There is a liberating feeling we get while building a successful freelancing business.
The euphoria of knowing that our innate skills, or knack for entrepreneurship, can help us create a steady stream of income is often inexplicable.
Sole dependency on a 9 to 5 is a thing of the past. The digital nomad era has begun.
Coworking spaces provide environments in which we (digital nomads and freelancers) can thrive. In fact, it has become a norm for freelancers to use a coworking space.
Cecilia Amador supports this fact by stating that in 2018 “there [were] 14,411 coworking spaces in the world [with] the number of coworking members expected to rise to 3.8 million by 2020.” Coworking is a big deal!
The Benefits of Coworking Spaces
Chief amongst the benefits of a coworking space is its ability to create a pseudo-work environment for busy freelancers.
To the outside world, it seems as though full-time freelancers have it easy. They stay at home all day, have a highly flexible schedule and can do what they want, when they want.
The truth is that it can sometimes become difficult to be productive with the distractions of home.
Freelancers often crave some semblance of a work environment to break up the monotony and distractions of the home routine.
They want a space where they can block out the distractions and commit to their work.
Some full-time freelancers take their desire a step further. They want clear separation between work and home. Therefore, they use a coworking space as their official office space.
They use the space during the work hours that best suit them and avoid doing work at home.
Part-time freelancers tend to use coworking spaces in a similar fashion. Coworking spaces help them make best use of their weekends in a comfortable work environment.
These benefits form the core of how coworking spaces are used. Let’s flip the script a bit.
What if we told you that there are some creative ways to use a coworking space? Would you change the way you use your favorite coworking hub?
5 Creative Ways to Use a Coworking Space
1. Networking
Coworking spaces bring an eclectic mix of people together. You’ll be surrounded by freelancers in various niches with diverse skillsets and backgrounds.
Stop viewing your favorite coworking hub as a place to put on your earphones, play some music and block out the world so that you can work.
Use some of your time to strike up a conversation with the person sitting next to you. If you haven’t already, read Dale Carnegie’s book “How to Win Friends and Influence People” (oldie, but still still good) to get the most out of these interactions.
You’ll be surprised by the opportunities that arise if you use the principles outlined in this book during your interactions at your local coworking space.
Your local coworking space also hosts networking events. Follow their profile on mywork.space and social media pages to get know when these events are happening and make attending them a priority.
We too often underestimate the power of networking as it often comes masked as wasted hours at an event. The time you invest in these experiences will reap long-term benefits.
Some things that you should always have handy when either having a one-on-one conversation or attending a networking event include:
- Business cards
- An elevator pitch (a 30 second sales pitch about your company)
- A curious and positive attitude. Ask Questions!
2. Building a Team
Your solopreneur business may be bursting at the seams. It may be too difficult for you to handle the increased demand alone. Building a team is the next step.
It’s great to have a team of remote workers. However, it’s even better to build a team of talented people who live in your area because in-person meetings can be facilitated. Sure, Skype and Zoom meetings make it easier for remote workers to meet.
But nothing beats face-to-face in-person contact; it helps build the team synergy that your growing company needs.
Coworking spaces often have conference rooms where small teams can meet. These rooms are typically equipped with the meeting amenities such as projectors, video conferencing and Wi-Fi access.
3. Supporting Innovation
This point is closely related to what was discussed about networking. Freelancers are often business to business (B2B) consumers.
Therefore, we often buy services from each other to support our business functions. This collaboration can lead to some new and interesting ways to approach the services you offer.
For instance, Christine McLean, the founder of CEM Writing Services, is a talented freelance writer.
Many of her eBook clients, however, often desire a full package service where they can get content writing, eBook formatting, and an eBook cover design in one.
A collaboration with a graphic designer she met at a local coworking hub made this possible.
4. Hosting Events
Coworking spaces are also perfect venues for hosting small events for your brand.
For instance, you may be an expert jewellery maker who wants to host a product launch for a new jewellery line.
Why not rent a coworking space instead of a fancy hotel conference room?
It will be much cheaper and provide a better opportunity for you to work your creative decorating magic.
5. Creating Digital Content
The digital marketing world is constantly evolving.
Customers demand more from the brands they love because they are inundated with the same type of content daily.
They want content that is fresh and intriguing.
Therefore, the following statistics aren’t surprising:
- Phys.org states that “124 million Americans listen to audio podcasts including 73 million on a monthly basis.”
- Impactbnd.com reports that “90% of customers say video helps them make buying decisions and 64% of customers say that seeing a video makes them more likely to buy.”
Podcasts and videos should form an important part of your digital marketing strategy. However, your home may not provide the best environment in which to record podcasts and shoot videos.
Most coworking spaces have small sound rooms where you can record podcasts or shoot videos.
You’ll get the professional look and sound you need without having to break the bank.
When Are You Going to Become a Member of a Coworking Space?
If you’re a budding entreprenuer, startup, digital nomad or freelancer, a coworking space must become an integral part of how you do business.
The benefits are great and shouldn’t be ignored.
Do some research, which this site helps you to find a coworking space near you and either pay on an hourly basis or sign up for membership.
Last updated: August 28, 2019