Sacramento Coworking: The Radical Innovation
Sometimes working from home is simply not productive and may end up being more costly than you initially thought. The corner coffee shop is not an ideal professional work environment either. Ever tried to make sales calls with the din of baristas and other customers in the background? It doesn’t make for a professional call. Maybe you lack the required motivation to work at home. Perhaps you tend to stay in your pajamas all day and get distracted by the laundry, the dog or “Judge Judy”.
Coworking is a radical innovation to the way many professionals conduct business. The coworking concept revolves around getting out of the typical office space environment or getting out of your home office. You share a work space, coworking with others outside of your normal realm. There is a big debate in the coworking community as to where and who created the concept. It may have started back in the mid 1990’s in Europe where shared spaces were mostly used by web designers. It may have had its’ roots in what we used to call cyber cafés. Whoever started it or where ever, doesn’t matter. What it has become is an innovative work environment. Coworking has evolved into a phenomenon, something Sacramento is ready for.
The downturns in our economy a few years ago and companies cutting back or restructuring their workforce in Sacramento created a need for the way we do business. Employees who were shuffled out and decided to go on their own, startup companies, and entrepreneurs have flocked to coworking spaces. These spaces have changed radically since freelance web designer and cyber café days. Coworking spaces range from high-end shared office spaces that tout amenities such as day care facilities, valet parking and gourmet cafeterias to a space where you can simply rent a meeting room for a day. Insightful cities have created coworking spaces to revitalize decaying urban areas, giving their local economies a boost. They also created them out of a need for creative spaces and shared markets for artists who need places to sell and create items. Sacramento could benefit from all of these aspects in our midtown, downtown and the outlying areas.
There are people looking for a place to make their own, and be part of the bigger picture.
Even though coworking means sharing a space that doesn’t mean that you don’t have a designated space of your own, free of distractions. What it does give you is the ability to use your time effectively and to collaborate with others. The other coworkers who share your coworking space become part of your community from which you can gather opinions, and ask questions. You are able to get the pulse of what is going on in your city. What if you could get an opinion on something you’re working on from several unbiased people before you started? Would that have any effect on your decision making? Would it make your work time more effective? More than likely the people working around you are going to be energetic and enthusiastic about their projects.
Since space and amenities are shared coworking is extremely cost effective. Launching your own business or attempting to work in your own office space can eat up your working capital before you even begin. Coworking spaces require little overhead to get started. With either a designated work space or office you can have all of your business needs taken care of, without worry. Plus you have the added benefit of not having to secure outside services such as utilities and IT, giving you the ability to focus on your business. If you needed to schedule a big meeting, or conference you’d have the resources nearby, and not need to set up folding chairs in your garage.
With all the positive impacts on small businesses and start-up companies the co working innovation is perfect for the Sacramento economy. Creative minds, those with the entrepreneurial spirit, and recent graduates from Sac State, and UC Davis see it as a step forward. Coworking will continue to change and evolve as time moves on. But, the concept of sharing your space with others, in a community won’t change.
To find out more about our coworking solutions click here.
