When picking your working environment, understanding your options and what is best suited to you can be an important step. We want to help by helping to compare coworking spaces vs traditional offices, and the pros and cons of each.
What is best suited for you?
It is no secret that where you work has an impact on how you work and your productivity levels. Therefore, it makes sense that being within the right environment to best suit your work style is a particularly important decision. So, we are going to openly discuss the pros and cons that are involved in both a coworking setting and a traditional office setting. That way we can help you make an informed decision to best tailor to your needs.
When considering a work space you have to take into account that you will be spending a large majority of your day in the environment, consequentially surrounding yourself in a comfortable environment that allows you to feel inspired is of the utmost importance.
Traditional office
So, what is a traditional office space?
Traditional office spaces are built on the foundations of privacy and structure. Once leased, you are able to set it up and design the office space as you wish. Keeping the environment on brand and having a really structured approach to workflow.
Now the concept of a traditional workspace has been around for a long time, only somewhat recently having a counterpart in the form of coworking. The only way to know what style best suits you is to know both the advantages and disadvantages.
There are obvious perks to this type of work environment such as:
- Privacy – Each person has an individual space within the office.
- Fewer distractions – Having a more professional environment is bound to lead to fewer distractions and improved productivity.
- Structure – Having a traditional environment means that you do not so much have to be a ‘self starter’ and find your own motivation. There is a structure to the day that can be imposed by those higher than yourself, and therefore holding you accountable.
- Colleagues – Workplace relationships with people who are working towards the same goals for the same company creates a bond.
As well as the positives, traditional offices, like anything, do also have their negatives:
- Expenses – Leasing office spaces can be expensive and so budget can be an issue when looking into leasing a traditional office space.
- Limited networking opportunities – The ability to network is reduced, and those you are talking to can potentially be less beneficial in nature.
- Rigidity – The nature of a traditional office can feel mechanical at times and the décor feels somewhat boring, dampening productivity.
- Lack of inspiration – Being in the same environment every day at a secluded desk can really take its toll on those creative juices.
Coworking Spaces
But what about those who do better in a less structured environment, or for example are freelancing and do not have a ‘traditional office’ available to them per se? Enter coworking. The concept of coworking is simply a shared office space made up of people who aren’t necessarily from the same business.
There can be a slight misconception when it comes to coworking spaces, that they are hectic and unruly in nature, but fear not! This simply isn’t the truth. Some pros of coworking include:
- Low maintenance spaces – You can begin working straight away. That pesky printer with a manual longer than the office? Already set up.
- Creativity and collaboration – By nature, the spaces are designed to boost both of these aspects of working life.
- Flexibility – The rigidity of the day to day is removed that usually pairs with a traditional office.
- Networking opportunities – Being surrounded by like minded individuals offers the unique ability to build relationships with those around you almost passively and is actively encouraged.
- Productivity – Coworking is proven to boost morale and as a result increase productivity.
Of course we also need to look at the potential cons of choosing a coworking space:
- Privacy – Whilst some coworking spaces do offer a personal fixed workspace, there is always the element of sacrificed privacy that comes with coworking.
- Distractions – Of course working amongst other people in a shared space, there is always going to be the potential for distractions.
- Crowds – Hot desking can always mean risking missing out on a desk during the bust hours of the day should you not beat the crowds.
Now, how do you know which one is best suited to you? Whilst both options are equally viable it can feel like an obstacle course trying to choose which one is best suited to you. The answer is… there is no answer. It is, I’m afraid, a circumstantial decision, that you will have to decide on what is best for you personally.
Hopefully, this little bit of insight into the pros and cons can help you make the right decision when comparing coworking spaces vs traditional offices!
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