Comparing Felxible Coworking Office Spaces to Traditional Commercial Offices
– 5 minute read –
We have outlined some pros and cons of coworking spaces versus commercial offices. This is to help you make your decision of where your business will base out of that much easier.
The Pro’s
Flexibility
Coworking spaces generally operate on a month to month basis. This gives the member greater flexibility compared to a traditional commercial office. This is because they need a minimum commitment.
A month- to-month arrangement allows your office to scale up, or if required, scale down. Thus, coworking works well for businesses that have changing needs throughout the year.
You can often work out of more than one location
The mobile and flexible nature of a coworking office often means that you are not tied to one location. Once you set up a traditional office space, you lock to that particular address for the long-haul. Yet, making use of coworking spaces means that you can move to different locations, as your business demands.
Save money on marketing
For start-ups and fledging companies, coworking spaces allow for an opportunity to network. This can heighten their ability to reduce (or even cut) marketing costs.
Good for the environment
Sharing is caring. With shared amenities, facilities, and services less “things” need to be built and used, meaning less energy used, less waste, and less emissions.
No unexpected costs
An initial analysis might make it seem that coworking spaces are quite expensive. But, it is important to remember that these fees are (generally) all-inclusive. In a commercial space, you pay rent and that’s all you get. Things like furniture, utilities, maintenance services and office equipment comes at an extra cost. Here’s another article we have comparing the costs between the 2 options.
Community support
Being part of a coworking space includes much more than a desk and excellent wi-fi. Although the nature and strength of coworking communities varies between different spaces. Almost all offer some kind of community which you can become part of. This community can allow like minded individuals to support one another.
The Con’s
Distractions
Coworking spaces can be busy and noisy environments. If you work from an open plan desk or a private office, the environment can impact your concentration and productivity.
Being able to network and socialise while working may sound too good to be true – and it may be, for some people. This challenge can resolved by choosing a private office over open planned desks.
Privacy
You may find that a traditional commercial space offers more privacy. Coworking spaces may, or may not, suit the level of privacy businesses need. But, you can choose a private office within a coworking space, this can solve the problem.
Conclusion
There are a range of pros and cons to coworking spaces when compared to traditional commercial offices.
From our analysis, coworking definitely wins. While some people might be wary of some of the differences that coworking life provides, most people find the benefits outweigh the costs.
Coworking allows your business to save money, it provides flexibility and of course creates a built-in network of “coworkers.”