Why you should consider trading your home office for a co-working space

Plus nine of SA's coolest co-working spaces

22 June 2017 - 12:00 By Roberta Thatcher

Working at home in your PJs sounds like a dream ... until the loneliness sets it. It can also be difficult to knuckle down and get to work when you're only commuting from your bed to the couch. Without clear-cut office hours, there's no automatic switch off come 5pm and work can easily spill into your down time.

Coffee shops have long been the answer for freelancers and flexi timers who've found home offices wanting. The problem is they don't always have the printers, plug points and other facilities you need to get the job done.

Enter the co-working space: a lease-free, fully-equipped office that rents work space via different membership plans.

A growing trend in South Africa, these shared offices bring together together diverse groups of freelancers, remote workers, and other independent professionals in a creative atmosphere.

If the fast WIFI and good coffee they boast aren’t enough to nab you, research conducted by Harvard Business Review shows that co-working offices actually help workers thrive.

A recent study shows that people who use co-working spaces report levels of thriving that approach an average of 6 on a 7-point scale, which is at least a point higher than the average for employees who do their jobs in regular offices.

Making use of one of these shared offices also helps you to establish a routine, which is important when it comes to productivity, says Lizette Watts, owner of Nomads & Co, a co-working space in Joburg.

"Getting up, putting on pants and having somewhere to go already tells your brain to get into work mode," she explains. "It also helps to draw clear and important boundaries between home and work life."

Mia da Camara, owner of the Community Centre co-working space, believes that one of the biggest advantages of working in a shared office is the network that you tap into.

"You’re sitting among like-minded people and chatting to them all day," she says. "Word spreads and people start recommending you."

So the next time you need a boost of inspiration, pop in to your nearest co-working space, grab a coffee and hopefully make a contact or two while you work.