Working from home has taught us a lot of things, and one of them is that the line between work and personal life is getting far murkier. Many remote workers are noticing that these aspects of life are increasingly difficult to separate, which is why coworking spaces and serviced offices are blowing up.
These spaces offer a better working environment for companies and individuals looking for an out-of-the-office experience with more flexibility and a community feel.
If you’re ready to leave the house or traditional office setup behind while improving your work efficiency and performance, here are five tips to get the most out of these flexible working spaces:
Find the Right Space
Before moving into any coworking space, explore your options. Find out if the places on your radar have the right working conditions for your industry. For instance, if you need a conference room or banking services, you’ll want to make sure that they’re either in the building or close enough. If you work with employees or freelancers, check to see if the space has a good break room offering meals that suit your team.
Other amenities to consider include a good restroom and quiet work areas that offer privacy when needed. It may take some time to tick all these boxes, so don’t rush into signing up for full membership.
Remain Productive
Don’t forget why you are in that serviced office or coworking space. It’s to improve your productivity and grow or even scale your business. To do this, you’ll need to avoid distractions.
Depending on the coworking space, you may need noise-canceling headphones. Either way, be sure to take advantage of all available resources to improve productivity and efficiency.
Attend Community Events
If your coworking space offers networking opportunities or holds community events, show up and participate. You can also use this as an opportunity to sell yourself and what you do.
Social events and special networking nights are offered by many coworking spaces and service offices, and they offer opportunities you should not miss, even if you’re not a sociable person.
Outside of these events, try to socialize so you can get to know your coworkers better. Just make it a rule to avoid starting or entering random conversations. Instead, connect with a purpose at times that are convenient to you and the other person.
Be Sociable
One of the main benefits of a coworking space is exposure to a wide circle of people from different backgrounds and industries. There may even be businesses and individuals that are completely removed from your niche.
Use this opportunity to expand your circle. Greet your fellow business owners and try to strike up conversations and make friends. Be willing to learn and share ideas, and you could unlock all sorts of incredible opportunities.
Socializing can help grow your clientele or create new partnerships with people in industries you may never have worked with otherwise.
Collaborate While Maintaining Boundaries
You may have a lot of ideas on how to improve a coworker’s project. However, it’s best to proceed with caution. Only offer help when asked, and beware of imposing your ideas on other people. Most importantly, when others in your shared office space ask for your input, do so while maintaining boundaries and you’re more likely to enjoy the process.
Serviced offices and coworking spaces are the future of work. They offer the flexibility start-ups and small businesses need to be able to grow while staying agile. If you’re thinking of getting into this space, the tips above should help you do so seamlessly.
