The Perks of Freelance Life As Part of a Co-Working Community

The stereotype of the freelance work set up paints pictures of freelancers sipping on their flat white, typing on their laptop from the corner of a coffee shop. The reality - Coronavirus restrictions aside - is that many freelancers miss the company of co-workers. They crave many of the creative and social aspects associated with working in an office environment.

As it turns out, co-working spaces serve as the productive and creative secret weapon they've been looking for - even more so if you're newly self-employed and freelancing.

Here's how co-working spaces can boost your freelance business:

Your ideal client is all around you

Although co-working spaces attract members and business from all sorts of industries and structures ranging from solo founders, start-up teams, fellow freelancers and larger organisations (click here to find out if coworking is for you), there are plenty of overlapping values among all members.

Within a co-working space, you're always surrounded by professionals who are likely interested in your services. Working in a shared workspace allows you to get in touch with potential clients whether that's existing members or those attending public events hosted in the space.

As a freelancer in the midst of a co-working space, you can end up unintentionally picking up new jobs or connections just by chatting those are you.

Opportunities to collaborate are also much broader too. Getting to know the other freelancers around you opens up an opportunity to get more referrals for work or collaborate as part of a bigger project where both your skill sets are required.

Build your career support network

In addition to the career and business perks associated with being a freelancer in a co-working community, there's also the social and support aspect. Working in a workspace with likeminded people, those who have taken similar career risks and leaps of faith in starting their own business can be a huge motivation boost. Imagine experiencing that daily, just by showing up to your office every day, within a community specifically designed to keep its members focused and at their best in their work.

At Ormeau Baths we keep community at the core of everything we do, hosting regular events, breakfast mornings and workshops so that our members can socialise as well as work alongside one another.

Time management and improved productivity

As the majority of workers have had to adapt to a degree of remote working this year, we've all learned how easily the line between work and home life can be blurred. Meeting somewhere in the middle (traditional office versus work from home office), co-working spaces offer structure and clear distinction from the various aspects of your life. Going through the motions of leaving your house in the morning and heading to a dedicated workspace helps boost productivity levels too, ditching temptation to tick off household chores for a vibrant and professional atmosphere.

Overall, coworking spaces have created a big change and opportunity for freelancers. It's a solution that combines productivity and work-life boundaries with freedom, innovation, furthermore establishing the kind of work-life balance that can be transformative to your productivity, sense of purpose and long-term career progression.