Coworking spaces vs Shared offices

Thanks to technology, many of us can eschew traditional offices and aren't constrained by timings when it comes to our jobs. We have the luxury of making our own hours and working on the go. We're Digital Nomads! That's just a fancy way of saying remote workers, for all you folks who aren't familiar with the term. As a natural consequence of this, there has been a rise in coworking spaces.

I'd like to point out here that there are two schools of thought —one where coworking spaces is an umbrella term for coworking cafés and restaurants, shared offices and hot desks, among others; and another where coworking spaces covers only coworking cafés and restaurants and possibly hot desks, and shared offices and meeting and event spaces are a different category all together. While we, at GoFloaters, follow the first school of thought, for the sake of this article I've used the term coworking spaces to mean just the cafés, restaurants and hot desks. Now, back to the topic at hand.)

Yes, there's always the option of working from home. But home comes with a host of distractions and interruptions. And it isn't always easy to switch to work mode when your spare bedroom is your office. Which is why many of us take advantage of coworking spaces and shared offices. But what are the major differences between the two and which one is right for you? Let's take a look.

BREAKING IT DOWN

A shared office is a commercial office where the owner rents out unused space to more than one business. Here you'll have access to a host of amenities and many of these offices come with conference rooms, private cabins and even training halls on the premises.

On the other hand, a coworking space is any space where you can find a desk and work. This could be a coworking café or even a hotdesk. In this case, you pay by the hour and you'll have access to comfortable seating,

THE BENEFITS

Both sounds pretty good, right! And depending on the type of work you do, you can pick a space that suits.

Shared Offices

So, the former makes sense if you're part of a small business, remote team or a start-up.

• There is a certain level of professionalism in a shared office.
• You'll have access to printers, scanners, whiteboards, etc., so you don't have to spend on equipment.
• The décor and furniture will be conducive to working and having meetings, so there won't be any distractions.
• And since it's a 'shared' office space you'll have the opportunity to network and meet other professionals.

Coworking Spaces

If you're in a remote worker with flexibility, creative field and work solo, working from home or are a travelling salesperson or consultant there's a coworking space with your name on it!

• You can find a coworking café, restaurant or even a hotdesk that meets your needs.
• You can drop in when needed at a location convenient to you and get your work done.
• You can pick a space that suits your vibe! A quirky café to fuel your creativity or a quiet restaurant tucked away where you can get your work done.
• There's also food and drink on hand if the need should rise.

Now that you know more about the types of spaces, think of your business and your working style and pick the spot that suits you. And then check out our curated list of coworking spaces and shared offices!