Coworking is NOT for Me - Debunking the Myths of Shared Workspaces -Working in the Wild with Hub:868

Issue No. 11

Okay... before you make up your mind, hear us out. It is clear that the way we work continues to rapidly evolve and the environments where we work have become more flexible than ever. With that flexibility, choices on where we spend our work hours abound. By now you have likely heard about shared workspaces but still don't think they can work for you. Why is that? Here are the 5 most common coworking myths, how coworking really works and how it can work for you.

1. COWORKING IS NOT FOR ME BECAUSE I HAVE A WORKSPACE AT HOME

AND I'M NOT A TECHBRO

2. COWORKING IS THE SAME AS WORKING IN A COFFEE SHOP & WILL BE TOO

DISTRACTING

3. I TAKE TOO MANY CALLS AND VIRTUAL MEETINGS TO WORK IN A SHARED

WORKSPACE

4. I CAN'T BRING MY CLIENTS TO A COWORKING SPACE

5. COWORKING IS ONLY FOR EXTROVERTS AND HIGHLY SOCIAL PEOPLE

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1. COWORKING IS NOT FOR ME BECAUSE I HAVE A WORKSPACE AT HOME AND I'M NOT A TECHBRO

While the concept of coworking was born in the tech industry, you don’t have to be in the field to take advantage of the fantastic concept! As we discussed in Issue #03, these days, everyone is using coworking spaces. The more diverse the community is, the more valuable the network becomes. If you consider the pros and cons, the professional and personal value a coworking membership provides far outweighs the cost. Working from home has plenty of benefits, and we are 100% behind the shift to hybrid or fully remote employment options. But when you need to focus and grind, you have got to get out of the house, and here is why. The flexibility of coworking provides the freedom to use the space as often as needed and without paying for unused time. Even companies know the advantages of coworking and are increasingly covering the cost of membership for their employees - if yours isn't yet, you can find tips on how to advocate for this entitlement here.

2. COWORKING IS THE SAME AS WORKING IN A COFFEE SHOP AND WILL BE TOO DISTRACTING

Working in a coffee shop has its advantages - delicious coffee drinks being the obvious one, but they also have a nice ambience and working amongst other humans is great for mental health. However, coffee shops rarely have adequate outlets to plug in your devices, they can get really loud at times, seating can be limited, it's not ideal for meetings, and the wifi is unreliable. Coworking solves for all of this! Unlike a coffee shop, we are all here to get work done. Hub:868 Is deliberately designed to work for you to accomplish your professional goals and tasks. We provide the same cool vibes as a coffee shop plus outlets available at every workstation, business-class internet and hardwire ports in each space, private meeting rooms, FREE local coffee + snacks and drinks, A/V equipment, more flexible work hours, and printing and spare office supplies. We have a variety of seating options that include more or less privacy to meet the needs of all our members and guests. You also get a fully staffed environment where you can focus on work while we focus on providing everything else. Additionally, you can network and collaborate with other talented and driven members of varying disciplines creating a diverse community of shared expertise.

3. I TAKE TOO MANY CALLS AND VIRTUAL MEETINGS TO WORK IN A SHARED WORKSPACE

That's unlikely. Most coworking spaces have several options for our communication-heavy guests and members. The privacy phone booths at Hub:868 are available to anyone working here. In addition, we have meeting rooms that can be reserved (members get free and discounted time) for calls and meetings. Furthermore, we welcome members to quietly join their virtual meetings and calls in our open coworking space when using headphones. In this case, coworking spaces are much like a traditional office where multiple employees are conducting business as necessary in a cube farm but with fewer pony-walls and much cooler work vibes.

4. I CAN'T BRING MY CLIENTS TO A COWORKING SPACE

Why not? Hub:868 has meeting rooms just for this purpose! You can reserve the spaces hourly even without a coworking membership. We have had attorneys, financial advisors, corporate teams, consultants, and others meet in the All Star Meeting Room (1-5 people) and the Century Meeting Room (upto 25 people). Your clients will have access to our lounge space and all our amenities, including front desk staff. Both you and your client will have the option to add a Day Pass (if you aren’t a member) and work the entire day in our coworking space.

5. COWORKING IS ONLY FOR EXTROVERTS AND HIGHLY SOCIAL PEOPLE

Actually, coworking works for anyone. We all might expect extroverts to be best suited for a coworking community, but introverts and ambiverts also find our space desirable. All humans need some socialization, even if it is just being in the same room as others, and you can socialize as much or as little as you’d like while you’re here. We have quiet areas for our members that want to come in and focus , and while other working members may not have time to chat with you, staff are always available to bounce ideas off of, to discuss weekend plans, the latest bingeworthy series, or the best restaurants in town. We’ve created a space that is truly conducive to all personality types and most disciplines so you will do your best work while here.

So, have you fallen for any of these myths? Which one did you believe? Are you surprised to learn all the ways coworking can work for you? Let us know what is holding you back from joining a coworking space and we will see if we can bust that myth as well!