I moved into a coworking space this week. For those of you who let out an “huh?” and scratched your head in confusion at that sentence – although you shouldn’t, because you’re literally reading this on a blog for a coworking space – look no further, explanations will come to your rescue right here.

A…what?

In summary, a coworking space is an office place you can rent. The concept of a coworking space became popular a few years ago, and you’ll most probably find at least one if you live in a somewhat sizeable city. It was meant to be a place for freelancers to go for work, as most of them won’t have an office provided by an employer (or even an actual employer, for that matter) and sometimes, people don’t want to work in their pyjamas all the time.
WHAT?? Did I just say that? Yes, yes, I did, my PJ-loving friend. As much as I love my bed, it should only be used for sleeping (and other…ehem…stuff… that you do under the sheets) and studying or working on the bed can affect your sleep and productivity immensely. Plus, staying in bed or even in your house 24/7 can heavily affect your mental health. To avoid all that, freelancers have been going to coffee shops to work for decades, and many university students can be found studying there, too.

Pretending to work while watching people actually working (probably)

But I can’t work in a busy coffee shop!, some of you will tell me. You are by far not the only one, and so people started looking for quieter places to work “independently from home”. And thus, the coworking space was born.
Of course, these places aren’t a noise vacuum – people have tons of business calls to do, typing and mouse clicking might get on your nerves if you’re very sensitive, but it’s much quieter than a coffee shop. Some places have telephone booths for people to make business calls, sometimes, people go outside and sometimes, there is a quiet and a separate phone area, but often times, you’ll still need to bring your headphones. What makes a coworking space an absolutely brilliant idea, however, is that you get to be more productive – mostly out of shame when you see others in the office being intensely productive and eating healthy – and network.
The biggest target audience for coworking spaces are still freelancers (I had a freelance job once a few weeks ago, so technically, I am one. …Right?), and many of them have professions that complement each other quite well. For example, if you’re founding your start- up company and are looking for a web designer for your internet presence – look no further than to the left of you, a freelance web designer is doing their work right there. You can meet clients or other people in your profession, and office lunches are just not the same in your pyjamas at 5 p.m. alone in your room.
In addition to the different types of people, there are also many different types of subscription plans in coworking spaces, depending on your budget and needs. There are hot desks, full time desks or even entire offices, so if you’re considering joining one, read on.

Hot Desks

A hot desk is usually rented for a set amount of time, like 3 days a week or 60 hours a month. Some places also offer a 24/7 hot desk plan, but it’s probably better to get a full time desk if you’re going to be in that often.
The idea behind a hot desk is that you can come in whenever you like – usually within the limits of your contract with the coworking space. You’ll have to bring in your stuff (unless you rent a locker – also an option in some places) and find a desk that’s free to work on, as you won’t have a dedicated desk for yourself. This is one that resembles working in a coffee shop the most, but without having to fight to the death with your desk neighbour about that last electric socket to charge your laptop.
Check out CoCreate’s Hot Desk Plan here.

Full Time Desks

A full time desk is a dedicated space for you, and usually, you’ll have 25/7 access to it. I went in for a trial day at my current coworking space, intending to get a hot desk plan, but went out renting a full time desk. The thing I liked the most about it is you can decorate your desk a bit – hang a few pictures (I’d be careful about nailing anything on the wall though) and leave a candle and a few pens on your desk. Or a hundred pens and ten unused notebooks, in my case. Security is pretty good in those places, and many even have a full set up with desktop computers on their desks. Your back will thank you for not carrying that 17 inch screen to work everyday.
You’re usually free to either leave the desk as it is, or make yourself a little bit at home like I did. Which, by the way, included me buying a month’s ration of ramen, buying a week’s salary worth of Penneys (Primark) decoration and filling the shelf with half my stationery. Actually, there are only hundred pens and 10 notebooks, so it’s more like 5% of my stationery.

A full time desk resembles sharing an office with coworkers, except the coworkers in a normal office usually aren’t crazy workaholics with different professions – which is actually one of my favourite types of people.
Check out CoCreate’s Full Time Desk Plans here.

A Dedicated Office

Wow. You’re a fancy one, huh.
There’s actually not much of explaining to do with this one – you can rent out a whole room to make it your personal office, and of course, you can share that office (and the costs) if you wish. This is usually the best option for start-ups with more than one person. It isn’t much different than renting out an office anywhere, but you’re still surrounded by other freelancers, so kitchen gossip and networking is still an option open to you.

Flexible Plans

For those with commitment problems (I feel ya, bro/sis/sibling), some coworking spaces offer a daily plan. It’s best to check if you have to pre-book though, as some places need that to make sure there are enough working spaces for everyone. Some won’t mind if you just show up, but don’t be surprised if you don’t get in.

These work just as hot desks, but you only have to pay before or on the day you visit the place, instead of monthly.
Check out CoCreate’s Flexible Plans here.

So there you have it, the anatomy of a coworking space. I’m sure it’ll be great party conversation. And I won’t have to tell you I’m “at the office” because I’m too lazy to explain where I’m actually working from. (Hi, mom!)