Friday 25 July 2014

5 Signs You Need A Coworking Space

Though working at home is a huge perk for some freelancers, some people actually find they work much better when they get up and go to an office and are surrounded by other people (even if they may not be directly working with them). That’s why the new startup Deskcamping may be some freelancer’s dream come true. The company was launched by London native Nick Couch in December. It allows city businesses and co-working spaces — many of which normally charge by the month — to rent out free desks to freelancers by the day or week.

The site is still in beta and has more than 100 New York users and 68 locations across Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan that have been listed since its inception. “If you have space and you bring in people, it has a massive impact on the culture,” Couch told The New York Post. There is an extensive questionnaire for the freelancers to fill out.  They are asked to provide specifics on their businesses and what their most conducive working space looks like (noise level, culture, space, etc.,) Some of the spaces Deskcamping hooks up freelancers with include Fueled Collective, Ensemble and Projective Space.

But New York isn’t the only place these coworking spaces are opening up.  Deskmag.com, a coworking news site,  reports that the number of people using coworking spaces more than doubled between 2012 and 2013, and nearly 1,000 coworking spaces are now in operation across the U.S., with more expected. So what are the signs that you are better off finding one of these spaces and not working from home or in a coffee shop?

1. You aren’t getting any work done. This is probably the most obvious sign. If you are really struggling to be productive at home, then you must consider other options. Find yourself searching for a snack every 15 minutes in your kitchen? A coworking space might be a godsend for your productivity.

2. You crave human interaction. Even though you may have hated some of your former coworkers, there is something about being around other people when you are working hard that helps you get through the day. It’s also just nice to have people to complain to about, well, everything! But it’s also nice to just make small talk with people or discuss “Game of Thrones” plotlines. If you find yourself missing water cooler chat, and gchat isn’t cutting it for you, a coworking space might be a great choice.

3. Your home is distracting. Even if you may like working from home, there may be other people in it that prevent you from getting stuff done. Or, it just may not be a conducive work space. Perhaps there is construction nearby or your internet isn’t that reliable or your neighbors 1-year-old makes more noise than you’d like. A coworking space would help with these home distraction issues (plus the aforementioned every-15-minute-snack-hunt).

4. You need to meet with clients. Many of these office spaces have meeting rooms you can book or common areas. This is much better for a meeting than your studio apartment or trying to find a table at a crowded coffee shop.

5. You need a great space. Some people just need a great working space. They need a lot of light and beautiful windows. Not all coworking spaces are gorgeous but many of them are pretty cool looking. Research shows that loving where you work does make a difference in your productivity. Inc. put together a gorgeous list of 16 beautiful coworking space - we dare you not to be inspired to spruce up your space! Read more on Alleywatch

Wednesday 16 July 2014

Why You Should Consider a Coworking Space for Your Business?

With rising number of start-up companies, entrepreneurs, freelancers and independent consultants, it has become increasingly important to define your workplace and be a part of a collaborative work platform.

If you’re from the start-up community yourself, you must have often heard that the key to success is not only to be more productive and creative but also to surround yourself with other like-minded individuals. And for this, there are few better and cost-effective ways to do this than a flexible coworking space like Bangalore Coworking Hub.

Fun, Friendly and Collaborative, such shared office spaces provide the ideal work environment with a host of additional benefits that can help to manage their business costs to a considerable extent. Even for an established corporate house, these benefits of coworking are certainly hard to ignore.

Professional Work Space without Long Term Lease – Whether you’re part of a start-up or an established business, coworking spaces offer the best option if you want to cut down your business expenses while maintaining a professional work environment. With rising real estate prices, it becomes hard to commit to a certain amount of space, especially when your business is still in the growing phase. It will also be a problem is your business suddenly feels the need to relocate to a different place or requires a smaller or larger space.

Networking Without Any Effort – For most companies, a major part of their business development strategy lies in being part of networking events, seminars and conferences. This usually takes a lot of time and prior planning. However, with shared office or coworking spaces, you could simply meet dozens of people with interesting projects by working alongside them all day. Moreover, many spaces organise meetups and networking events that facilitates interactions between people who might be able to help each other.

Legitimate Discussion or Meeting Space – Granted that working from home might seem like a great idea for a freelancer or a start-up venture. It’s comfortable, flexible and best, you won’t need to spend extra on the physical work space. However, let’s face it – it’s hardly a place where you will be able to invite your clients for any business interaction. By being part of a coworking community like Bangalore Coworking Hub, you will not able be able to operate your business but also have access to discussion and meeting rooms, which can lend some credibility to your business meetings.

Boost Self Confidence – As compared to working from a traditional work space, surveys have found that a majority number of people operating out of a coworking office have got a self-confidence boost. This is mainly due to the fact that such spaces are filled with supportive communities that enable creative collaboration.


Tuesday 1 July 2014

Top 5 Indications That You Need a Coworking Space

We often believe that working from home as a freelancer or as an independent consultant helps us to save on the initial costs involved while starting up. We believe that this way we can work from the comfort of our home and leverage our business in a cost effective manner. However, this is not often the case as many of us find that we are more productive when we work from an office and are surrounded by other like-minded individuals. At the same time, we have to consider the high cost involved while working out from a commercial office space. This is where coworking offices or shared office space like Bangalore Coworking Hub come into play providing effective solutions to the start-up community.

So, if you're wondering what are the signs or indications that you need a coworking office space and not work from home, read on:

  1. Your Work Productivity is Low: If you’re working out of your home, mostly you are bound to face many distractions that might affect your productivity level. For instance, you might want to go to your kitchen every few minutes for a snack, watch television or attend to your household chores. So, if you’re struggling to be more productive at home, a coworking office might be your answer. They provide a professional work environment where you will be able to work without any distractions.
  2. Looking for Networking and Interactions: Whether you are a freelancers, a startup professional or an independent consultant, networking is prime for the growth of your company. To further your business, it is important to meet other professionals for networking and collaboration. So, if you are missing on all these while working from home, a coworking space might be a great choice.
  3. Cost Management: If you believe that you can manage your business costs by working from home, then think again as a coworking office space can also help you achieve the same with added benefits.
  4. Client Meetings: Most of the shared office spaces like the Bangalore Coworking Hub have client meeting rooms which you can book depending on your requirements. This is certainly much better than scheduling a meeting in your apartment or at a crowded coffee shop.
  5. Added Benefits: There are some additional benefits as well when working from a shared office platform like high speed internet connection, security services for your systems, power backup and so on which are included within the membership charges making it much more convenient for you than working from home.