renting a desk at a coworking centre is expensive compared to a home office with zero cost, and therefore, they continue to work from home or a cafe. Still, there are some significant positive effects of working in a coworking centre to keep in mind. In addition to having a designated or a hot desk with a comfortable chair, you are welcomed to a fully furnished and modern office space with several comforts, starting from basics like good internet connection, office supplies and complimentary coffee and ending with invitations to community events.
According to the research conduction among freelancers by Sage, 42% of freelancers have witnessed an income increase (!) after joining a coworking office. So maybe joining the coworking centre would be one of the keys to boosting your business.
