If you're self-employed, sometimes lonely and looking for shared resources, coworking can be an interesting solution. The aim of this guide is to give you an insight into the various possibilities for sharing professional space, with their advantages and a few disadvantages. Find out where you can work remotely.
Coworking: a way of organizing work
Shared workspaces have been around for a very long time. However, we owe the term coworking to Bernie de Koven, an American game designer, who decided one day in 1995 to create the first coworking space in Berlin with a bunch of geek friends: the hackerspace.
Since then, coworking has continued to evolve, and there are now a huge number of generalist, specialized and closed coworking spaces, in cities and rural areas alike.
Why choose a shared workspace?
Coworking spaces enable you to work away from home, breaking the isolation that can quickly become sclerotic, particularly in times of doubt and questioning. By getting together with other coworkers in a friendly atmosphere, you can share your successes, but also any concerns you may have about the future of your project, and quickly regain the enthusiasm of your early days.
In a coworking space, you'll find a complete working environment:
- comfortable open-plan offices;
- private offices ;
- a reliable wifi connection;
- quality lighting ;
- meeting rooms ;
- a reprography service ;
- on-site catering, coffee machine, relaxation area...
Depending on your needs, you can rent a workspace on a one-off or subscription basis. To enable you to work at a pace that suits you, some coworking spaces are accessible 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. Additional services are sometimes available, such as domiciliation or accounting management.
Choosing a generalist, specialist or closed coworking space?
General coworking space
In a generalist coworking space, all activities are welcomed, whatever their sector. So you can meet people from all walks of life, including entrepreneurs, students, employees, mobile professionals, retirees, the unemployed...
The advantage of this type of coworking space is that it offers a great synergy of skills. If you're just starting out in your business, you'll have the opportunity to meet professionals in the same field as yours, but also in related fields; you'll be able to share ideas and create a network of complementary professionals.
Specialized coworking space
As the name suggests, this type of shared workspace brings together professionals working in the same sector. This makes it easier to find collaborators or partners in your field of activity. You can exchange ideas with coworkers who share your interests and often have similar concerns.
Closed coworking space
These workspaces are highly selective, as their aim is to ensure that your professional project is perfectly in line with those of the other members. So you can be sure of meeting only entrepreneurs in your field of activity.
Where can you find the coworking space that's right for you?
To guide your search, we recommend that you consider the following 3 criteria.
1. Location
There are coworking spaces located in city centers, medium-sized towns and rural areas. Your choice will depend on how often you visit the coworking space. If you need to visit on a daily basis, it's best to opt for a coworking space close to your home. On the other hand, for less frequent use, a coworking space in the countryside can give you the change of scenery you need for creativity.
2. The size
There are micro coworking spaces with less than 50 workstations, and maxi coworking spaces with up to 500. It's up to you to choose the environment that suits you best.
3. Services
Workspace rental rates often vary according to the services offered. It's up to you to think about your requirements. Do you need meeting rooms, a high-end reprographics service, an on-site restaurant? The answers to these questions will help you make the best choice.
The disadvantages of coworking spaces
They are few in number, but they should not be ignored. Indeed, while the shared workspace is suitable for the majority of workers, it can pose a problem for those with highly innovative projects requiring a high degree of confidentiality, or for those bound by professional secrecy.
Finally, concentration can sometimes be disrupted by a busy environment. If you need complete silence to get the job done, then you'd be better off choosing the closed office option.