How to choose co-working space: 5 main factors

In the life of every start-up entrepreneur, a day comes when working from home is already uncomfortable, and renting an office is still expensive. Meeting customers in coffee houses is also not always presentable, in addition, there is no necessary technical equipment there. In this case, renting a workplace in co-working space may be the best solution. How to choose an open space, where you will work comfortably and what to pay attention to first of all?

Place

It is no coincidence that this rule is the first in the list because the location of co-working space plays a key role. It should save your working time, and not take it away. Therefore, if you found a wonderful place, but you need to get to it with two transfers, and then walk a little more, then it is not wonderful. The office should be in transport accessibility, and ideally, also have parking. If your work involves meeting with customers, you need to consider only options in the centre. It’s unprofessional to invite customers to the office on the outskirts of the city.

Equipped workplace

The meaning of renting a workplace in open space is to get rid of the hassle of organizing it. Everything should be arranged here for comfortable work. The most important thing is convenience and functionality. The room should have a sufficient number of outlets so as not to suffer from carrying. Cords throughout the room are a potential risk of a broken computer and a fallen person. Tables and chairs should be ergonomic and comfortable so that when sitting for a long time the back will not hurt.

Budget

One of the key factors when choosing coworking, because many young entrepreneurs and freelancers have very limited funds. Pay attention to the spaces that support startups. Decide for yourself what options you need (membership in premium communities, attending events, using the gym) and abandon the rest. Be careful when signing contracts: you may not be warned of additional costs, for example, a fee for using the kitchen, access at night, using meeting rooms, a printer, etc. To prevent this from becoming an unpleasant surprise, ask if the options you need are included in the package that you plan to purchase.

High-speed Internet

Even if you make handmade jewellery or knit dolls, you will need the Internet to sell your goods. The connection must be constant and high speed. When the Internet constantly disappears, it is distracting and simply annoying. Focusing on work is very difficult, and trivial matters take up a lot of time. Therefore, choosing the space for work, ask the administrator about the Internet connection. Better check it yourself. It’s great if the open space has Wi-Fi. This will allow you to freely move around the office and not wait until the laptop catches the network.

Kitchen

As we said above, the main goal of renting a workplace in a co-working office is saving. However, it is very difficult to optimize expenses, having lunch in a cafe and buying coffee in a bar. If you work in the city centre, the cost of food can be comparable to the rent for a workplace in open space. Therefore, it is important that the co-working has a kitchen with a microwave and an electric kettle, and better – a cooler with hot and cold water.

Conference halls and meeting rooms

Each self-respecting co-working office has event halls and small Skype-rooms. Rate their workload by asking for a reservation board over the past couple of weeks. Explore the space for secluded places for unobtrusive communication with colleagues, without interfering with other coworkers.

Common room

Sometimes work stops and a brain reboot is needed to get out of it. Switching to another activity – game, communication, gym, will help to do this. Therefore, check with the administrator if there are rooms with active games in the open space, for example, table tennis.

Staff

There is nothing worse than the administrator who left for lunch at the time your client arrived. Who is responsible for the order in the kitchen and the presence of water in the cooler? Who sets up office equipment? The larger space, the more staff should be present. This is the key to the efficiency of the office and, as a consequence, of its employees.

Good neighbours

This, at first glance, not a very important point, is one of the main ones. Each co-working space has its own atmosphere and it is very important that it coincides with your attitude and vision of work. If you are a freelancer, it is important to find a place where there are a lot of such “free artists”. If you are building a business in the service area, you need to look for a place where like-minded people and potential partners will be. Dreaming of creating a new Instagram? Surround yourself with start-up technology companies that seek to change the world. Why is this so important? Because we are a product of our environment and if there are “not those” around, they will only distract and hinder the work process.

Security

Round-the-clock access to the workplace is wonderful. But you need to clarify who else has this access. Although theft in open space is the exception rather than the rule, find out who has access too.

When choosing a co-working office, as in the selection of any product or service, it is worth focusing on the reviews. It’s good if you have friends who know the whole situation from the inside and can share valuable information. If not, check out the reviews online and visit thematic forums. This will help to get an objective idea of the work of space, its mission and principles of cooperation.

Author:

Yulia Ublinskykh,

Co-Founder and Marketing Director at GoBeauty Studios,

GoBeauty Co-owner and PR manager