What is Coworking?
Coworking is not a desk rental business. It’s not about the printers or the conference rooms. Coworking is about people. Coworking spaces bring together independent workers and provides them with a space in which they can work alongside one another in community.
Previously, independent workers, whether self-employed or full-time telecommuters, faced a world with only semi-satisfying work environments. They’d attempt to work from home, facing challenges of work/life balance and one-way conversations with their pets. They’d attempt to work from coffee shops, having to compete for power outlets and came home smelling like stale espresso. They’d rent individual offices in “workspace lofts” and wind up paying rent to still sit in offices by themselves. They had to fight for inspiration. They had to go to networking events to meet new colleagues. They felt defeated. Frustrated. And even when around other people and connecting with friends and colleagues online, still disconnected from the rest of the working world.
Coworking emerged as an answer to independent workers in 2005. The idea was simple: get a bunch of independent workers together to share resources and work side-by-side. The idea caught on quickly – the market had finally stumbled upon an answer for solo workers. And better still, the market was collaborative. Coworking space owners around the world, including Office Nomads, have been working together to raise awareness about coworking and support each other’s spaces. Since 2005, coworking spaces have opened up all over the world, to the woops of joy of independents everywhere. Coworking exists to bring all the positive aspects of office life to independents. Coworking spaces are where work gets done, partnerships are forged, serendipity is accelerated, and isolation gets a swift kick in the pants.
To learn more about coworking, check out any of the following resources:
To really learn more about coworking, grab your laptop and your phone and get yourself into a coworking space near you. Nothing you read or watch can really give you a sense of what coworking is all about. You have to experience it for yourself.
