What Do Coworking Spaces Mean for The Remote Work Economy?

Remote work has been on a steady rise for a couple of years. Traditionally inclined corporations have switched up their models to include a hybrid work method in which some employees work on-site and others work from home or elsewhere.

Employers also found that employees not only want to keep working from home at least some of the time but that they are often more productive when they do so. More and more companies (for example, different SaaS companies) are switching to long-term or permanent remote work because they know it helps their bottom line. This makes it easier than ever to find flexible employers.

The increased flexibility means that companies can hire workers from around the world, adding much-needed diversity and inclusion to the general workforce.

This rise in remote forces in work has made coworking spaces necessary. These shared spaces existed before remote work became popular, but have exponentially grown now, with new ones popping up frequently in major cities.

Coworking spaces are crucial for remote or hybrid workers because they offer perks and incentives that employees can’t access at home. High-speed WiFi and internet phone service for business are great examples of this.

Before we dive into how coworking spaces are shaping the remote work economy, let’s take a look at some of the benefits they offer.

 

How Coworking Spaces are Changing the Way We Work

Coworking spaces started off as shared places that provided office-like facilities. They were places where part-time workers or project-based professionals spent some of their time. Coworking spaces have now altered the way we look at work, whether on-site or remote. Plainly put, coworking has become the next big thing, and rightfully so.

They’ve become spaces where professionals from different industries come to work, socialize, and grow their skill base. With most companies now operating on a hybrid work model, many modern workers consider a good coworking space as absolutely essential to their lifestyle.

Remote workers look to their local coworking space as a comfort zone, a safe area where they can work and interact without being under intense scrutiny. This is why these spaces have changed the game. Your coworking space could be the comfortable haven that a modern worker needs to be their best self.

Workers also love the diversity they find in a coworking space. If your space is large enough, it will accommodate professionals from various industries, bringing different people together. Businesses like cloud call centers and graphic design studios will work side by side in the same room, creating a sense of diversity and shared experience. Remote workers find that they feel less lonely when they work in the right space and with different kinds of people.

As more people show up to enjoy fast Internet speeds, state-of-the-art technology, aesthetic conference rooms, and workstations, coworking spaces grow more profitable. According to Zippia, the number of coworking spaces in the US alone has grown by approximately 55% in the last five years. They’re on trend and they’re coming up fast. It’s a good time to work in, or open up, a coworking space.

 

Coworking Spaces and the Remote Economy

Think of this as two ends of a circle; no one knows which came first. What’s certain is that coworking spaces and remote work feed into each other, helping the other grow throughout. For example, a remote worker who works from home looks for a way they can meet other people, and enjoy office-like facilities but not have to be in the office. They find a coworking space. The coworking space attracts more remote workers who provide helpful feedback, helping it continually expand and the cycle continues.

Coworking spaces are providing numerous benefits to the remote economy and are making a profit doing so. Working in a shared space has become a trend among smaller businesses that don’t want to invest in their own office space and individuals who have trouble working from home. As the remote economy grows, so do coworking and flex spaces and vice-versa. Let’s take a look at how coworking spaces are impacting the remote economy.

 

How Coworking Spaces Can Attract More Remote Workers

Here’s how your coworking space platform can draw in more remote workers and add to the overall remote economy:

 

1.   Fresh ideas and inspiration

Imagine you’re a remote worker who works from home, sits alone at your desk, and stares at a screen for eight hours per day. Eventually, you’re bound to feel frustrated or stuck when trying to think of new ideas. Consuming new media stops helping after a while especially if you haven’t socialized with anyone else from the general workforce.

All of this changes as soon as you find the right coworking space. Coworking spaces allow remote workers to meet new and interesting people who are as motivated as them. It’s not necessary that these professionals work in the same fields as each other. A figurative water cooler chat with someone interesting can spark a ton of creative ideas all around, adding a fresh perspective.

Working around people can make ordinary tasks fun, even everyday ones like looking up PandaDoc building quote templates, or creating sales spreadsheets. You never know who you might meet and how they might inspire you in a coworking space. Advertise this diversity factor on your digital platforms to attract remote workers who might need creative interactions.

 

2.   Unusual timings welcome

Some people enjoy the nine-to-five. Others prefer to work at night when half the world is asleep. Traditional offices don’t stay open 24/7, meaning employees have to either finish their work by a certain time or continue where they left off at home. This can be particularly trying for those who do their best work at night because they have to spend unproductive days in the office.

If your coworking space stays open 24/7 and on weekends, you’ll draw a crowd of remote workers. This is because most remote professionals like to set their own timings. For example, you might have a worker who only comes in at night because they work for a company in a different time zone to theirs. Use your coworking space platform to create memorable member experiences for workers who don’t do the nine-to-five.

According to a recent freelancer study, 8% of freelancers said that coworking spaces are their ideal workplace.

 

3.   Endless networking opportunities

On-site workers don’t get a chance to mingle with professionals from other fields. At most, they participate in office events but the social opportunities extend to include other departments in the same company. Coworking spaces offer great opportunities for both networking and socializing with people they might never have met otherwise. For example software developers, such as remote development team and people whose job involves inbound call handling.

It’s always a great idea to host various events where workers can interact with and get to know people who are doing unusual or intriguing things. A graphic designer can hang out with an influencer and learn about social media algorithms. Similarly, a jewelry designer can meet a small business owner and learn about lead time in supply chain management. Make sure you advertise your events and networking opportunities to draw people in.

 

4.   Coworking nurtures entrepreneurs

Small businesses and start-ups have been on the rise lately and coworking spaces are making this easier. Most start-ups opt to work in small teams in shared spaces because they often don’t have the funds required to rent their own offices. It’s not unusual to come across five or six different businesses working separately in the same shared space.

Entrepreneurs who work remotely flock to coworking spaces because of the perks and flexibility they enjoy, regardless of what they’re selling, whether it’s the best cloud phone system or interactive voice response system. In turn, other remote workers who come to these coworking spaces get inspired by the start-ups that already work there and may set up their own small business.

Make sure you create a warm and welcoming environment for small businesses and startups to work in. It’s a different dynamic to the more conventional ones a while ago, where businesses had to have physical locations to be taken seriously. Entrepreneurs who love your coworking space will help it grow so make them feel valued.

 

5.   Less anxiety, more productivity

It’s fun to be a remote worker in a coworking space because you’re not under scrutiny from office management. Office environments might be anxiety-inducing for some employees who might feel watched when they leave their desk or take a longer lunch break. Coworking spaces are full of people working on their own schedules. There are no squinty-eyed managers roaming around checking people’s laptop screens.

This lessens the anxiety that a worker might feel in their office because they don’t have to feel scrutinized all the time. This allows them to be more productive and perform at optimal levels.

Seeing people move around and do their work can help reduce loneliness and help workers feel motivated. Your coworking space can help counter burnout, too. Do this by creating networking opportunities and hosting interesting workshops that promote well-being as well as work skills.​

 

Should You Expand Your Coworking Space?

You definitely should, especially if you want to support the remote economy. Your coworking spaces can provide a sense of routine and stability to what might otherwise be an unpredictable day for remote workers who don’t have office spaces. The best part is that they’re able to set their own schedule with ultimate flexibility. Some coworking spaces offer additional benefits to workers such as live receptionist services and Universal Communications as a Service (UCaaS).

Coworking spaces also give a sense of autonomy in terms of work, output, productivity, and self-fulfillment. They act as nurturing spaces that are growing the remote economy and allowing previously sidelined professionals like full-time freelancers to have their moment in the sun. Your space can make it possible for remote workers to craft their own career paths, whether they want to work remotely in different countries, meet interesting people, or work on their own business.

Most importantly, coworking spaces have created a sense of community for remote workers, even for those who are constantly on the road. Traveling remote workers can always find a coworking space to set up shop in and feel at ease while they get their work done.

The article was written by John Allen, a driven marketing professional with over 14 years of experience, an extensive background in building and optimizing digital marketing programs across SEM, SEO, paid media, mobile, social, and email, with an eye to new customer acquisition and increasing revenue.