Many people love the concept of a coworking space. It provides the best of both worlds. Coworking spaces offer the freedom that working from home provides but it also gives what many people working from home misses – human interaction and the perks of working in an office. Coworking in Australia has really taken off in recent years. It has come to a point where searching for a coworking space in Australia has become a daunting task because of the abundance of options. Many Australians who are searching for a coworking space have likened it to searching for an Airbnb. Indeed, the experience can be overwhelming.
Choose carefully
It’s understandable that people are taking extra care in selecting a coworking space. For one, renting one is not cheap. It’s only natural for people to want to make sure that they’ll get the most from their money. And if you’re going to pay money for a coworking space, then you would want the place to have all of the amenities that will make your working experience more enjoyable. It’s also important to find the perfect working space because it will directly affect your productivity. Choosing a coworking space is a commitment and there’s pressure to choose right. Making the wrong choice will have consequences.
Use Google Maps
There are dedicated search engines for coworking spaces. While it’s worth checking them out, using Google Maps can be just as effective. There are instances when dedicated search engines still miss some companies so it’s a good thing that you can always go back to Google. Just enter the words “coworking in Australia” and you’ll see options near you. If you want to find the best according to some Google users then you can always filter your search so those with high ratings will appear first. This might be a crude way to find a coworking space but it works. And Google does a good job of presenting all the options available.
What to look for
If this is your first time looking for a coworking space then you probably don’t know what to expect. To those who are not familiar with a coworking space, then maybe a blank space with tables and chairs and an Internet connection will do. But since the coworking industry has become quite competitive, many establishments have upped their game and have included plenty of perks along with space. So it’s nice to do a survey of the options available to you so you won’t feel like you’re missing out. Or maybe you can ask people who are using coworking spaces what they are getting from their spaces.
Below is a list of the basic amenities you should look for in a coworking space.
Fast Internet
This should probably be a given but there are actually coworking spaces that have slow and unreliable Internet access. Free coffee and snacks are useful if you can’t do your work well because of a poor Internet connection. You should be able to at least hold online meetings in the space without getting disconnected every now and then or without your connection suffering.
Location
Location is also very important in a coworking space. The place must be accessible either by car or by public transport. If it’s a good walk from your home then so much better. If you’re bringing your car to work then you need to make sure that the establishment has ample parking space. Having a good location also means being near other commercial establishments. Is it close to banks? Is it accessible to delivery services?
Privacy
You must not forget why you want to work in a coworking space in the first place and that is to do some actual work. So you need to have privacy. While it’s cool to meet other people, it’s important that the place provides an environment where people can work in private.
24/7 access
Let’s face it. We’re not all productive at the same time of the day. So a coworking space must offer options for those who like to work at night or have to work at night for one reason or another. It is therefore important for the coworking space to be open 24 hours a day/seven days a week.
