Nowadays, freelancing has become very common amongst youngsters, or amongst people who are looking for additional flexibility in their jobs. For most freelancers or individuals working on their own, it is more common to adjust to whatever workspace they may have available to them at the time, be it their own room, a dorm or co-living arrangement, a corner table at the local cafe, or even out on the stairs of their building. Coworking spaces have helped significantly reduce this problem by introducing a number of different kinds of workspaces that match the needs of different businesses, be they freelancers, sole proprietors, or MNCs that are looking to reduce overhead costs.
Since coworking spaces are mushrooming everywhere in Dhaka, you as an individual might be wondering if renting such a space for yourself (even if for a short period of time) might be feasible. Often, our homes or dorm rooms are not really suitable as long-term workspaces. Here are some of the ways in which a coworking space might improve efficiency for individuals:
- Thrive in Your Personalized Space
Creating your own personalized workstation at home, or in your dorm room, might not only take extra effort on your part, but could be much more expensive, especially if it is something that you won’t even need on a regular basis. This is especially true for those who have seasonal work. Renting a coworking space gives you the advantage of having a readymade workstation that you can ask to be personalized to fit your specific needs. This will save you time you would have otherwise spent in fixing things up. You will also have better focus when there aren’t distractions of your home taking your attention away every few minutes. The ergonomy of the coworking space is naturally designed to enhance efficiency and productivity, so that should normally occur anyways.
- Abundance of Resources at your Fingertips
Coworking spaces offer the best there is out there in terms of high speed WiFi, projector facilities for presentations, separate zones for lounging/ relaxation and brainstorming, cafeteria with catered food/ vending machines etc. While working from the comfort of your home might initially seem appealing, it will be a huge advantage having these resources at your disposal during work. These resources, in turn, could make you want to take timely breaks and thus increase your efficiency.
- Working Around Groups Encourages Efficiency
For most freelancers or individuals working alone, one key demotivating factor is that constantly working without any company or human interaction can lead to depression and boredom, both of which tend to hinder efficiency. Over time, these might hamper one’s productivity, and could even lead to them completely losing interest in work, or procrastinating far more than they would when working as part of a group. Working around various groups in a coworking space not only will encourage you to learn and grow, but will also create ample opportunities for you to interact and network with others. As a result of these positive interactions, your mind will be refreshed, and you will be able to work far more efficiently than otherwise possible.
- Build Your Skills AND Your Client Base
Compared to working from the convenience of your home, working at a coworking space will allow you to explore more options in terms of skills AND growing your client/ customer base. Many coworking spaces will offer a variety of seminars that they will co-organize with their tenants, providing training on various topics like digital marketing, AI, graphic design etc. Attend these seminars whenever possible to enrich your knowledge base. They could also offer perks like counselling or therapy to prevent burnout, which are also areas that you should research and look into. As there are multiple different groups that will often rent the coworking space at once, keep your eyes and ears open to see if you can also expand your client base. Both of these will increase your efficiency in the long run, making you a better, more well-rounded worker.
- Cost Optimization
When designing your personal workspace, you might need to make a hefty investment in order to give your space your own personal feel. As an individual or freelancer, this might not be feasible for you in financial terms. It might be easier and financially more suitable for you to rent a space where there are plenty of amenities provided by the owners of the space, and enough additional perks from tenants that could help offset the cost of renting. As coworking spaces allow flexibility in terms of renting for as little or as long as required (usually in monthly increments), the cost levels are usually more optimal than it would be to get a full-fledged setup at your home or your dorm room.
In terms of efficiency, even though it might differ from person to person, most people working alone will often report about the benefits of working alongside groups. Working beside other people has many different advantages, the most notable being that it can help curb depression and burnout, and in the long run, improve efficiency. Therefore, after weighing all available options, you can always decide to go for a coworking space if you are indeed looking to improve your efficiency.