By Vanessa Calas

Why Cowork? Pros & Cons of Workspaces

This post created by Palm Beach Content Co.

Have you noticed a cowork space in your neighborhood?

In the past decade, coworking spaces have sprung up all around the world. Starting in big cities and expanding to smaller communities, cowork spaces are an office for work-at-home professionals, freelancers, digital nomads, and entrepreneurs. They have grown in popularity as the internet has made it easier for people to be self-employed or remote workers, becoming a space for work, collaboration, and community.

The benefits of working at a cowork space

Working at a cowork space is great for many reasons. Aside from the fact that open floor plans and shared space allow people to meet others and collaborate easily, cowork spaces offer perks for their members. Perks can range from free parking, like at The LAB Miami, to free beer, like at the Palm Beach Tech Space. Generally, cowork spaces offer coffee, secure wifi, printing, desks, and accessible meeting space.

Most importantly, you’ll be apart of a community of people just like you! Aside from the networking benefits, coworking allows individuals and small businesses a synergetic environment that fares better than an office, a home, or even a coffee shop.

Versus working at an office

Whether you’re looking to set up an office yourself or go the turnkey route, you might consider a cowork space first. Not only is a cowork space just as comfortable and turnkey as any office, but it’s much more cost-effective and accessible. If you have a team, you’ll find that a cowork space is a friendlier environment, where collaboration and networking flow much more openly than at a traditional office environment.

In the era after Office Space, after all, do you really want  to grow your business and team in an area of cubicles, staplers, and expense reports?

Versus working at home

For a budding entrepreneur, working at home is the easiest route. You save money on everything, and you’re in a comfortable environment. You can work in your pajamas, go to the fridge every half hour, and nap in your bed when you need a refresher … And you end up being completely unproductive, more than anywhere else.

Though cowork spaces aren’t free, they’re definitely affordable. Add into that the connections you’ll make, the trouble you’ll save setting up a PO box and a printer, and the comfort of a desk and meeting areas, and you’ll see that coworking is a great option.

Working at a coffee shop

Coffee shops like Subculture Coffee have become the impromptu cowork space. Visit any local coffee shop with free wifi, and you’ll see people working on laptops, drinking coffee, and conducting meetings. Because they’re laid back places with an abundant amount of coffee, they can be a great place to get some work done.

However, they’re an impractical place to grow a business since they have limited space, limited wifi, and no office resources nor mailing address.

Choose the best for your business

At the end of the day, cowork spaces, offices, home offices, and coffee shops have their own unique advantages. Consider your business, your team, and your capability when deciding where to set up shop.

About Palm Beach Tech Space

The Palm Beach Tech Space was established in 2016, and it has become a staple of West Palm’s tech community. With custom tables, comfy couches, and private offices for monthly rent, the Space is great for individuals and small teams looking for an office in the heart of downtown West Palm Beach. They even host regular events to foster community growth, while providing free printing, coffee, and beer.

Membership starts at $50 per month, but you can view full pricing here. If you’d like a tour of Palm Beach Tech, come by! The team would love to meet you.

But even if you’re in Lake Worth (The Social House), Delray Beach (The KTCHN), or Boca Raton (Flamingo House), there are plenty of coworking options close to you!