From Dunjuns to Desks: Should You Invest in a Coworking Office Space?

I love to share my story because it is out of the very necessity of growing and maturing as an entrepreneur that I made the move out of my home basement office and into a shared coworking space.

For me, the experience was a positive one. I moved from isolation into salvation. Inhabiting my home basement as my office space felt, well, downright lonely. I had the basement remodeled and completely renovated to emulate that of an office space. We created a mid-sized office room and a larger conference room with a small kitchenette. Nevertheless, the need for human connection was always quite absent.

It was usually my partner and I who used the office, but for the most part, the office basement felt quiet, deserted and desolated. It was also a bit awkward for me to bring clients to a residential home and a residential street. Perhaps the venue of your business makes no difference on the quality of your product or service, or perhaps it does.

I finally decided to move into a business development incubator that functions similar to that of a coworking space. You do pay for your personal office suite but most of the common areas in the building (kitchen, conference rooms, lounge area, open space, etc.) are all shared spaces for the business tenants.

The state of feeling connected yet isolated in my own office suite gives me a sense of humanity and sanity. Whenever I need a break, I swing by my neighbors office and chat or bump into one of the business folks in the kitchen area. Most of the time, but not all, this would lead to a business idea or a client referral opportunity.

Do I find co-working spaces quite cumbersome? Well, like any college dormitory, it isn't fun when you have to wait for the roommates to exit the shared bathroom. In my case, yes, sometimes the conference rooms are all booked (bummer!), but for the most part , coworking spaces build a communal  environment -- which keeps the sanity level afloat for any entrepreneur.

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