Coworking Office – FAQ’s

This Coworking Office article contains information about the following

• What Is A Coworking Office
• Who Uses Coworking Offices
• The Benefits Of Using Coworking Spaces
• Coworking Offices Vs. Other Alternative Workplaces
• 5 Things To Consider When Choosing A Coworking Office

Other articles that may be of interest if you are looking at office space include

• Coworking Space Peterborough that looks at the collaborative benefits of a coworking office.
• Rent a desk for a day – particularly relevant to freelancers and
• Flexi offices for changing times – particularly relevant in the changing times caused by the pandemic

What Is A Coworking Office?

A Coworking Office is a place where people ( typically business people) gather to work on projects and other activities. Unlike typical office environments, the people using a coworking space may or may not be part of the same company or organisation. These shared coworking office spaces are most often used by individuals to work on projects individually, but there is always the option to work on an activity as a group. .

Coworking office spaces come with all the basic amenities you need to carry out your activities, just like a more traditional office. Most coworking spaces have Wifi, hot desks, conference rooms, printers and even refreshments, Brightfield Business Hub is a great example of a Coworking Space Peterborough.

Coworking office spaces are extremely flexible and that is often considered as their main benefit.

For example, you can rent out a a dedicated desk or an entire private office space the choice you make is up to you. Additionally, you can move from one space to another with ease as there are no long-term leases!

How Much Do Coworking Office Spaces Cost

While the price for coworking spaces varies on a case-by-case (city by city ) basis, it usually depends on a few things such as:

• Location – Coworking spaces in prime real estate at major cities like London, Birmingham, Leeds etc will cost more. This is the case for most coworking chains that tend to focus on major cities. Within Peterborough Brightfied Business Hub offers co-working packages from £50 plus VAT
• Amenities – If your coworking space comes with tons of unique amenities, then it’s typically going to have higher associated costs
• Space – As you would expect larger coworking office spaces generally cost more than smaller ones
• Timings – coworking office spaces that are open 24/7 will typically cost more than those that are open for set office time hours i.e. 8.30 to 17.00

The Benefits Of Using Coworking Office Spaces

There are many ways that coworking office spaces benefit you and your company. We have focussed on what we believe to be the top 3 convenience, cost and culture.

1. Coworking Office Convenience

The coworking model is that it’s incredibly convenient. Unlike regular offices, you don’t have expensive long-term leases – you can pay for exactly how long you need it. These short-term contracts also make it easy for you to switch from space to space.

On its own this is incredibly helpful for our new society of digital nomads who are always on the move and spend only a few weeks in the same place. You will find coworking spaces wherever you go throughout Cambridgeshire

With coworking office space providers such as BBH managing the amenities and overheads themselves, yous don’t have to worry about it. This saves you time and effort in managing and budgeting

2. Coworking Office Cost

Instead of renting out an office space for yourself or your company, you can turn to shared workspaces instead. This is an obvious reason to switch to a coworking office space.

• Most coworking office spaces charge on a per-table basis. This way, small businesses and partnerships don’t have to pay for space that isn’t required
• If you’re a solo entrepreneur and need your own dedicated office space, renting out a table at a coworking space is far more affordable than renting out a separate one-room office.
• Coworking spaces don’t charge you for overheads like electricity and Wifi. If you were operating from your own office, you’d paying for these business needs – increasing your overall spend.

3. Culture

Rather than being sat or working alone the great thing about coworking spaces is their culture and the positive vibe they deliver.

Entrepreneurs and budding startups are usually the people who fill Coworking spaces which makes them the perfect place to network with co-founders and incubators. If you’re looking for the next big thing, chances are it’s going to come from the coworking community.

Did you know that successful companies like Instagram, Spotify and Uber all started in coworking spaces!

A really useful benefit is that many coworking spaces host networking events like guest speaking events, motivational speakers and exhibitions to encourage networking among the independent workers at the space.

Who Uses Coworking Office Spaces?

Remote Workers and Freelancers

Remote Workers and Freelancers love and use coworking spaces for two key reasons:

• They’re a cheap, flexible alternative to renting out your own private office space
• As you’re working alongside other people – it’s a simple way to beat the feelings of isolation that most remote workers go through. It’s also a great place to meet other entrepreneurs and network effectively!
• They are the perfect option for anyone looking for an all-in-one solution, as coworking spaces offer Wifi, refreshments and other amenities. You don’t have to rent any of this yourself,  just go the coworking office space and everything’s in place for use

Startups and SMEs

Coworking spaces don’t come with the high costs and commitments associated with typical office leases. So for early-stage startups, SMEs and non-profits it’s no surprise that they’re the go-to option for many.

With a coworking office space your team can gather and interact in a collaborative space, without any of the financial costs associated to leasing an office! With Wifi, heating and other overheads being covered, you’re reducing your business overheads as well.

Larger Enterprises / Companies

Major blue chip companies like Nike, Facebook and Google are using co-working office spaces now.

With these larger global companies with hundreds and thousands of employees all over the globe,  setting up offices and maintaining them is an enormous effort that they’d like to avoid. Coworking space providers to do this for them.

Many enterprises ask coworking chains to build them custom-made shared spaces and even maintain them. This way, the employees get a state-of-the-art business centre and the company doesn’t have to worry about maintaining anything. For more information the benefits of working in shared offices

Coworking Office Spaces compared to Alternative Workplaces

Coworking spaces are a great alternative to working in-office, however, they are other options available i.e. working from home and working from cafes.

Working From Home

Working from home is the default option for most people looking to work remotely. There’s no commuting, no issues in finding a parking spot, you wake up when you want to and take as many breaks as you like!

However, working from home isn’t perfect (and isn’t a good working solution for everyone)

Working from a home office can make it hard to focus. As you’re working in the same place you use to relax, it’s harder for your brain to adjust to work and stay alert. You may even have tons of household distractions preventing you from focusing on your work. The dog, television, noisy neighbours etc

Working at home can be quite isolating, if you stay by yourself, .

Luckily, coworking spaces can solve all these issues:

• As you’re not working from your home, it’s easier for your brain to focus on your tasks.
• You avoid any household distractions.
• Coworking spaces still give you the freedom (breaks, clock-in times, attire) that you get from working at home.
• As you’re surrounded by like-minded individuals, you won’t feel isolated.
• You won’t have to pay for high-speed Wifi and other work-related overheads yourself.

Working From Cafes / Coffee Shops

Working from cafes is another popular remote working choice. You get high-speed Wifi and the wonderful smell of coffee. While coffee shops can help you overcome feelings of isolation and take care of your internet needs, for many they are not great for focused work.

If your a people watcher there is every chance that within a popular and dynamic cafe there will be lots of people distractions

• Many coffee shops usually play music ( even if its muzak) that could distract you from your work
• Sometimes, the gorgeous smell of coffee and pastries could disrupt your focus
• In high footfall popular cafes you could be distracted by people walking in and out, busy with their own discussions
• Coffee shops have distractions and aren’t built to be an ideal work environment. 

Coworking office spaces, don’t have these issues and are built for focused work.

5 Things To Consider When Choosing A Coworking Office Space

With a number of coworking offices spaces around, how do you select the right one? We think there are five main things to consider when looking for a co-working office:

1. Location

Location is one of the most important things to consider when choosing a coworking space. Choose a coworking space that’s:

• Not too far from where you live to minimise traveling costs and travelling time
• Has Free parking spaces and is near public transport to make commuting easier
• Well located within the city to make it easy to entertain prospects, clients and guests

Coworking spaces in prime locations and cities will cost more than spaces in smaller less populated towns

2. Amenities

The best coworking spaces boast of having tons of unique amenities like dedicated meeting rooms, phone booths, gymnasiums, ironing services, on site nursery, cappuccino machines etc.

Its a bit like choosing a hotel because it has a swimming pool and gym. How often do you do this only to find that when you come to checkout you haven’t used any of the facilities that led you to book it.

Remember to only choose a coworking space that gives you the amenities you need to carry out your work. There’s no point going to a coworking space that offers freshly brewed coffee if the Wifi is patchy and slow, right?

3. Costs

Different coworking office spaces charge different rates. Remember this when choosing your coworking space. For example, if you’re a growing team that’s looking to expand soon, you might want to avoid spaces that are too expensive as you aren’t looking for a permanent solution.

Additionally, pay attention to the business model of the coworking space you use:

• Is it on a per-desk basis?
• Is it a monthly or yearly fee?
• What’s included in the membership fee?

4. Community

A big reason for the popularity of coworking spaces is the sense of community that they have. Look for a coworking space that’s populated by like-minded individuals that you get along with.

As you’ll likely be working alongside these workers ensure that you enjoy their company!

The coworking space community manager and support team are also important personalities and relationships that you will need to develop and get along with.

5. Timings

If you’re a freelancer working with clients in Australia ( the other side of the world) the likely hood is that you will need a coworking space that’s open 24×7.

However, if your a Peterborough based business, supplying gservices to Cambridgeshire based customers the likelihood is this isn’t something you will need. Therefore you can go for part-time coworking spaces with designated work hours which usually cost a lot less.

Remember to always look at a coworking space’s timings before selecting one.

Coworking Office Space Summary

Coworking spaces are one of the most convenient and cost-effective places to get your work done. Whether you’re a solopreneur, a small business owner or even a large company – you’ll benefit from them!

Contact Michelle Craig at Brightfield Business Hub on 01733 595885 or email Michelle Craig at arrange an appointment to see the wide range of Coworking Office Space options at BBH. Click here to have all your meeting rooms near me questions answered.

For information on short term self storage facilities that are ideal for businesses click here