What is coworking? Your essential guide

Coworking has become a mainstream working concept since the mid-1990s and has continued to grow significantly over the past few years, particularly with the shift to more home or remote working opportunities. Research suggests that there will soon be over 42,000 coworking spaces worldwide.

The concept is already thriving in the UK, with over 1,400 coworking spaces in London alone and many spaces around the country, particularly in major cities like Leeds, Liverpool, and Manchester.

If you’re toying with the idea of joining a coworking space, here are five benefits for you to consider:

If you’re easily distracted, which, let’s face it, so many of us are, coworking can help solve that problem. Having a routine can give you a daily purpose, so not only is the coworking space getting you out of the house, but it can boost your productivity and encourage you to mingle with other professionals.

If you’re using a coworking space, you don’t have to drain your electricity or purchase a printer. The convenience of shared facilities is unmatched. The printer breaks down, no worries, someone else will fix that for you. They design these spaces to give you everything you need to work effectively.

Your next exciting opportunity could be just around the corner, and being in a coworking environment means you naturally bump into other working professionals. They might become a new client, offer you your dream job, or introduce you to someone who could change your career path forever.

When working from home, creating a clear boundary between work and home life can be challenging, particularly when it’s easier to check your emails at 10pm. But, in a coworking space, you have a carved-out work routine that makes it much easier to say goodbye to work as you leave the space.

Working alongside different creative types means you benefit from diverse perspectives, helping you problem-solve, and encouraging you to think more creatively. Your shared experiences with your new colleagues inspire you to talk and share ideas.

Most coworking spaces offer shared desk bank facilities, basic kitchen access, and the option to book meeting rooms if needed. Tenants usually pay for this on a monthly per-desk basis. Others offer a more sophisticated setup, with the chance to rent private office spaces long-term to act as remote offices for small businesses.

There’s also the possibility of home coworking, where you invite other remote workers to work from your house, maybe a close friend or two, to keep each other accountable and productive! This coworking setup helps you retain the relaxed home working environment but removes the loneliness it can come with.

A tool that helps centralise documents can ensure effortless remote team collaboration. Important documents remain fluid with real-time edits and collaboration, so it doesn’t matter whether you’re working from home or the office; you can collaborate effectively from anywhere.

Tools like Confluence integrate seamlessly into your tech stack to unify all systems. You can also integrate with Trello or Slack to further streamline communication.

Psst: What is Confluence we hear you ask? Here’s a complete Confluence guide for beginners.

Choosing the right coworking space doesn’t have to be challenging. First, figure out what you want from the space - do you need the option to book private rooms? Access to networking events with other professionals? A pay-as-you-go plan? Then, it’s time to research your local coworking options.

Not necessarily. Some spaces offer quiet areas or private bookable rooms to help you focus when needed. Otherwise, you can invest in some noise-cancelling headphones to help you block out any office distractions.