Coworking spaces: advantages and disadvantages of working together

You see them often in many big cities today, but they are rare in the countryside – coworking spaces. These modern workspaces are usually founded by startups and offer freelancers or remote employees a place to work. But is this concept really for everyone? What are the advantages and disadvantages of working in a community, and how do I find out if it suits me?

We've found out for you in this Deskspace guide!

Basics: What exactly is a coworking space?

Before we look at the advantages of a coworking space, let's first explain what a coworking space actually is.

A coworking space is an workspace that offers freelancers, startups, or even small businesses a place to work. Unlike a traditional, enclosed office, a coworking space provides a collaborative and flexible work environment where everyone can come and go as they please. In a coworking space, there are individual and shared workstations as well as meeting rooms and quiet areas.

A coworking space has the advantage that workers save costs that would otherwise be incurred for their own office. In addition, one can make contacts and meet many people who are also self-employed. Furthermore, users are generally not tied to fixed office hours. A coworking space usually operates on a subscription system, or you can buy day passes.

Coworking spaces usually have the advantage of being relatively modernly furnished. For example, you will find height-adjustable desks like those from Deskspace, which protect your health and enable a pleasant workday. The Deskspace Pro has all the important functions such as electric height adjustment and a memory function, so feel free to visit our product page!

Advantages of working in a coworking space

In recent years, the coworking trend has grown significantly in Germany. In 2018, there were only about 300 coworking spaces in the entire federal territory; by 2020, there were already almost 1,300. Coworking offices are often managed by chains that have many locations throughout Germany. Coworking spaces are generally divided into several areas that you, as a visitor, can book/rent as needed:

• Permanently leased spaces/offices for entire companies
• Rentable individual desks/workstations
• Open coworking areas, which can usually be used with a subscription or day pass system

Working in such a coworking space has many advantages, which include:

• Freedom & adaptability: In a coworking space, you are not bound by fixed office hours, unless your job dictates otherwise. You can come & go as you please, as long as you can always access the building. This way, you can adapt your job to your normal daily routine.
• Lower costs: If you, as a self-employed person, opt for a coworking space instead of your own office, you save high office costs. Membership fees for using a coworking space are generally significantly lower than the rent for a separate office, and there are no additional costs.
• Contacts: The most important thing for a successful career as a self-employed person is your contacts and relationships. Different people from various industries and fields come to a coworking space every day to work there. During breaks and in the hallways, you quickly get into conversation with other entrepreneurs and can make valuable contacts.
• Creative atmosphere: Coworking spaces usually differ significantly from a normal, boring office. The spaces are modernly designed and thus promote your concentration & creativity, for example, through various comfortable seating options. Thus, you might be able to perform better here than at home.
• Change from home office: If you have been working from home for a long time, you might not be able to stand your own four walls anymore. A visit to a coworking space with a day pass is a good change from the dreary everyday life and is affordable for everyone.
• Location-independent office: Many coworking chains have offices in all major cities in Germany. No matter where you are, you always have a place to work, which you might even be able to visit with your same membership. This saves you money for a rented office.

Coworking spaces and their advantages are particularly popular among young self-employed individuals and startups. More and more people are foregoing their own office and opting for a membership in one of the coworking space chains that now exist in Germany.

In the next section, we will now look at why working in a coworking space may not only have advantages. If you would like to learn more about exciting topics around work & health, then feel free to check out the Deskspace blogs; you will find numerous articles on various topics there!

Noise & little privacy – These disadvantages can occur in a coworking space

In addition to the many advantages of a coworking space, there are also disadvantages that may affect you more or less as a user. For example, some people have problems working in a somewhat louder environment, and not everyone likes wearing headphones. Also, if you work in a profession with a lot of customer contact and thus a lot of sensitive data, collaborative work might not be the right thing for you.

Specifically, the following disadvantages can arise from working methods in a coworking space:

• Noise level: In a coworking space, there is always coming and going. In addition, people talk, and it's a rather relaxed atmosphere where not everyone can concentrate. Headphones are therefore usually a must in a coworking space.
• Little privacy: In a coworking space, everyone works together in a large room. There are usually no separate workstations, at most a small privacy screen – this way of working can bother some people and make them prefer to switch back to a private office.
• Many distractions – In a coworking space, you always know what's going on with other people. In addition, many people walk by, so there's always something to see. A working style that not everyone can immediately cope with.

Conclusion: Coworking space, yes or no?

If you are considering working in a coworking space, you should consider whether such an office suits your needs. If you prefer to work in peace and need a lot of privacy, then you might prefer to fall back on a classic private office – many coworking providers also offer such an option.

If you are still looking for suitable office equipment – then feel free to visit the Deskspace website.