As the number of people choosing to work independently continues to grow, the concept of coworking space is growing rapidly in popularity.
In fact, statistics show that since 2006, the number of people working in such spaces has gone from zero to over 160,000, with over 750 coworking spaces in the United States and over 2,000 worldwide.
The initial attraction of shared office space, which was having an inexpensive way to maintain a professional business presence when needed, has blossomed into much more with the advancement of coworking, which in contrast emphasizes community-building by working in open spaces and sharing resources.
A recent article published on LinkedIn.com explains it this way:
“Coworking has grown as a trend in the last ten years around a vision of a shared workspace that could be a supportive community for people who were not working in traditional offices. For entrepreneurs, they are spaces to incubate and launch businesses. For sales people who work at a distance from a larger corporate office, they are spaces to find professional services and meeting rooms. For independent professionals, they are spaces to do work, network, and share ideas.”
This last point has been key for many professionals who find they thrive under the opportunity to build new relationships and create a community that works together, even as everyone works on their own individual projects. Usually the extra cost of a coworking membership is easily absorbed by new work brought in from community referrals and networking.
Coworking communities typically offer a little bit of everything, depending upon the members’ needs: quiet places for those who need to focus, social places that feel more like a coffee shop, and private rooms for those who need to make phone or video calls.
Beyond the professional perks, however, are more personal benefits that members are experiencing, with as many as 70% saying they feel healthier and many also saying they’re happier in this kind of a work environment.