Coworking is truly redefining where and how people are working. The growth of the coworking industry all over the world and in India is a sign that this way of working is truly beneficial and a place where startups, freelancers, and corporates are turning to, for what this style of working has to offer.
Similarly, in Surat when we started about a year and a half ago we were the only coworking space that existed. Today many such spaces are cropping up, spreading the awareness about this new style and way of working among the people of the city. Each space is very different from the other in terms of what they have to offer. It becomes essential to know how to figure out which is the right coworking space for YOU in Surat?
We believe it's important for anyone to find the right space for themselves in order to get their best work done. For any professional looking to find out workspace, here are some key factors that are now more than ever simple to do a comparison on.
LOCATION! LOCATION!
The location of your coworking space can determine various things about your business and ease of using such space. Choosing a space which is conveniently located for you can help you focus on the most important thing - work! Figure out how the neighborhood of the coworking space is, does it have access to local/public transport? Is it easily accessible for your clients for you to visit? Is there ample parking space available? What are the businesses and service around, for eg. Major banks, cafes, school/college institutions etc.
Checking where your potential workspace is located can easily influence your decision in choosing a space. You also wouldn't want to travel a lot to reach your workspace every day.
COMMUNITY
When you join a coworking space, you also join a community of people already working at the workspace, It becomes important to know what kind of people you are going to be surrounding yourself with.
The community is synonymous with coworking, moreover, it's the reason why such spaces exist. It's evident that a thriving culture can boost productivity, work satisfaction and happiness. Figuring out the culture of coworking spaces, and does it resonate with your style of working can turn out to be really fruitful. The people who belong to this community and are using the coworking space already, can also be a deciding factor, can these people be your clients/customers? The kind of work and professional background the people are from and if there is a scope of collaborations? Do you feel open enough to share your ideas and can get valuable feedback from them? Does the space host relevant events where you can engage yourself and the additional support that the extended community can provide for your business growth?
But most importantly, Does the community help you drive and hone your visions and ambitions?
TIP: Talking to the current members about their experience can really help you judge on the functionality of the community and space.
FACILITIES & AMENITIES
All coworking spaces come packed with a bunch of facilities and amenities in order to accelerate and support business growth. Figuring out what amenities are required specifically for your business and way of working can help you determine your options better. Such spaces always provide high-speed internet facility and numerous cups of coffee which are the most important things to run the business.
There are a bunch of things to figure out, does your work require you to access the conference/meeting rooms a lot for client meetings or video conferencing? Does your membership put a cap on usage of conference/meeting rooms? How does the printing facility work? Is it agile enough to support all the ways you need to work? The balance between openness and privacy? There are always going to be a bunch of extra offerings that you might not use anyway. However, these amenities not only help the work side of the business but some of the coworking amenities can be fun too (Eg. a space to lie down/rest, library access, games etc). Look out for things that can truly help you with working as well as having some fun!
TIP : Don’t confuse a need with a want, Listing down your needs and wants can be a helpful way to decide.
BUDGET
Prioritizing what you need from your coworking space to get the best return on investment becomes an important factor in narrowing down on your options. Finding out about any hidden charges, or additional charges apart from the membership plan to use extra facilities can help you figure out the overall investment required by you.
Flexibility in membership plans and the best plan that suits can suit your way of working also becomes very important, so that you only pay for what you are using.
TIP: Figure out whether the coworking space requires you to sign a long-term lease or commitment period, or is it on pay as you use basis.
GROWTH
A business always looks forward to growing with each passing day. A coworking space might fit the working needs now, but what about a year down the line? Figuring out if the coworking space helps you grow your team and business needs within their space itself is something that can be looked upon. Also, if the coworking space and its community help you accelerate your growth by acting as a catalyst can help you decide better.
TIP: A growing coworking space itself can be a beneficial option, more centers and cities presence can help build/expand your network with multiple workspace options with one membership.
FEELS Last but not the least, it's important how the community and the workspace make you feel. Does it make you excited to go to work every day? Does it help you chase your passion and be yourself at work? Is the coworking space authentic and unique in its culture? Do you feel you can get your work done? Does coworking make you happy?
TIP: Ask for a trial for a day or two to access all the things.
Environment means everything, putting in the extra effort to find the right workspace for yourself, which is as unique as you are can help you achieve your professional goals with a great social circle.
We hope this helps you find the right workspace for you.
If you're still confused, why don't you book a tour with us, we are a bunch of welcoming people, happy to host you.