You Can Have It All!
“Women are continually told that they can ‘have it all’; the job, the children, the perfect home life and the marriage but they are never actually told HOW to ‘have it all’! “
“Like most people, I am not a magician or circus juggler,” says Ruby of Innoveering. “No matter how well I plan my time, I am simply less productive working from home.”
Similar to most mums nowadays, Ruby has faced pressure to try and hold down a job while also juggling children, school runs, chores and everything else that needs to be done around the house. “When I chose to return to work after having the children I had this blissfully ignorant idea that I could work from home,” says Ruby. “Therefore allowing me the flexibility to run the house and look after the children while still being able to contribute to the household finances. Oh and maybe a nice commission of a pair of Jimmy Choos for all my hard work.”
Distractions, Distractions, Distractions
“For me; working from home came with a minefield of distractions. Whether it was quickly shoving some laundry on, running the hoover round or getting a head start on dinner; there was always something on my to-do list that had nothing to do with my job. That said, many people are able to work from home very successfully, just not me!”
“So after a disastrous start to being a working mum, I needed to find a better workspace solution which wasn’t my kitchen table. Which is when I turned to good old Mr Google! So after a quick search for ‘workspace near me' I was left even more confused and beginning to question if I could just join the budding screenwriters and novelists in the local coffee shop.”
“Can I get some office space near me without leasing a whole office (with the associated extortionate costs)?”
“Do I have to travel to the outskirts of town to the local business park?”
“What do I do about resources and services such as wifi and internet?”
“How can I balance peace and quiet to work without isolating myself off from the world?”
“It was around this time that a friend commented about coworking spaces. I had often dismissed the idea of coworking, imagining some large open room full of creatives designing and painting; a mass of ‘Hot Desks’ and no privacy. On the other end of the scale, I could equally see myself squashed into some box room in a large office building in a business park. However, after a little research, I discovered that this was far from the case.”
It’s Not Just Any Desk
Coworking spaces have evolved from this simple large room with multiple tables and hot-desking methodology into something much more tailored. From individual workspaces which you can make your own to a range of locations from city centres to suburbs and business parks, there are variations to suit all needs.
Good coworking space owners often aim to curate their working spaces, pairing up companies in similar industries or perhaps with complementary skills. This approach offers the users so much more than just a place to work, providing an element of social interaction and networking as well as the opportunity to discuss ideas and learn new skills.
“I am now in a small office with another 2 companies and love it!” says Ruby. “We have been able to refer and pass work onto each other, collaborate on some bigger projects and spitball ideas when we hit a mental block. It has been just the right mix of social interaction, distractions and peace and quiet while allowing all 3 companies to grow organically without the large office costs. Definitely something I would recommend for others to try!”
