Why going it alone needn't mean being alone, thanks to coworking space.
It takes guts to make the break: to say Goodbye to being directly employed by an established company or organisation, and Hello to self-employment.
Not everyone's cut out for the freelance life, though, once they've taken the step. If you've just founded a start-up business, you might be having second thoughts, wondering if you're really going to be able to cope day-in-day-out without having colleagues around you, a boss to shoulder most of the responsibility (the guy that the buck stopped with, right?), no banter, no gossip, no lively debates about who's going to win the World Cup, and no sense anymore of all being in it together working towards a common goal...
But what if you could have the best of both worlds? Imagine running your own business lock, stock and barrel, yet still simultaneously enjoying many of the key benefits of being directly employed? Choosing to take advantage of the increasingly popular London shared office space option can give you all that and more. Even better, it can help you to really get focused and to remain purposeful throughout your entire trading year.
Get focused? You "need no encouragement" when it comes to that? Hmm... You're in the minority, then! Most self-employed professionals find there are simply too many distractions at home to spend a full eight hours 'on the job' in the back bedroom office, only popping out into the garden for half-an-hour at lunchtime to stretch one's legs, perhaps.
Also, a common issue many self-employed people have is that, all too often, those around them believe that they're actually free a lot of the time: available to watch a Neighbours with them; to get the dinner ready for when housemates return home; to get the Hoover out; and might you find the time at some point to pop into town to pick up some dry cleaning, or to take all that cleared out junk from the garage and loft down to the local recycling centre?
Heading out instead to a desk sharing office, even if only for three days per week, can mean you're no longer perceived as being available to do non-work related tasks. Instead, you're in an inspiring business environment with like-minded people – driven professionals who're either freelance like you or directly employed by a company seeking to capitalise upon all the benefits that coworking spaces in London can offer to their employees.
Setting off for the shared space location each morning means coming at each day with a sense of purpose, working towards goals in a dedicated business environment where there's also strong sense of community, with few distractions but with plenty of supportive people, fun and banter to enjoy; and with high quality facilities at your disposal. Instead of feeling isolated – a feeling that can have a negative impact on marketing success as well as work performance – make human connections and business connections in tandem, feel supported being surrounded by like-minded people who totally 'get it' when it comes to all that are involved in establishing a start-up business and making it a success, whilst at the same time understanding completely the need to also feel part of something, something determinedly inclusive, something great!
