For the past 12 years I’ve worked in my house. I’m one of those women whose maternity leave stretched out for a really, really long time. I’ve always felt pretty good about working at home — I was able to launch and sell a line of baby clothes, I had a fabric store with five employees (I worked at home while they shipped orders out of a commercial space), I’ve grown a profitable blog and I’ve started a new business with a partner who is 3,000 miles away. My kids (born six years apart) were never in daycare and, for the most part, I think I’ve been present for them and my husband. My house isn’t magazine-ready, but you can’t have it all.
In the past few months, however, I’ve been feeling like things aren’t working. For a few reasons, I’ve been thinking about making a big change.
I miss working with people IRL
Most days I’m alone from 9:00 in the morning to 2:30 in the afternoon, which is good stretch of time, but sometimes I go to the grocery store or the bank just to talk to someone. I haven’t worked in an office for almost 14 years and I’m kind of nostalgic about it. Is that crazy? I miss stopping by someone’s desk to bounce around ideas. I miss going out to lunch with a crowd. I miss hearing about someone else’s exciting/messed up/depressing weekend. I miss finishing a big project and then celebrating with the team. Don’t get me wrong, I love being part of a vibrant online community, but typing things is so different than collaborating and experiencing things together.
I’m distracted
I work in my kitchen. Well, actually it’s one of those great rooms — kitchen space, office space, couches and a TV. It’s a place where people go to crunch things really loudly, do their homework, play games with terrible sounds and, in our house, to craft — and all of those things apparently require my permission, observation, feedback or help. I love it, but it’s not really conducive to writing a 2,000-word article about business conferences.
Even when I’m home alone, I feel the need to get things done — dishes, cleaning, petting animals, a tiny bit of sewing, folding towels, etc. There are endless things for a procrastinator to do. This kind of work-a-little, do-home-life-a-little method for getting things done used to actually work pretty well for me. But now the work I’m doing is different and my life hasn’t changed to fit it. I’m writing more articles and blog posts, I’m trying to do more social media planning and scheduling and I’m revising my business model for Sew Mama Sew. It’s all work that requires extended periods of focus, which is a lot different than emailing and delegating — the main kind of work I used to do, and the kind of work you can do in between a load of laundry and a call to the orthodontist. My new kind of work isn’t working with my old kind of lifestyle.
Could a coworking office be the answer?
Coworking offices are popping up in large numbers around the world. WeWork, one of the largest coworking companies, says they are opening seven to eight offices per month. And while some of the spaces are just a floor or section of a high-rise building, there are very large spaces such as WeWork Custom House in Portland, which is a completely remodeled, historic downtown building that can accommodate more than 1,000 people.
WeWork and other coworking companies, such as NedSpace and Central Office, pitch their services as more than just an affordable desk in an office of strangers. They use the term “member” to describe the people who join and “dues” or “fees” rather than “rent” to describe what you pay. I admit I was skeptical that it would translate as more than an office, but I was pleasantly surprised when I toured Custom House.
Pros of a Coworking Office
Opportunities to connect with other people
WeWork is committed to building a community of collaborators and networkers. I toured the Custom House in Portland and arrived about 15 minutes early. I was able to sit in the lobby/reception area at lunchtime and get a feel for what was going on. There is a receptionist who greets people by name and several people who walked in had something to talk to her about. I have no idea what they were saying, but I did get a much warmer vibe than the security/info desk kind of thing in a lot of office buildings — more like a friendly concierge at a five-star resort.
Although the business model can differ from business to business, all coworking companies are committed to building community. WeWork uses a few channels to help its members feel like part of a community, rather than just desk-renters:
- Social Events: These range from ice cream socials to Q&A sessions with venture capital firms. They literally have something going on in the building every business day and some weekends.
- An internal, online member network similar to Facebook, but for members only. Although I wasn’t given access, it’s my understanding that you can see the profiles of members in your building, and also the global network of WeWork members.
- Community managers who help members troubleshoot and connect with one another — think really great and wise office managers. For example, you could ask a community manager for referrals to freelance photographers, and they would connect you with people within your own building or the WeWork community at large.
- Lots of community space: From common rooms with couches to community kitchens that have fridges stocked with beer, they’re making an effort to create space where people want to hang out and chat.
Beautiful space with lots of amenities in the heart of the city
One of the things I loved about working for a successful software company (in the old days) was the sense of being in the thick of the entrepreneurial world. It’s nice to be where exciting, progressive things are happening. As a sole proprietor, it’s nearly impossible to access that energy from your kitchen, and it’s even harder to get that kind of space on the budget of a startup. Coworking spaces make being part of an entrepreneurial community possible. You might only have a 10-by-5 glass cubby, but it’s in the thick of things with beautiful architecture, access to conference spaces, community rooms, showers, coffee shops, printing facilities, receptionists and other things I don’t have in my great room.
It’s not my house
Enough said.
Cons of a Coworking Office
It’s not cheap
Membership at the WeWork Custom House location starts at around $270 for shared space. For this price you basically get access to a huge indoor picnic bench with good Wi-Fi. You can’t leave your stuff and you don’t have any privacy, but for $500 and up you can get a glass cube with a key and your logo on the door. It’s nicer than I make it sound, but it isn’t fancy. The good thing is there is no lease. You can try it for a month or two and if it’s not working for you, you can leave.
The commute
I’m in the suburbs. I would have a 30-minute drive or a 45-minute public transportation commute. I really have to think about whether or not the (theoretical) increased productivity makes up for this time. Additionally, I’d have to pay for that transportation and/or parking.
Unproven theory about fewer distractions
I’ll be honest — when I was touring WeWork Portland, there were several dogs in the halls or in the glass offices. Two of them were puppies. In my experience, there is nothing as wonderfully distracting as a puppy. Plus I already mentioned ice cream socials and beer. Not to mention the fact that I might want to step out for a little shoe shopping or food-truck supporting in downtown Portland.
Not a makers space
Although I saw a million laptops at Custom House, I didn’t see any sewing machines. Apparently there are a few coworking/cocreating studios and workshops in some cities, but they are hard to come by. Many big cities have shared artists’ spaces, but there aren’t any global companies filling that need. WeWork claims to be building out some workshop/studio spaces in some cities, but they aren’t widely available.
What’s next?
I’m still thinking about whether coworking is the right option for me. I have appointments with smaller spaces closer to home, but they aren’t cheaper and they don’t have that amazing downtown energy, so I’m not sure it will fill the void. I’ll keep you posted. If you are a member of a coworking office, or are thinking about it, I’d love to start a conversation. Let me know what you think in the comments.
Great article! There are a ton of WeWork offices and other co-working spaces near me in NYC, and after doing a bit of online research, it feels like too big of an expense for me as a sole freelancer. For writing articles, it might make sense to look into writers’ spaces, which are generally less expensive, though not always conducive to conducting phone or Facetime interviews if you need to.
I also miss interacting with people in an office (a newsroom for me), but part of that interaction came from working on things together. I think asking for feedback from fellow space-renters would be difficult for me, or that talking about pop culture and politics would be fun, but distracting. I may feel differently in a few years, though!
Sometimes I see working moms dressed up and ready to commute into the city when I’m dropping my daughter off at preschool. I have definitely had moments of envy that they get to go somewhere that’s so easily distinguished as work – an office. I try to remind myself that my flexible schedule and ability to be my own boss is what I love so much.
Just thought I’d point out that another option at some co-working spaces is a single day fee. I live on an island that requires a ferry ride into Seattle and both my husband and I work from home. A monthly commitment doesn’t make sense for either of us at the moment because he travels a lot and working from home works for me most of the time. However, we’ve looked into a co-working space in Seattle that allows you to pay a very nominal monthly fee and then pay for the days you actually come in. It seems like a potentially good fit for each of us in the near future – for him because his office is also our guest room and with a baby due soon, we are expecting a surge of visitors occupying the guest room for stretches of time, and for me (after returning from maternity leave) because I could escape for a single productive day of work at a time.
I’ve often looked at those co-working spaces and thought they would be to great to focus and get out of the house. This is hilarious to me especially because I spent years LONGING for a life where I didn’t have to go anywhere — didn’t have to go in to an office – was my own boss and could just come and go as I pleased. I have exactly what I wanted all along now — but the grass is always greener!
My temporary solution for missing co-workers is to reserve our condo community room and invite all my other friends who work for themselves over to work next to me. Or I’ll meet someone at a coffee shop and work next to each other there. That works great for me for now!
I can completely relate to the loneliness of the home office and the draw of the other “to-dos” that are not work related. I have lately felt the pull of the office and the knowledge that somehow stepping out of the office for a walk at lunch with co-workers will draw less guilt than a scheduled walking date with a friend. Co-working on the whole is not an option for my – my embroidery machine sounds like a Gatling gun when it is stitching out a family tree, but I have found that meeting a photographer friend twice a month at a local Panera has been a nice respite. We bring our computer work and then bounce ideas off one another like we are co-cubicle mates. It definitely fills a need for me and I feel so much more at ease when we have made the effort to meet up.
I also have recognized that the haven that is my third floor home studio comes with it the price of feeling isolated. We happen to be house hunting right now is a first floor studio with a door (or the ability to add one if it does not already). I need my space, I need to be able to shut the door, but I also need to be available and have easy access to swap back and forth between work me and mom me (or crockpot checker me, as the case may be).
It has taken me well over a year to put my finger on the issue and it’s solution, but I am glad to be moving toward the option that’s going to work best for me. Good luck to everyone in your pursuits!
My coworking space, at least once every two weeks, is Starbucks! Getting out of the house for a good 2-3 hours of work, and all for the price of a coffee… So somewhere that has a daily fee sounds more useful for someone like me. I can handle doing computer work by myself at home most days, but it’s when I need to do sewing machine work that I feel lonely! I enjoy sewing more when there’s others around, maybe because I don’t need to focus so much like I do with computer work. When we move back to Australia next month, I am determined to attend sit and sew days somewhere regularly because of this fact!
I belong to a coworking space in the small suburban community that I live in (60,000 people?). It’s not a commute to get to it. It’s in the heart of the business district just 5 minutes from my house where I go regularly for errands like shopping, the post office, etc. The company actually has two locations, one on each end of town that offer space for coworking and the one on my end of town also offers dedicated offices. It’s not nearly as expensive as the prices quoted in the article, probably because of where I live. In addition to occasionally coworking and attending events sponsored by the facility, I use it for a more important service: business location service. The coworking facility is the legal location of my company, and I have a toll free number through their switchboard. It rings to my cell phone and if I don’t answer it after a few rings, the receptionist answers. This service is great for protecting my privacy, but it also helps me comply with local zoning code for home businesses. The code makes it illegal for home businesses to “advertise” their address, including on their business card. That means that attending a trade show and handing out a business card with my mailing address for editorial samples to be sent to would put me in zoning violation. Yes, a PO Box would get around that, but mailing address would still have to be in state records. I discovered the first few years of my business how much harassment from salespeople that fosters. Years later, I still get calls and mail.
Kristin, when you’re feeling like you need adult conversation and interaction, why not join a guild? I belong to one that meets twice a month-I get to talk about my passion (quilting), hear interesting speakers, attend occasional workshops and even go out to lunch if I decide I want to. Those two days every month really help me to not feel like I’m so alone.
I can relate. Even with an in-home office that has a door, and older children, the interruptions / distractions are a real problem I have never been able to solve . If I also felt isolated, which I don’t, I would seriously look for a flexible co-working opportunity. A coworking space that allows pay-as-you-go days or a lower minimal fee is ideal. I did a photoshoot for a client at thevWeWork in Times Square NYC and was impressed. Their fee structure was different than those you quoted in Portland, and my photo ass’t for the day, a 22yo, observed that it wouldn’t be a bad idea if you worked from home to pay the minimal belonging fee of $50/month (no workspace) and still work at home but when you needed to be social, go over and get beers (free to members) -bring a laptop and sit in one of the community areas like the rooftop lounge and see who wants to chat. He figured it’s cheaper than the local bar and more interesting to meet entrepreneurs / other self employed. It’s not a bad idea.
ETA: I doublechecked,.. WeWork has a $45/month membership that gives you 2 credits to be used during the month for 2 days of workspace or conference room, plus you get access to the community. This seems like a great baby-step to try theur co-working (plus my asst’s observation about the beer/meeting new people still stands) https://www.wework.com/plans/we-membership#faq-section
Good ideas, Gale! Thank you!
At first I thought that co-working spaces were a passing fad. However, after trying the space, I was pleasantly surprised. Work In Progress offers a great place to get some work done without feeling like you’re at home. There’s always something going on and the people are friendly and willing to lend you their ear when you need it.