Amid the Corona epidemic crisis, many business owners made a difficult decision to survive, Agreeing to telecommute employees. In addition to being the foundation for forming a new type of business, this unique event led to wide-ranging discussions in human resources and organizational behavior to evaluate the costs and benefits of this new way of working. Now, after the epidemic’s end, many employees are no longer willing to accept face-to-face jobs and prefer to work at home. With the boom of remote work, the phenomenon of shared workspace has again been the focus of the workers’ attention and has strengthened its foothold in the post-corona era.
What is a shared workspace?
As the name suggests, a coworking space is where different individuals or groups gather to work on joint or separate projects. The atmosphere of the shared workspace is different from the atmosphere of the conventional workspace because not everyone is working for the same purpose and business, and everyone has their work and concerns.
All facilities and infrastructure in traditional offices can also be found in shared workspaces. In addition, there is no need to conclude long-term contracts of one or more years to establish a shared workspace, and you can rent a part of the workspace from one week to several months.
Many shared workspace operators try to provide various facilities for their customers, from high-speed internet to office supplies, conference rooms, kitchens, dining halls, and coffee machines.
In addition, some coworking space owners provide their clients with consultants and business veterans. Even globally, some may provide their customers with facilities such as 3D printers.
Types of shared workspace
There are different types of shared workspaces, and every person or group should go for the right shared space depending on their needs, priorities, and preferences. Facilities, infrastructure, access to business advisors, and location are among the appropriate indicators for classifying coworking spaces. However, in a neat classification, these spaces can be divided into these four categories:
- open workspace;
- private workspace;
- Workspace centered on industrial activities;
- A work environment focused on bold investment.
1. Open workspace
Open workspaces were the first type and lit the light for promoting collaborative work culture. In this workspace, independent or related individuals or groups can work together and use dedicated desks to place office supplies.
2. Private workspace
Private workspaces have a different architecture compared to open workspaces. Instead of a dedicated desk, each group can be in a particular office or suite separate from other offices in these workspaces. Of course, different groups, while benefiting from a dedicated office, can use the common facilities of the workspace, such as a coffee shop or a conference room shared with others.
3. Work space centered on industrial activities
Many clients do not have suitable middle working areas with open and private spaces and are reluctant to share their experiences and knowledge. For this reason, another type of workspace centered on industrial activities has emerged to meet the needs of this group of people. The architecture of these spaces is such that communication between separate work groups is minimized. Therefore, different work groups can be deployed in these spaces without worrying about revealing their secrets. Artists, videographers, and graphic designers are among the most famous customers of these workspaces.
4. A work environment focused on bold investment
Accelerators, incubators, or venture capital workspaces are other collaborative workspaces. Inventing these workspaces aims to lay the groundwork for establishing, growing, and financing new companies or startups.
The operators of these spaces usually do not charge rent from their customers and instead start a partnership with them. The unique workspaces for bold investment have different types, and each has a different shape, image, and rules depending on the work culture of their founders.
Advantages of shared workspace
1. motivation
When you are present in a passionate workspace instead of a separate room, you will be less lazy and unmotivated and do your work with more energy. Therefore, it can be expected that the productivity of people in shared work environments will increase.
2. Being in the company of people who have common goals
By settling into a shared work environment, you can be present daily in a warm and friendly group of people looking for common goals and not hesitate to help each other grow and succeed.
3. flexibility
Another advantage of a shared workspace is that you don’t need to sign long-term rental contracts, and you can be present in the workspace only as much as you need. Therefore, the operators of startup companies or independent freelancers with little budget for long-term rent can benefit from this great privilege.
4. Getting out of the house
Although some people prefer to work at home, they inevitably have to suffer the pain of being away from society and being isolated. Being with others in a shared workspace and keeping people fresh may be the basis for their creativity.
5. Networking
When you are in the company of people with similar goals or work areas, your work network expands whether you want it or not, and this causes new opportunities to appear in front of you.
Essential tips for choosing the right shared workspace
With the boom of shared workspaces and the promotion of remote work culture, the number of shared workspaces is increasing daily. Therefore, we must know how to find the most suitable coworking space. In the following, we review the most important criteria for finding the right shared workspace.
1. Location
Location is the first and most important point for choosing a suitable coworking space. Choose a place to settle that is not too far from your residence, is close to amenities such as restaurants, parking, and stores, and has good access to public transportation.
2. Cost
After the location of the workspace, you should also look into your pocket. To find a cheap and economical coworking space, look for a place that fits your budget. Also, if you are running a fledgling company in the growth and development phase, choose an area that does not charge you a lot to rent more seats. Therefore, first, prepare an initial estimate of the cost of renting your desired shared workspace and then decide.
3. work environment
When choosing a workspace, you must ensure it meets your business’s basic needs. Check the background of the desired shared workspace and see if, according to the contract, you can use the coffee shop or the conference room and its meetings or if using these facilities requires a separate fee.
4. The atmosphere in the workspace
After choosing the location, estimating the budget, and checking the work environment, it is time to review the non-work aspects. Knowing who lives in the selected workspace and in which fields they work is better. For example, if you are a graphic designer, maybe you should look for artistic workspaces and draw a line around the spaces related to software development.
5. The duration of establishment in the workplace
You should know how many months or years you will be deployed in the shared workspace. What is your plan after the end of the lease? Do you want to move to another coworking space or start your own office? It would be best if you had answers to these questions before finalizing the rental agreement.
6. welfare amenities
At first glance, having a shared workspace with comfort and entertainment facilities may seem unimportant. Still, you will understand how much comfort facilities increase your productivity when you are busy with hard and exhausting work for hours. From coffee machines, printers, and office essentials to games and entertainment, they are all facilities that should be available to people in a suitable workspace.
