According to the NY Times, self-employment will reach 33% in the coming years. According to the Small Business Administration, there are over 20 million small businesses (employing twenty or fewer people) in the US. Those numbers are on the rise.
Along with the self-employed and small business owners of America is a healthy trend full of followers seeking to find new ways to network, collaborate, and cut overhead costs. It is called co-working.
In Google’s dictionary terms “coworking’ is a type of work that includes “the use of an office or other working environment by people who are self-employed or working for different employers, typically so as to share equipment, ideas, and knowledge.”
It’s where authors, life coaches, Etsy shop owners, lawyers, real estate agents, private investigators, bloggers and more come together to invest in themselves and in each other. There are so many benefits to this practice that we will only list some of the most prevalent, but make no mistake, this list is not exhaustive.
- By going to a designated workspace, you can separate work life from your personal life.
- Collaborating and brainstorming with professions is within reach and at no cost to you.
- All equipment that you might need is available to you: printer, scanner, and fax.
- Many co-working spaces offer phone and mail services, office space, and a receptionist.
- It creates a strong sense of community and eases the loneliness of working alone. Unless that’s your thing, then privacy is also afforded with co-working.
- Work at your own pace and design your own work hours and environment.
It’s going to work at a think tank full of a variety of experts, on the days you have chosen, and taking a nap if you want to. Or, better than that, being inspired and motivated with ideas to generate more income or leads. It’s nearly foolproof too. The startup cost is minimal, but the benefits can’t be measured.
Another unexpected perk is the connections you’ll make and the mentors you’ll find. People working with people; even if it isn’t on the same projects, they’re working towards the same goals. That’s what it’s truly about.