For the most part, throughout the world, coworking spaces have been viewed in a positive light; their impacts on the startups and small businesses have been very inspiring, undoubtedly. However, there is hardly anything in this world that is immune to criticism. People are obsessed with finding negatives; if they don’t find they just create hoaxes. And the coworking culture, as well as the shared office spaces, have come to be the victims of these hoaxes lately. Let us, therefore, go through the so-called negatives about this non-traditional work culture and the revolutionary office spaces, and see if they hold water.
They Are Distracting:
Although this complaint comes mostly from the older generation who are used to working in an isolated setup, some of the young entrepreneurs also buy this idea. However, this cannot be more wrong. Multiple studies across the world have time and again confirmed that productivity increases in a shared workplace compared to a secluded office space. People are more prone to remembering deadlines, being creative and be inspired by the group of people they share the space with than when working in a traditional office. The events that enhance professional expertise or give direction to ideas, or the social interactions that also contributes to the well-being of people in a coworking space cannot be termed as distracting. That is why irrespective of this stereotype being promoted pettily, coworking culture is becoming even more popular.
They Are Pricy:
Shared office spaces being expensive probably is a reality in a different planet, although many people believe in it. The reality is, startups and SMEs –apart from freelancers- increasingly opting coworking spaces because they not only are within their budget but also offer more than what is value for money. Coworking office spaces are a complete package that not only have every solution with regard to office and business needs but also the growth inspiring elements- the networking opportunities, events etc. If someone is comparing the package with a standalone traditional office space where the amenities and services are provided by third parties, then yes, you might find coworking spaces costing more. However, this comparison is no different than comparing apples and oranges.
There Is No Privacy:
This idea is a little too much exaggerated. To start with, if you do not have a private cabin or a private office suite, do you really have the complete privacy in any workspace? Apart from that, coworking spaces are social workspaces, and that means working in an open and shared ambiance- it never promises ultimate privacy. Therefore, this is totally unfair to have that opinion that they do not consider privacy. On the other hand, they do actually! Recreational halls, napping rooms etc. in coworking spaces actually offer privacy that in traditional offices one cannot even dream of. In this era, people are more open to new ideas, more open to trying things and that is why businesses of such entrepreneurs are more successful. Among them, more than 80% prefer coworking spaces because here, businesses grow in a social setting.
No Customization Option
This is again something not only irrelevant but also not true when it comes to coworking spaces. Irrelevant because no coworking space is equivalent to a customizable private office space, but again these are so designed that many people like them. Secondly, it is not true that they are not customizable at all. Coworking spaces symbolize creativity as much as competitiveness. In order to appear more innovative, and to stay ahead of their counterparts, they defiantly make their ambiances look spectacular. They also take the opinions of the people working there into consideration. Therefore, they are actually reasonably customizable.
Coworking spaces, as a realization of a revolutionary work culture, are not only cost effective but also give back more when compared to the money spent in hiring a hot desk or a dedicated desk. Therefore, the better you know the reality of the negative notions associated with it, the better you would find it as a perfect place to have your office in. And working in a coworking spaces means- assured growth!