Shared Workspace: Top Benefits for Freelancers, Consultants, and Independent Contractors

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Become part of a community of fellow freelancers

Memberships typically work on a monthly rolling basis

You can finally press the “off” switch at the end of the day

At first, the ability to work from home seems like one of the biggest perks of being a freelancer. Yet while it certainly is a privilege, for many us, the novelty quickly wears off.

If you’ve ever suffered from isolation, claustrophobia or a general lack of motivation while working from home, you’re not alone. According to recent research by Totaljobs, 46% of workers have experienced loneliness while working from home.

But what’s the alternative?

Enter the shared workspace: the flexible and affordable antidote to working from home (that might even gain you more clients). In this article, we’ll guide you through every corner of the shared workspace concept, from it what it actually means to how to find one.

What is a shared workspace?

Shared workspaces take many different forms. This might sound a little confusing and obtuse but it’s actually a good thing:

It means there’s something out there for everyone.

Broadly speaking, a shared workspace is a building, or a floor in a building, that is set up for work purposes. It contains desks, kitchen facilities, lounge space and meeting rooms.

But instead of the space being let by the landlord (or “operator”) to one large company, it’s rented out to multiple smaller companies and individual freelancers/contractors.

“It sounds nice in principle, but it must be super noisy and cramped, right?”

Wrong. Shared workspaces are often spacious and well planned out. They have to be – there are so many options out there now that in order to compete, the people who run these spaces need to get them right design-wise.

That means different configurations to meet different requirements. Picture this:

You wake up one morning and decide to go and check out a shared workspace. You’ve found one you really like the look of on AllWork and arrange to go and view it in the afternoon.

As you walk through the door you’re greeted by a community manager who signs you in.

They’ll be showing you around the workspace. The first stop on your tour is the coworking space. It’s a large open-plan area with people working on their own projects.

Some have noise cancelling headphones on while others are working quite contentedly to the low tempo music playing in the background.

Next, they show you the private offices. There’s a two-person startup in one, a team of ten in another and a one-person office that’s currently vacant (your interest is piqued).

After showing you around the communal facilities – including a kitchen stocked with coffee and snacks, a breakout space with sofas, booths for taking virtual calls in and two meeting rooms kitted out with the latest AV tech – they bring you back to reception.

You take some time to mull it over. You love the space, but do you want to rent a desk in the coworking area or would it be better to pay a bit more and grab one of the private offices?

Another option is to start off with a virtual space and scale up from there.

Types of shared workspaces – shared workspace definitions

Let’s take a more structured look at your options when it comes to shared workspaces.

Private office

You can rent a private office in a shared workspace. Private offices are suited to small teams who require a little, well, privacy.

If the office is pre-furnished (most shared workspaces are), the ergonomic chairs and desks are already in place when you move in.

All you and your team need to do is bring your tech and connect to the WiFi.

Lots of freelancers, consultants and independent contractors rent private offices for one (or sometimes two) people. Especially those who deal with sensitive information, take lots of calls or have a lot of tech equipment, so need space to spread out.

A smaller private office for one to two people.

Coworking space

A coworking (or ‘communal’) space is the perfect fit for many solopreneurs. You can usually opt for one of two memberships types: a hotdesk or dedicated desk.

With hotdesking, you’re not guaranteed use of the same desk every time.

Some hotdeskers tend to use shared workspaces on a more ad-hoc basis. They might split their time between working from home and in the coworking space.

Others use it every day but can’t afford a dedicated desk, or simply aren’t bothered about using the same desk every time because they work from a laptop.

Dedicated desks do what they say on the tin: they provide you with a desk that nobody else can use. You can set up your monitors, add a few pot plants and really make it your own.

CoWomen in Berlin – a female-focused space for freelancers and SMEs.

Virtual space

If moving straight into a shared workspace feels like too much of a leap, you can always opt for a virtual office and move into a physical space later on.

Virtual space memberships can provide you with:

A business address and telephone number

Mail forwarding and scanning

Discounts on meeting rooms in the operator’s physical space

The option to hotdesk in the operator’s physical space

Access to an online coworking community and events

Virtual spaces aren’t to be underestimated. As well as providing you with the benefits listed above, a business address in a prestigious location can work wonders for your brand image.

Sublet office

Lots of company directors are finding themselves with surplus office space on their hands at the moment, especially those who have recently implemented hybrid work strategies.

You may be able to sublet a desk space from one of these companies for a competitive price. Sure, it means you’ll be sharing with a team that isn’t connected to your business, however it can provide you with a space in which to focus.

And you might end up making some valuable connections.

Timeshare office

You’ve probably heard of holiday let timeshares.

Well now shared workspaces are embracing the concept. Because an increasing number of freelancers, consultants and contractors are only looking for a desk a couple of days a week, workspace companies are renting out desks in their offices on a timeshare basis.

It works like this:

You might use the office space on a Monday and Wednesday, another freelancer might use it on a Tuesday and Thursday and on Fridays the space acts as a hot desk. As you can see, it’s super flexible, and as long as you stick to your time slots it can work superbly.

This isn’t an exhaustive list.

Shared workspace companies are coming up with new and inventive space types every day. There’s even talk of pay-by-the-minute booths!

What are the benefits of a shared workspace?

There are numerous benefits to working in a shared office or coworking space. An article published in Harvard Business Review explains why those who use them ‘thrive’ so much more than those who don’t.

It explains that people who use shared workspaces see their work as meaningful, have more control over how they work and feel like they’re part of a supportive community.

For us, it boils down to three things: wellbeing, productivity and connection.

A greater sense of wellbeing

Working from home for long periods can wreak havoc with both your mental and physical wellbeing. For example, sitting at the kitchen table on a non-ergonomic chair all day can lead to back problems and meddle with your work-life balance.

After all, dinner and emails don’t mix well.

Work-life harmony

Leaving work ‘at work’ is almost impossible to do when your workplace is your home. Having a desk in a shared workspace, on the other hand, can help give you some perspective.

It provides you with the time and space you need to create and maintain work-life boundaries, enabling you to dedicate quality time to both. You can finally press the “off” switch at the end of the day and focus on other things.

Shared workspaces are usually accessible 24/7, so you can easily arrange your work schedule around the rest of life’s commitments.

A space of your own

You can choose whether you want to work in a quiet place to really focus and get stuff done, or a more collaborative area of the building that’s conducive to creative thinking.

Either way, it’s reassuring to know that you’ve got a place you can rely on during working hours. Shared office memberships typically work on a monthly rolling basis making the whole arrangement super flexible and relaxed.

Less distractions, more mental clarity

Think about how much time you’ve wasted over the last year or more doing odd jobs around your apartment, making drinks for yourself and generally procrastinating.

Aside from your coworker’s cute new puppy, there are a lot less distractions in a shared office space. There’s also something about working around other people that just makes you focus better and for a longer period of time.

Shared offices can give the the productivity boost you need.

Structure to your day

Working in a community can help you create structure in your day.

You might grab a coffee as soon as you get to the office, hang out in the breakout space with a couple of coworkers for elevenses and head over to the local cafe on your own for a break at lunchtime. Not a bad routine.

Most freelancers know that it can be incredibly difficult to structure your day when you’re 100% WFH. We’ve all been there: working ‘till noon in our pjs, skipping lunch and responding to emails at midnight.

Once you’ve had a taste of the shared workspace life, it’s likely you’ll never look back.

Increased productivity

Time equals money when you run your own business. When you first work from home it can feel like you have all the time in the world. After all, your commute from the bedroom to the spare room, living or kitchen takes all of ten seconds.

However, many of us quickly realise that the time we save commuting is channelled back into…something, but we can’t put our finger on what.

More focused

Working in a shared workspace has the potential to make you more focused. It might seem counterintuitive – there are more people to chat to, for instance – but it’s true.

Focus is somewhat infectious: when we see other people knuckling down to work, we’re more likely to do the same.

There’s a flipside of course.

If you work in a communal space there might be times when you find it hard to focus, especially if there’s ever excessive chatter or jarring music playing. If you find yourself in this kind of environment, we’d recommend investing in some noise cancelling headphones.

Opportunities to connect

When we say ‘connect,’ we’re not referring to superfast internet (although that is another big plus). We’re talking about connections with other people. Those organic face-to-face interactions that educate and inspire us, and make us feel more proactive.

Collaboration

In the words of businessperson Marissa Mayer, “When you need to innovate, you need collaboration.” But it’s not always easy to make contacts as a solopreneur.

Shared workspaces are ripe for collaboration. Here’s why:

They’re full of like-minded fellow freelancers and business owners

Some might not be on the same wavelength, but that’s fine because it’s healthy to have our viewpoints challenged every now and then

You’ll find a variety of specialists from different industries – people whose expertise you can utilise for your own business

Many shared space operators run networking events and social gatherings where you can get to know fellow coworkers on a personal level

Skills sharing is commonplace

New ideas

If you’re going through an uninspired phase, don’t panic. Coming up with ideas on your own is challenging at the best of times, let alone at a time when many of us have had to confine ourselves to our own homes due to lockdown restrictions.

Working alone at home can also leave you feeling like you’re losing your identity.

At times like these, a simple change of scene can be just what you need. Find inspiration in the artwork on the walls of your shared workspace or bounce some of your ideas off a fellow coworker at the coffee machine.

In other words, get away from your home to get back to feeling more like you.

“Working amidst people doing different kinds of work can also make one’s own work identity stronger.” Harvard Business Review, ‘Why People Thrive in Coworking Spaces’

Promotion

Your shared workspace can also act as a platform for promotion. Many flexible workspace operators make an effort to champion their members and make sure the wider community knows about them. This can lead to more clients or sales, and ultimately…

Growth.

If you’re a freelancer, consultant or contractor who wants to grow their business and eventually hire some employees, we’d totally recommend trying out a shared workspace.

Once you get your foot in the door, it’s easy to scale up. Take this trajectory, for instance:

Month 1-3: a hotdesk membership

a hotdesk membership Month 4-12: a dedicated desk membership

a dedicated desk membership Year 2-3: a five-person private office (in the same building)

a five-person private office (in the same building) Year 3-5: a ten-person office (in the same building)

a ten-person office (in the same building) Year 5 onwards: a 20-person office (in another building managed by the operator)

You can scale up in a flexible workspace as your business grows.

How do I find and rent a shared workspace near me?

With so much choice out there, it can be difficult to know how and where to start looking for a flexible workspace. Don’t panic: we’re here to make the process more straightforward.

Choose the right type of shared workspace

The first step is to build a picture of what you need. Outlining your requirements will make the searching process much easier.

Here’s a list of key considerations.

Consideration #1: Which type of shared workspace do you need?

Do you want a hotdesk, dedicated desk, private or sublet office; or a virtual office, perhaps?

The type of shared workspace you choose will depend on the type of work you do, your budget and your overall preferences.

As we mentioned earlier, if you have confidential calls with clients it’s likely that you’ll need somewhere a little more private. Likewise, if you’re after a silent environment, working in a busy coworking space might not cut it.

On the other hand, after so much time spent in relative isolation, you might be aching to feel the buzz of being around people again.

In this case, bag yourself a coworking membership asap.

One of the great things about shared workspaces is that you get to meet people working in a variety of industries. There are, however, industry-specific workspaces out there designed for people working in tech, education, the arts…the list goes on.

If you’d like (or need) to bring your dog to work, you’re in luck. A growing number of spaces are introducing ‘pet friendly’ policies. As long as you abide by the rules and your pet doesn’t disrupt other members, they’re usually more than welcome.

Some shared workspaces even have flexible childcare facilities on site!

Even our four legged friends are partial to a spot of coworking.

Consideration #2: How many days a week do you want to use it?

Do you need a full-time space or are you looking for something more ad hoc?

Research by Spacelab_ reveals that 73% of people would like to WFH at least two days per week. If you fall into the category, a part-time membership could be the way forward.

The great thing about these memberships is that you can often switch it up at short notice.

So, you might start off on a two-day a week agreement and change it to a full-time one after a couple of months.

Full-time memberships often come with a small lockable storage unit to keep your belongings in. It varies though, so always check with the operator first.

Consideration #3: What location are you looking in?

There has been a clear shift in demand for ‘out of town’ coworking recently. Rising living costs and a desire to cut carbon emissions are two main factors driving this trend.

New shared workspaces in the suburbs are opening up every month to meet this growing appetite for non-city working.

But, again, it really boils down to your requirements and preferences. Some people love working in the centre of things, with easy access to theatres, cinemas and restaurants.

It might be that a city centre location suits your clients more too. If your work does involve meeting with clients, be sure to check out the local and international transport links.

Consideration #4: Do you need any specific amenities?

What are your non-negotiables? Most shared workspace come with the essentials: ergonomic chairs, desks and, of course, the humble coffee machine.

The majority are also fitted out with WiFi.

If your work involves lots of uploading and downloading, you may want to opt for a space with high speed fibre broadband.

Superfast broadband speeds start at 24 megabytes per second (Mbps), up to 300Mbps.Ultrafast broadband is anywhere between 300Mbps and 1000Mbps (one gigabit per second, or 1Gbps).

Consideration #5: What’s your budget?

According to DeskMag, the average monthly price for a dedicated desk in the US in 2019 was $387 and the average monthly cost for a hot desk was $195.

Prices vary according to the location and quality of the space. Bear in mind that lots of operators are offering deals at the moment in a bid to attract new members following the lockdown.

So if you’re considering taking the step, now could be the best time.

How can Allwork help me find a shared workspace?

When it comes to actually finding a workspace you have three options:

The first one is ‘word of mouth’.

This can be particularly effective if you’re looking for a desk space in your local neighbourhood. Speak with other local freelancers and business owners in your area to get the lowdown on where’s hot and where’s not.

The second is search engines.

Simply type in “shared office in New York”, for example, and away you go.

HOWEVER:

If you go down the search engine route, you’ll only ever get a snapshot of what’s available. The workspace companies with bigger budgets will rank higher because they can afford the ads.

In reality, there might be a smaller independent or niche workspace that’s more suitable, but doesn’t rank highly on the search engines so gets lost in the noise.

The third way is to use a workspace platform like AllWork to find a shared workspace. We’ve aggregated over 15,000 workspaces worldwide onto our site, making it easier than ever to find the perfect workspace for your needs.

What’s more, we’ve got a team of experts on hand to help find the right shared space for you. They can help you figure out what you need and will even negotiate the price on your behalf.

Start exploring your options today: allwork.space/flex-space.

FAQs

What is a shared workspace? A shared workspace is a workspace that you share with other professionals and businesses. You can opt for a desk in a communal coworking space, a private office with shared amenities, a sublet, timeshare or a virtual office solution. What are the benefits of a shared workspace? Shared workspaces can boost your wellbeing, make you more productive and give you access to a community of like-minded solopreneurs. They provide people like you with a spacious desk area and high quality business amenities. How do I find the right shared workspace? Firstly, you need to define your requirements. Think about whether you’d like a coworking desk, private workspace or a virtual one. Think about how much you’d like to spend, the location (city centre or suburbs), and list any ‘must-have’ amenities. How can Allwork help me find a shared workspace? To find the right shared workspace for you, visit allwork.space/flex-space. Just type in the location you want to work in and the algorithm will do the rest. Gain access to over 15,000 spaces worldwide and get free support throughout the process. How much does it cost to rent a shared workspace? The cost of a shared workspace varies depending on where in the world you’re looking. In the US, the monthly price for a dedicated desk is $387 and the average monthly cost for a hot desk is $195. Many operators are offering reduced rates at the moment.

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I’m a High School Student. I Don’t Want Online Learning to End.

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I’m a High School Student. I Don’t Want Online Learning to End.

‘Just as we had to shrink our lives by living inside, we also need to expand how we define public education.’ Rory Selinger Feb 22·4 min read

High school student Ligaya Chinn studies for her AP Biology test in her bedroom at her home in Oakland, CA on May 7, 2020. Photo: Jessica Christian/The San Francisco Chronicle/Getty Images

This op-ed was written by Rory Selinger, a 14-year-old high school student in New York State.

There are many things I miss about my pre-pandemic life. Attending school in person is not one of them.

I’m a very motivated high school student. I like school. But switching to online learning has been the best thing to happen to my education. It’s reduced the social pressure I feel taking exams, allowed me to get immediate feedback from teachers, and given me the freedom to embrace my own unique learning style.

One thing I hope people now realize is that education is not a one-size-fits-all model. While the self-disciplined nature of remote learning is not for everyone, it has allowed students like me to flourish unimpeded by the challenges presented by typical classroom settings.

For me, attending my public school online consists of synchronous classes five days a week and homework assigned daily. This workload requires comparable dedication to in-person learning. My classes begin at 7:40 a.m. and end at 3:00 p.m. My teachers offer immediate feedback on the questions and comments that arise during class. Students are free to type and send questions whenever they have them without needing to wait to raise their hands.

I know I’m fortunate: My school’s program works well, but many do not. Some are entirely asynchronous. Others only offer live instruction a few times per week. I also realize that not all districts can provide up-to-date technology for students, and many homes lack good internet connections and computers of their own. Not all students have a dedicated workspace free from distraction, and too many others are dealing with much more severe challenges. I am old enough not to need monitoring to complete assignments, and lucky that if I happen to need assistance, both of my parents are available because they are working from home.

But school districts that have managed to pull off online education should pay close attention to its lessons. By learning away from the school campus, I, like many other students, am spared from some of the common social pressures associated with the typical high school experience. I attend school in an academically rigorous district that fosters a grade-obsessed culture. By taking away this element of grade anxiety, students can focus primarily on learning the curriculum.

Taking exams online no longer comes with the added pressure of judging how long one is taking to complete the test compared to one’s peers. And when test results are in, there is no longer the need to worry about the grade comparison that comes hand in hand with them being returned. When remote learners take exams, they receive their results at home and are only competing with themselves, focusing on meeting their own standards for excellence. By contrast, at school it is easy to get caught up in the torturous cycle of heightened academic expectations. In school, you are tempted to view how you are doing compared to other students’ achievements, even though not everyone has the same scholastic strengths. Having the freedom to take more control of your learning process minimizes the pressure to conform.

We shouldn’t want things to go back to normal. We should want them to be better than they were before.

When you don’t have to waste time worrying about insignificant social pressures and other people’s judgments about what they think you should do, you can more easily explore your interests and dedicate time to them. I developed a love of reading and watching films. I am now reading more in a month than I had read throughout all three years of middle school, slowly going through the films on the American Film Institute top 100 list, and exploring classes offered on Outschool.com. Previously, I didn’t have the emotional energy to spend on these things because I wasted so much time worrying about what I could do to make going to school easier, and what I could do to fit in better.

I find it distressing that the news focuses on reporting why our country needs to get kids in school immediately without considering why in-person learning isn’t the best model for every child. People keep asking if things will go back to normal when the pandemic ends. We shouldn’t want things to go back to normal. We should want them to be better than they were before.

Many students have shown a great deal of flexibility and adaptability in enduring how their education has been provided over the past year. I hope similar flexibility can be extended as to how and where we learn going forward. During the pandemic, we had to redefine our sense of space. Many have been inside for nearly a year. Just as we had to shrink our lives by living inside, we also need to expand how we define public education. New York State should offer an accredited online program with dedicated teachers that are New York State certified. Other states could follow suit. My school district, Pittsford, provided a model for achieving this objective of setting up and implementing a successful online learning environment. I wish it could continue for the remainder of my high school experience.

Are you a student with a perspective to share about your experiences with online learning in the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic? Email OneZero editor-in-chief Damon Beres at damon [at] medium [dot] com. Please include the words “Student Pitch” in the subject line.

App State’s Dr. Krista Terry addresses faculty expertise in online instruction

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Dr. Krista Terry is an associate professor in the Department of Leadership and Educational Studies at Appalachian State University, where she teaches online, blended and face-to-face courses in the higher education program area. She also serves as a learning design specialist in the university’s Center for Academic Excellence. Photo by Chase Reynolds

“We at Appalachian are very focused on inclusive and equitable approaches to online learning. The professional development opportunities we have offered through CAE have had a strong focus on inclusive excellence … as well as developing presence, community and connections.”

Dr. Krista Terry is an associate professor in the Department of Leadership and Educational Studies at Appalachian State University, where she teaches online, blended and face-to-face courses in the higher education program area. She also serves as a learning design specialist in the Center for Academic Excellence and is a former Faculty Fellow in the University of North Carolina System Office.

She is a Distinguished Fellow and past president of the International Society of Exploring Teaching and Learning (ISETL).

Her teaching and scholarly work is focused on a broad range of issues related to teaching and learning in higher education, including designing engaging and effective online courses, identifying evidence-based instructional strategies and developing effective professional development initiatives.

In this Q&A, she shares her thoughts about Appalachian faculty’s transition to and expertise in teaching remotely during COVID-19 and beyond.

What have faculty done this summer to further prepare for remote learning during the fall 2020 semester? Faculty have participated in a number of professional development opportunities this summer. We, in the Center for Academic Excellence (CAE), have offered an intensive Online Teaching Excellence Institute for approximately 58 faculty who received course development grants for the summer. Additionally, 76 faculty signed up for two-week Agile Teaching Academy offerings, and 113 faculty participated in the UNC System Office course on designing online courses. In addition to the formal offerings, all CAE staff members have been working with faculty individually to answer questions related to course development. What is distinct about Appalachian’s approach to remote learning, particularly in the context of COVID-19? I think that we at Appalachian are very focused on inclusive and equitable approaches to online learning. The professional development opportunities we have offered through CAE have had a strong focus on inclusive excellence — with significant contributions from our Inclusive Excellence Team — as well as developing presence, community and connections in online courses. In other words, we’re not just focusing on developing standard, cookie-cutter courses, but rather considering our diverse student needs and developing courses focused on meeting those needs. Do you think Appalachian is uniquely positioned or poised to face the challenge of hybrid and remote learning in the midst of COVID-19? If so, why? During the fall 2019 semester, the Faculty Senate passed a resolution that resulted in the formation of an ad hoc committee that was focused on identifying quality practices in online teaching and learning at Appalachian. The committee worked throughout the spring semester and furnished a preliminary report to the senate in April. The vision articulated in that report defines what online courses at Appalachian should be: “Appalachian State University is committed to providing a high-quality, inclusive online education to a diverse student population. Online education at Appalachian will be equitable, transformative and engaging, inspiring faculty to foster community and cultivate pedagogically relevant and sustained connections.” We have thus begun to build our professional development offerings based on this core vision. I think that this timing has given us an opportunity to begin to build courses with our core values in mind. While we rely on many industry-standard ‘best practices’ in doing so, we have also carefully crafted opportunities to help faculty consider how to develop online courses that provide an equitable experience that is transformative and engaging. Additionally, the leadership in the CAE — Dr. Susan Colby and Tom Van Gilder — have worked tirelessly to provide resources, tools and opportunities to support faculty with these initiatives. We have also been supported with a robust technology tool set that provides many opportunities for faculty to create engaging and interactive materials for their courses. How would you describe or characterize Appalachian’s ability to teach online as a preferred delivery for many students in the future, beyond COVID-19? I think that the silver lining in this situation is that we are developing a very robust capacity for effective online teaching and learning that could continue well beyond COVID-19. Faculty have been heavily engaged, not only with learning the tools but with thinking deeply about their pedagogical approaches — all of that leads to substantial growth and development in being able to engage students in their courses, regardless of the modality.

What do you think?

Share your feedback on this story.

About the Reich College of Education

Appalachian offers one of the largest undergraduate teacher preparation programs in North Carolina, graduating about 500 teachers a year. The Reich College of Education enrolls approximately 2,400 students in its bachelor’s, master’s, education specialist and doctoral degree programs. With so many teacher education graduates working in the state, there is at least one RCOE graduate teaching in every county in North Carolina. Learn more at https://rcoe.appstate.edu.

About the Center for Academic Excellence

The Center for Academic Excellence is Appalachian State University’s lead teaching and learning resource for faculty, staff and students. It was formed in 2016 by combining the staff and resources from Learning Technology Services and Faculty and Academic Development into a single, comprehensive center dedicated to growing excellence in teaching and learning and supporting faculty and student success. Among its services, the center provides support for teaching innovation, the scholarship of teaching and learning, learning technologies and professional development for faculty and staff. Learn more at https://cae.appstate.edu.

About Appalachian State University

As the premier public undergraduate institution in the state of North Carolina, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives as global citizens who understand and engage their responsibilities in creating a sustainable future for all. The Appalachian Experience promotes a spirit of inclusion that brings people together in inspiring ways to acquire and create knowledge, to grow holistically, to act with passion and determination, and to embrace diversity and difference. Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Appalachian is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System. Appalachian enrolls more than 20,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and graduate majors.

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