A move to a coworking space can be the zap your all-alone work day needs. In fact, our friends atPlatypus Coworkingin Australia wrote a recent post on moving your work out of your home and into a coworking space. And that got us thinking about the women who work at home, and how much they can benefit from being in a welcoming, women-centric flexible work space… 1. Your productivity (actually) tanks When you work in a regular office, surrounded by coworkers, supervisors and a boss, you’re pretty much programmed to get the work done in an allotted time. Once you’re working in your home office or local coffee shop, with no one doing a quick huddle or dropping by your desk for an update, it’s easy to get off track. Little interruptions start to chip away at your work time…the trip to the vet, the in-laws coming to stay, the 3-day plumbing repair. Over time, your productivity sputters. Sometimes it clunks to a stop. Once you join your coworking community, you find that you get more stuff done in much less time. You fly through your to-do list and (finally) get all the back-burner tasks done. This leaves plenty of time to enjoy your comfortable coworking surroundings and take in the energizing buzz of busy women. 2. You’re all alone Talking to yourself is okay. Maybe it even helps with your creative process. But when you don’t talk to anyone…for days, things can get weird (like continuing your “self-conversation” in the cereal aisle). That’s because humans are naturally social, and interactions impact theirmental and physical well-being. Spending time at your coworking spot, and surrounding yourself with like-minded women, can be the ticket to feeling “human” again. 3. You’re missing out on networking opportunities Working alone is good — until the day you realize you’re not meeting new people and growing your tribe. Locking yourself away at home or in the corner of the coffee shop limits valuable networking opportunities. That includes meeting the people whose skills you need or the industry influencers who can help you. Casual conversations happen at coworking spaces that often lead to establishing valuable connections. The beautiful part: unlike slapping on a name tag and fishing for new contacts at a networking event, coworking connections form organically, right where you work (okay, good coffee and pastries help). 4. You’d like to impress that new lead Got a prospective client you’d like to meet for coffee? It’s tricky to talk business at the coffee shop (while the couple next to you likes each other’s Instagram posts). You need a professional, quiet place to discuss what you do and how you can help your client. Problem solved: You invite your new client to your beautiful coworking space for a meeting in aprivate conference room. Of course, the staff is there to greet them, show them in and direct them toward the drinks and snacks. Now, that’s impressive. 5. Hey, a little pampering would be nice Whether working at home or in a coffee shop, you pretty much fend for yourself. And that’s okay, because you’ve got goals to accomplish and stuff to do. You do your work, take the phone calls and crank out the emails. You make your sandwich for lunch to wait in line for your latte — just you, taking care of everything. When you walk into your coworking space, the community manager gives you a friendly “How’s it going?” You recognize the woman who sat near you the other day, and you wave. There are pastries, fresh coffee and happy hours. You settle into your comfy spot, feeling welcome, special and inspired to do great work. Welcome to your new, cozy, friendly workspace When you make the leap from a traditional workplace setting to working at home, everything feels rosy. You’re in charge, and you work how, when and where you want. And at some point, you may realize that going “solo” doesn’t have to mean a worklife of “alone.” That’s when you discover coworking.
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