What comes to mind when you think of freelancing? Anyone would bet that working from the comfort of a home is likely the first thought for most people. However, as any experienced freelancer would tell you, the thought of working from home can be exciting, but it soon fades away.
While some freelancers find their homes fit for work, a great number of freelancers now swear by heading out of home to work from alternative spaces. Working from home can get crazy with the family and pets around, not to mention a little lonely. Alternative spaces, more so, rented office spaces provide a worthy alternative that comes with added advantages.
If you are weighing your options about renting an office space, let’s look at some of the reasons why you should seriously consider the possibility of your freelancing career. But, before we get to the reasons, let’s first understand what a freelancer does, how they are able to work from anywhere, and the rise of coworking spaces.
What does a freelancer do?
The freelance landscape is growing rapidly around the world. In the United States alone, over a third of the workforce identifies themselves as freelancers. That is a whopping 59 million American professionals according to a 2021 study by Upwork. With such statistics, one would wonder what makes freelancing a lucrative choice for so many people.
Ideally, a freelancer does contract work for clients as independent contractors, which is without committing to full-time employment. This means that as a freelancer, you can take up several projects from different clients as long as you are able to deliver within the agreed terms.
However, clients might also require you to work exclusively for them until the completion of the contracted work. In such cases, you can consider such options if they are profitable for you. You are completely responsible for deciding which clients to work for and which projects to handle. Moreover, you can opt to charge the clients per-hour, per-project, per-day, or however else you see fit.
Being an independent contractor, you are responsible for planning your work, deciding your schedule, paying your taxes and insurance, providing the necessary tech, and billing your clients. What’s better, you are not required to report to your clients’ offices, unlike remote workers. This way of working gives you the flexibility to work from anywhere that you feel productive as well as choose when to work.
With this in mind, it goes without saying that you need to possess a high level of self-discipline, resilience, and self-drive to succeed as a freelancer. Additionally, you need impeccable organizational and communication skills for freelancing to work for you.
The rise of coworking spaces
The beauty of working as a freelancer is the flexibility to work from anywhere in the world. You can decide to work from home, the beach, local coffee shop, library, and the like. Moreover, you can benefit greatly from signing up in a coworking space as an alternative workspace for your freelance career.
Coworking spaces have been in operation for the longest time. However, there has been a surge in the number of coworking spaces around the world after the pandemic. According to a Global Coworking Growth Study by Coworking Resources, the number of coworking spaces is projected to reach 40,000 and more by 2024.
Why are coworking spaces gaining popularity? The major driver is the rise of hybrid work. As more organizations allow remote work, they are forced to rethink the need for a traditional office. Coworking spaces become the better alternative as they provide the amenities of a traditional office, with added perks, without committing to longer lease agreements.
In addition to this, coworking spaces are affordable and offer the scalability that businesses need to scale up or down as business demands. Another good thing about coworking spaces is the ability to cater for each individual’s needs. Even with increased demand for shared space, a demand for individual office spaces is prevalent.
Private offices allow businesses to personalize the space according to the needs of the organization. If a company wants to showcase its brand power in the office space, private offices make this possible. The rise in demand for individual offices has forced coworking spaces to rise up to provide private offices that accommodate one to even 50 people for individuals and businesses that want added privacy.
So, what is in coworking spaces for you as a freelancer? Let’s dive into several reasons why coworking spaces are a viable option for you.
5 reasons why a freelancer should rent a personal office space
If you have been active on platforms that freelancers frequent, you have probably noticed a rising argument in favor of ditching the home for rented office spaces. And, of course, renting an office space doesn’t come free. So, why would you spend your hard-earned cash renting office space when you can work from the corner of your living room? Here are five reasons why:
I. To separate work life and home life
One of the drawbacks of working from home is that work and life happen in the same space. While you might enjoy the short commute from your bedroom to the dining room table in your pajamas, you can’t ignore home and life demands when working from there. Unfortunately, without clear boundaries, the two are bound to conflict with each other.
Additionally, the freedom that you have over your schedule can easily work against your productivity. It is easy to find yourself abandoning work to clean the house, go shopping for groceries, or do other house chores. Let’s also agree that home is for relaxing – your cozy bed and couch are within your eyes’ reach when working from home.
You may have the discipline required to work from home. However, it is human nature to want to relax even when not necessary. So often you will find yourself prioritizing other things and your work will suffer.
Another disadvantage of work and life colliding is that it gets hard to get in the work mindset and to log off from work at the end of the day. With all the distractions that come with a home, it can be extremely difficult to switch your mind to work mode when you get to your laptop. And, when you finally do, you are likely to find yourself putting in more hours, which can lead to burnout.
Renting an office space allows you to put that much-needed boundary between work and life, minimizing distractions. The commute from home to the office helps the mind switch from home to work so you can hit the ground running when you open your laptop. In addition, heading out to an office makes it easier to define your working hours clearly so you are able to log on and off easily.
II. To have a unique space to work in
Unique spaces can be inspiring, which is important in getting your creative gears rolling. However, when your home office shares space with your bedroom or living room, creating a unique workspace is next to impossible. Moreover, you might have the space – probably you have an empty spare room or garage, but lack the funds to create that unique workspace.
Renting office space allows you access to beautiful and unique spaces without spending extra money on it. So, what makes coworking spaces unique?
- Inspiring office design – Coworking spaces focus on creating modern designs that are inspiring. Anything from bright lighting, ample natural light, carefully selected color schemes, great views, and more are designed to make the space inspiring and get your mind bursting with creative ideas
- Varying seating layouts – Most coworking spaces feature a variety of seating options such as colorful wing chairs, stairs with throw pillows, beanbags, couches, standing desks, and more. This allows an added touch of comfort and a change of scenery while working
- Different space setups – You will find a conference room when you want to collaborate and a private office when you need the quiet. Most coworking spaces also provide conversation booths where you can connect with your clients via video without distractions and noise. Moreover, if you want the buzzing of a coffee shop, you can pull it from the café or coffee shop over coffee or refreshments
- Enhanced feelings of well-being – Coworking spaces create an atmosphere that promotes your well-being. From improved air quality, ambience lighting, air conditioning, and heating for comfortable temperature and gardens and green spaces to enhance mental health
III. You can find coworking spaces anywhere
Coworking spaces are sprouting all over the world at a rapid rate. You can be sure to find office space for rent in Brooklyn, NYC, Cape Town, South Africa, Nairobi, Kenya, and Sao Paulo, Brazil among other major cities around the world, and even in the small town that you live in.
The joy of working as a freelancer is the freedom to carry your work wherever you go. So, if you are traveling out of town, you don’t have to worry about struggling to get work done on unreliable Wi-Fi connections at the hotel. With shared office spaces all over, you can easily find one that suits your preferences wherever you are.
The good thing is that most coworking spaces are located in areas with good transport accessibility. So, it is easy to get to the nearest one even in a foreign city. Some coworking spaces have built a network of spaces in different locations around the world. When you sign up for services in such spaces, you can be sure to benefit from the network when traveling to areas where they have a presence.
IV. To benefit from increased connections and possibilities of networking
You barely get to see and interact with other people when working from home, especially if you live alone. You might enjoy the quiet and even think that connecting with people via a screen is enough, but it starts to feel lonely down the road. Unfortunately, it starts to affect your mental health negatively soon enough.
Renting out an office space allows you to get out of the home to meet other people like you. Coworking spaces bring together individuals who are focused on their professions. This means that you get the much-needed human connection and a sense of camaraderie without worrying about office politics or too much socialization, especially if you are introverted.
In addition, meeting with other people gives you an opportunity to grow your network and possibly take your career to the next level. You can draw inspiration and motivation from the professionals working around you. For all you know, your next big project might as well come from the web designer, the photographer, or business consultant working in the next office.
Most coworking spaces organize networking events that you can take advantage of to meet experienced people in your field and learn from their expertise. Others have mentorship programs in their packages to give you the needed guidance to grow your skills.
V. Coworking spaces offer an ergonomic and professional workspace with added amenities
When working from home, it can mean meeting clients in coffee shops, parks, and restaurants or risking inviting them to your tiny home office that lacks a professional setup. You know that winning clients takes that first and lasting impression.
Office spaces for rent are thoughtfully designed to portray that professional outlook. You get access to conference rooms that are equipped for efficiency for your meetings to create that lasting impression.
In addition, you might lack the space or the money to create an ergonomic workspace at home. An ergonomic office setup is extremely important for your productivity and well-being. If you are using a chair that is unkind to your back, you will not only be nursing a backache but decreased productivity as well.
Office spaces for rent come with an ergonomic setup as a package without spending from your pocket. Besides this, you can take advantage of the available technology from high-speed internet, printers, scanners, and video conferencing equipment such as whiteboards, projectors, and the like.
Wrapping-up
Choosing a career as a freelancer comes with several benefits. You have the freedom to choose clients and projects as well as decide when and where to work. That is why working from home comes naturally for most freelancers.
However, while you might be saving on commute and other expenses, working from home has its own downsides. You have to deal with distractions and blurred lines between life and work. Heading out to a coworking space helps deal with such and much more.
Thankfully, coworking spaces are growing rapidly, providing you with a professional and unique workspace that is equipped with technology and amenities to help you succeed. Additionally, getting out of your home to interact with like-minded people is good for your career development and your mental health.
