The Advantages of Shared Office Space
1. More Flexibility
The most obvious benefit of shared office space is the flexibility that it provides in three different areas:
- Flexible Plan Options: With coworking, there are typically no year-long lease requirements. Hot seat, private desk, and private office memberships are all offered on a month-to-month basis.
- Flexible Cost Options: With no upfront fees, no deposits, and a variety of option plans, coworking provides founders with a valuable opportunity for keeping costs down.
- Flexible Space Options: Increase your team count by five people overnight? You can probably switch to a private office fairly quickly. Want to ditch your private desk for a hot seating pass since you're not around as often as you thought you would be? No problem.
Not sure how much cash your startup will have three months from now? The overall flexibility provided by coworking can provide extraordinary peace of mind, compared to the responsibility of a typical lease.
2. Opportunities to Network With Startup Founders
Building a startup can get kind of lonely sometimes. No matter the phase of growth, there are always new things to learn, do, and evaluate. Surrounding yourself with other entrepreneurs can help take the edge off when things get rough — especially if those individuals are also working in the tech space.
The best shared office spaces host plenty of events for mingling, networking, and learning from fellow cohorts. Whether that be in the form of happy hours, educational workshops, or guest speaker events —situating yourself in a workspace where you can't help but meet other entrepreneurs could make the difference for your startup. Working alongside like-minded people will help your startup grow.
3. Greater Access to Key Players and Partnerships
Another advantage to working in a tech coworking space? You'll have enhanced access to key players who can help your business grow.
Congregate in one space with a lot of other startups, and you'll be more likely to attract the attention of angel investors and VCs looking for new opportunities. As an added bonus, you'll be able to hit up networking events after powering down for the day.
Furthermore, tech coworking facilities like RocketSpace also serve as incubators and are often able to connect their members with corporate partnerships. Despite the hesitancy many startups have with taking corporate investments, the right pairing can actually be a match made in heaven. Many large corporations are looking for ways to tap into fresh markets with relevance. With your ideas and their knowledge of scaling, the sky's the limit.
4. Amenities and Services
When you lease a private space, you don't always have the luxury of just showing up and getting to work. In most cases, you have to buy furniture, get phone and internet connected, and arrange for employee parking.
Not only is there a lot to set-up initially, there is also quite a bit to maintain. If the wireless goes down one day, you or your limited staff will waste valuable time troubleshooting. The advantage to coworking? You don't have to do any of that stuff or hire someone to do it for you. In fact, most administrative and operational tasks are taken care of (we'll even take out the trash)!
- High-Speed WiFi
- Free Printing and Scanning
- Complimentary Beverages
- Full Kitchenettes
- Mail Distribution
- Onsite Support
- Privacy Nooks
- Meeting Rooms
