With 2020 around the corner and coworking spaces projected to exceed 23,000 worldwide, how do you choose the best coworking space that fits your needs? Before making your selection, you should follow these top 6 tips when selecting a coworking space:
- Location For obvious reasons, location is the most important element when choosing your perfect office space. Choose a space that is within a reasonable commuting distance from your home. Look for conveniences such as restaurants, availability of parking, shops, and public transit that make it easy to access and entertain clients.
- Budget You want to make sure that the space you choose offers an affordable and long-term solution for your team. If you are going to outgrow the space within a few months, you need to take this into account. Determining what your budget is in advance will help you filter our spaces that are much too expensive from an early stage saving you time (and money).
- Work Environment Do you need a dedicated office or can you work in an open space with use of meeting rooms? Are there legal restrictions on how you run your business? You need to make sure that wherever you choose to work you fulfill your foundational business needs.
- Community Once you have determined if a space meets your needs and budget, you can look into some of the more fun aspects to the space. What type of community do you see yourself in? Each coworking space fosters and attracts different members from local neighborhoods. For example, if you are a graphic designer, maybe you want to choose a space with other designers you can collaborate with. Besides the “business” reasons for joining a community, you want to be encouraged to come to work everyday, network, and make new friends.
- Short-Term or Long-Term? Planning for the future is a fundamental business strategy. How long do you plan on staying at your chosen coworking space? Are you planning on expanding nationally or globally? Does the coworking space you choose offer access to a network of locations? These are important elements that you should have the answer to prior to picking a space.
- Amenities Although just icing on the cake, choosing a coworking space that boasts unique amenities is always a plus. Aside from the typical free coffee, wifi, and printing, finding a space that can offer above and beyond will make your work life much better.
