What is coworking?

The first to combine office work and freelancing was a young programmer from the USA Brad Newberg, so coworking can be considered his "brainchild". In the process of career growth, he faced a choice: do he prefer work in the office and are guaranteed to have a piece of bread and butter, but depend on the bosses, or become a freelancer - independent, but with an unstable income? Without philosophizing slyly, Brad decided to combine both options.

He rented a spacious room in one of theoffice buildings in San Francisco and invited other freelancers to work with him in a joint office, sharing with him renting fees and office equipment. Thus appeared the first coworking center - a joint office in which several freelancers or even small firms (mostly start-up companies) can work simultaneously.

The word "coworking" is translated from English as "Teamwork" (co-working). In this case, it is implied not the work of several specialists on a common project (although this option is not excluded), but the work of independent freelancers and start-up teams in a common office space.

The coworking center is usually spacious office space with workplaces, office equipment, premisesfor common use (meeting rooms, conference rooms, rest rooms, kitchen, "smoking room") and, of course, available on the Internet. The monthly payment for work in a coworking center on a permanent basis depends on whether you occupy the workplace assigned to you or work where you can sit down.

Basically, coworking communities do not impose any specific requirements on participants: any person can work in the coworking officeprofession and status. The workplace in the coworking center can be occupied by both freelancers and private entrepreneurs or small companies that can not or do not want to rent a separate office. Coworking is somewhat reminiscent of life in a large communal apartment.

Remaining independent of each other, employees in the coworking community can for a time unite for work on joint projects. This is used by large companies in need ofoutsourcing services to perform a certain type of work: people working in one coworking center and familiar with each other, will be able to execute the project faster and better than several "scattered" freelancers.

Coworking: the pros and cons

Of course, coworking has both positive,so are the negative sides. Let's start, perhaps, with a good one. Coworking does not allow a freelancer to become a hermit: working at home, we run the risk of pushing communication with people, not even the second, but on the tenth plan. And work in the coworking center is daily communication with like-minded people.

Hence the second advantage. Coworking helps to establish new business contacts, exchange experience, knowledge and new ideas, get help. In such an office, you can quickly assemble a team for a large-scale project, if necessary.

Also in coworking offices comfortable working atmosphere. On the one hand, the kind of working neighbors in the office will not let you relax, on the other - you are still your own boss and nobody controls you, do not stand over your soul.

But coworking has its disadvantages. For example, the human factor can be both a plus, and a minus: not a fact that all neighbors will be benevolent and adequate, nevertheless the main criterion of "admission" to a joint office is solvency.

Working in a coworking office, keep a close eye on your personal property: alas, you can not always be sure of the decency of the other coworkers. As they say, "trust, but check".

Add here household trivia, which make many prefer office work to freelancing: the financial and time costs for traveling to and from the office, eating in dry food or fast food instead of a normal home lunch.

Coworking is a fairly new model of work not only here, but also in the West. It has both its pluses and minuses, but in any case - you, and only you decide, Is it worth trying coworking instead of "pure" freelancing.