Member Article

Confessions of a co-worker

Here at the North East Business and Innovation Centre (BIC) one of my roles is to create events and activity in our Open Space, a co-working facility.

Whenever I attend events I am always interested to speak to self-employed individuals who can benefit from co-working. I am well-rehearsed regarding the benefits that co-working offers, and I enjoy talking about our facility because it’s contemporary, welcoming and great for networking (I am slightly biased)

However, all of my working life I have been part of a team, having never actually been self-employed or worked alone. It suddenly occurred to me.. do I actually know what it’s like to have to work alone, and what do I personally know about co-working?

Coworking isn’t a new idea, but it’s not to be confused with hot desking, the popular nineties term which witnessed workers having allocated work space, power sockets, and local area network connections to connect laptops and mobiles. Nowadays with the progression of technology this isn’t a top priority when choosing to co-work; many business owners have access to the above in the comfort of their own home.

So why do we co-work? With a lot of individuals parting ways with their traditional working environment, co-working offers an opportunity for those who generally work from home and a change of environment where they can focus on their workload without the distractions of a household (and daytime TV) as well as the chance to meet like-minded people.

I collated some interesting evidence from my snoop into this world. At a recent exhibition, a self employed gentleman explained that “you lose a bit of yourself when you work alone at home” He then went on to say he often used his local pub as a “workspace” as it offered free wifi and a nice macchiato.

Another contact said that she felt that co-working boosted her productivity. In a co-working setting she wasn’t sat eyeing up the ironing pile on her sofa or clock-watching for the school run. A very successful MD admitted that he felt it didn’t look very professional inviting business contacts to his local cafe; he would like a co-working room to conduct meetings in to give his business a more polished image.

If I were to think of working from home, no matter how organised and dedicated I am I could well imagine my mind to drift. I regularly spend time in our Open Space, away from the hustle and bustle of the office, and find it allows me to concentrate in a more focused manner . There’s always a sprinkling of friendly faces there to chat to, and I actually find the co-working environment pretty therapeutic. It allows me to get on with my work, and if I fancy a break and a chat I am always welcomed in on conversations.

I really respect those who are self-employed, because although there are many perks it can potentially be a lonely lifestyle, especially if you work without a team. I like to envisage a future where more people take advantage of co-working facilities throughout the region. As humans we are naturally social creatures and it would be a great shame if we lost our community spirit on our quest to work independently.

To be in with a chance of winning an Open Space membership to experience co-working for yourself, subscribe to The Innovator magazine by emailing news@ne-bic.co.uk

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Lauren Saul .