Recently a friend of mine who is a very successful internet
entrepreneur told me that he was investigating renting
office space in downtown Denver at this cool collaborative
co-working facility called "The Hive".
It made me wonder:
* Exactly what type of internet worker would really need to
rent office space?
* Haven't we all been trying to get away from fluorescent
lights and cubicles?
* Why not just work at home or at the cafe?
I had a few ideas about why an internet business owner with
my friend's needs would want to work from a collaborative
co-working facility, but this whole "virtual worker renting
office space" phenomenon reached a new level when I learned
that one of my clients was also doing the same thing. When
I learned this I thought "Aha, I see a pattern here!"
Some high profile very successful internet entrepreneurs
are yearning for a more structured workspace where they can
get more work done, meet with in-person clients, and
possibly socialize and collaborate with colleagues and
potential clients. Working from home, the corner coffee
shop and crowded cafes just isn't cutting it any longer for
some folks.
The big question is: What kind of virtual worker would need
to rent office space?
Well, I think obviously this appeals to folks who are web
workers, particularly those in the tech industry and
creative fields--designers, probloggers, writers,
architects, developers, entrepreneurs, programmers, web
media professionals and other tech-y, artsy type jobs.
So, would it be worth it for you to try working outside the
home? It depends--definitely working in rented office space
around people instead of at your home or the neighborhood
coffee shop might help you take your business up a notch if
you fit certain criteria. You might want to rent office
space in a co-working facility or regular office if:
* You can afford to pay rent on office space. (Duh, right?)
* You have disturbances at your home that prevent you from
focusing on the work you need to do (think kids, roommates,
super friendly neighbors and such)
* You sometimes meet with clients or colleagues in person
and are tired of meeting in a crowded, noisy coffee shop
* You get lonely working from home all day and would like
to work around people
* Perhaps your home is so small that you get "cabin fever"
working in there and need some place out in open society
where you can work
* You find the cafes and coffee shops too distracting and
need a more controlled, quiet environment to get your best
work done
* You like the idea of "going to work" and also "coming
home from work" (working away from home sometimes helps us
to not work so much all the time)
* Your line of work is such that working in a collaborative
co-working facility allows you to easily work on projects
with colleagues in person, network with potential clients
and generate new business
Obviously this office space strategy is not the answer for
everyone, and if you have a perfectly good office in your
house you might want to save the cash and continue to work
from home. But how can you know for sure if you should rent
office space or not? Well, you will definitely NOT want to
rent office space in a co-working facility or regular
office if:
* You cannot afford to pay rent on office space. (Duh,
right?)
* You can afford to rent office space, but you just don't
think it's necessary for your needs
* You like working by yourself from home
* You enjoy being a nomadic web worker and venturing from
cafe to cafe * You home is quiet, or you don't mind it
being noisy
* You don't get lonely or you have other activities you do
in your off hours that fill that social need
* You have a dog or a baby that you want/need to keep with
you as you work
* You don't want to commute to work at all
* Your work is 100% virtual and you never meet with clients
in person
* Working in a cubicle under fluorescent lights gives you
"corporate life flashbacks" and disturbing nightmares
So, getting outside office space is definitely the best
choice for some virtual business owners, but it's not for
everyone. I have to admit, having a one second commute is
nice, but it's also kind of cool to actually go somewhere
and then come back home. You get more the feeling of "Ahh,
work is over--time to relax!", and I think sometimes we
virtual home workers don't get that feeling very often.
----------------------------------------------------
Sharon Sarmiento is a virtual company and web-based
business expert. Through her company, Streamline, she
manages the internet businesses of the hottest probloggers,
e-software designers, and web media consultants on the net.
Her popular blog eSoup is the web worker's handbook for all
things surrounding virtual business and internet
entrepreneurism. => Check out eSoup at
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