Coworking spaces: advantages and disadvantages of working together

In the many big cities you often see them today, in the country they are a rarity - coworking spaces. The modern workspaces are mostly created by start-ups and provide a place to work for the self-employed or employees who do remote work. But is this concept something for everyone? What are the pros and cons of working in a community and how do I find out if it suits me?

We found it out for you in this desqup guide!

Basics: What is a coworking space?

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

A coworking space is a work space that offers freelancers, start-ups or even small companies a place to stay. In contrast to a classic, closed office, the coworking space offers a collaborative and flexible working environment where everyone can come and go as they please. In a coworking space there are individual and shared workspaces as well as meeting rooms and relaxation areas.

A coworking space has the advantage that the workers save costs that would otherwise be incurred for their own office. You can also make contacts here and get to know many people who also work independently. In addition, users are generally not tied to any fixed office hours. The coworking space is usually operated with a subscription system or you can buy day tickets.

Coworking spaces usually have the advantage that they are relatively modern. For example, you will find height-adjustable desks like those from desqup, which are kind to your health and enable a pleasant working day . The desqup Pro has all the important functions such as electric height adjustment and a memory function , so please take a look at our product page!

Benefits of working in a coworking space

In recent years, the coworking trend in Germany has grown steadily. In 2018 there were just under 300 coworking spaces throughout Germany , in 2020 there were almost 1,300 . The coworking offices are often managed by chains that have many locations throughout Germany. Coworking spaces are usually divided into several areas that you as a visitor can book/rent as needed:

• Permanently rented areas/offices for entire companies
• Rentable individual desks/workstations
• Open coworking space, 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 to fixed office hours unless your job dictates otherwise. So you can come & go whenever you want as long as you always come into the building. So you can adapt your job to your normal everyday life
• Lower costs: If you, as a self-employed person, decide against your own office and in favor of a coworking space, then you save high office costs. The membership fees for the use of a coworking space are usually 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 freelancer are your contacts and relationships. Every day, different people from different industries and areas come to a coworking space to work there. During the breaks and in the corridor, you quickly get into conversation with other entrepreneurs and can thus make valuable contacts
• Creative Atmosphere: Coworking spaces tend to be very different from a regular, boring office. The areas have a modern design and thus promote your concentration and creativity, for example through various comfortable seating options. So you might be able to perform better here than at home
• A change from the home office: If you have already worked in the home office for a long time, you may not really be able to see your own four walls anymore. A visit to the coworking space with a day ticket is a good change from the dreary everyday life and can be financed by everyone
• Location-independent office: Many coworking chains have offices in all major cities in Germany. So no matter where you are, you always have a place to work that you might even be able to visit with your same membership. This saves you the money for a rented office

Coworking spaces and their advantages are particularly popular with young self-employed people and start-ups. More and more people are doing without their own office and are instead opting for a membership in one of the coworking space chains that are now available in Germany.

In the next section we will look at why working in a coworking space can not only have advantages. If you would like to find out more about exciting topics related to work & health , then feel free to visit the desqup blogs , here you will find numerous articles on different areas!

Noise & lack of privacy - These disadvantages can occur in a coworking space

In addition to the many advantages of a coworking space, there are also disadvantages that can affect you as a user to a greater or lesser extent. For example, some people have trouble working in a noisy environment, and wearing headphones isn't for everyone either. Even if you work in a profession with a lot of customer contact and therefore a lot of sensitive data , collaborative work may not be right for you.

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

• Noise level: There is always coming and going in a coworking space. In addition, people are talking and it is a rather relaxed atmosphere in which perhaps not everyone can concentrate. Headphones are therefore usually a must in a coworking space
• Little privacy: In a coworking space, everyone works together in one large room. There are usually no separate workstations, at most a small privacy screen - this way of working can disturb some people and make them prefer to switch back to a single office
• Lots of distractions - In a coworking space, you're always aware of what's going on with other people. In addition, many people walk by and there is always something to see. A way of working that not everyone can handle in the same way

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 should probably use a classic individual office - many coworking providers also have one on offer.

If you are still looking for suitable office equipment - then please have a look at the desqup website .