Here’s a handy guide for those of us who are tired of writing our hearts out at coffee shops…and have a few $$$ to spend.
by Elyse Hauser
The U.S. got its very first coworking space in 2005. Not quite 15 years later, the country now offers 781 coworking spaces, where remote workers can tap the benefits of a structured office. In future years, that number will almost certainly keep growing.
This means that even once you’ve decided to rent a coworking space, you face the challenge of choosing the best one for your needs. And the closer you are to a major metropolitan area, the more choices you have.
How can you narrow the pool of possibilities down to the best coworking space for you? While each worker is different, these considerations will help you make your choice.
Location
The first thing you should think about is the location.
When you rent a coworking space, you’re buying an office. You might only pay for five days a month, or you might pay for 365 days a year. No matter what, though, having an office outside of your home means having a commute.
You need to know that you can live with that commute. Think about travel time and travel methods. If the best coworking space is in a neighborhood across town, is it worth navigating traffic to get there? Will your coworking space force you to have a car, or can you save your hard-earned money by using a bike or public transit?
These questions don’t have right answers—it’s all about what works best for you. But make location the number-one priority when you choose your coworking space. A great space that’s too hard to get to will become virtually worthless.
Budget
While the location is critical, so is cost. A coworking space that eats up too much of your profits will harm, not help, your career.
Don’t delve too deep into the search before deciding your budget. How much can you realistically afford to pay for a coworking space? What’s your ideal price, and what’s your maximum price?
You may get the chance to take on more work or raise your rates once you have the resources offered by a coworking space. But it’s best not to count on these opportunities before you have them. Work with your current budget to figure out how much you can pay right now….