Choosing a workspace for your growing business is tougher than it seems. In the presence of various options like the traditional workspaces and the rising popularity of coworking spaces, the choice becomes tougher and one needs to keep in mind all the pros and cons that come along with these office spaces.
In this article, we shall be listing all the pros and cons of coworking spaces, as well as the traditional working spaces so that you can make a better and informed choice. But before we get started, let’s grab an idea about what exactly these spaces stand for.
What is a traditional working space?
Imagine the headquarters of your company, with cubicles, desks, and cabins. Despite the plenty of open space, the office has it divided and distributed for several specific tasks. Like the conference room is restricted to meetings. Also, the technology is completely taken care of. The traditional working spaces prioritize focus over any other aspect of work.
What is a co-working space?
Several small businesses, companies, and their employees sharing the same roof, represent a coworking space. Space isn’t compulsorily divided into cubicles or cabins and has desks. Instead, it has rather comfortable furniture which can be shifted as per the needs of the employees. Also, talking about the technology like printers, etc, and services like coffee and snacks, these facilities are usually shared between the companies sharing the space. If you happen to be located in the US, shared office spaces Chicago is the best option to truly introduce you to coworking spaces.
Pros of a traditional workspace:
- Space offers a more professional environment since it is shared by the employees of the same company. It allows the employers to control the discipline of the place and also there is no conflict over the technology and other services. Privacy is an added perk.
- The employees are encouraged to put individual efforts into a task or a project and not keep collaborating over things. It encourages them to grow individually and altruistically by accomplishing projects on their own.
- You can cooperate and collaborate with clients without the fear of the information being leaked out since there is an increased privacy quotient.
- Since the entire workspace is owned by a particular company, they can use all the space for brandings, which won’t be possible in a co-working space.
Pros of a co-working space:
- The foremost benefit of having a co-working space is that a business or a company will have to spend less on the workspace and its services since it is shared.
- There is an open atmosphere with a variety of professionals working under the same roof for different businesses. It allows them to interact and collaborate with each other.
- The management of the space is completely taken care of since it is a rented space.
Cons of traditional working spaces:
- Employees are restricted to their desks or cubicles and aren’t allowed to move freely.
- The communication is terribly compromised since the employees can only communicate and collaborate with people working in their own company.
- Since only one Company owns the space, the responsibility of managing it is also handled by it alone.
- When buying or renting a huge office space for itself, the commitment is usually for a longer period which stops the company from changing places frequently.
Cons of a co-working space:
- Despite being a cheaper option than traditional working spaces, these cost much more than working from home.
- People from all the businesses sharing the same space could create chaos and might hinder one’s productivity.
- Since space is shared by several companies, one company cannot use the space for its personal brandings alone.
- Since you’re sharing things like printers and even conference rooms in some cases. There is a possibility that when you need to host a meeting, the conference room is already occupied by another group.
Conclusion:
Before choosing between a traditional workspace and a coworking space, one should consider factors like privacy, etc. While on one hand privacy is largely compromised in a coworking space, it allows employees to interact and collaborate with employees of other companies. The cost of services like coffee, printers, and conference rooms is reduced since it is shared but there are chances that these could be available when you actually need them.