What are the Alternatives to Working from Home?
Working from home seems like the most logical choice for these times. You can work from anywhere, really! All you need is a laptop and wireless connection and away you go – right from your kitchen table! Right? Wrong. Turns out the charmed life of WFH isn’t as easy as you thought, but fear not. The alternatives to working from home are plentiful, and there’s an option for everyone.
The WFH Dilemma
Working from home sounds great in theory, but in reality, it’s not a practical solution for most people – especially those with families. It might work for a week, but the long term solution isn’t your home. Distractions are everywhere – kids, pets, laundry, spouses. The flip side is no better – if you’re single, the loneliness, especially in the midst of a pandemic, can be a bit crushing. People will turn on the TV for company, but once again, it’s just another distraction. Working from home can ultimately lead to a loss in productivity.
Traditional Office Rentals
An alternative to working from home many think of at first is the renting of traditional office space. However, this is usually not the best solution. Office rentals are characterized by leases that lock you in for long periods of time — typically 12 to 60 months — and remain inflexible, despite the business and personal changes that will inevitably come up during the lease term. Not to mention, with traditional offices leases, you’re in charge of maintenance and supplies. Need coffee? That’s on you. Copier on the fritz? That’s your call. Cleaning, maintenance, supplies – all these things fall on your shoulders. Not only is it costing you more money as opposed to working from home, you still lose productivity by spending time on maintenance issues rather than on your core business. And the one constant through both these scenarios? You’re alone. No chance for community or personal connection with others. There must be another alternative to working from home.
Enter Coworking
For many, coworking is the best alternative to working from home. It solves many of the disadvantages of traditional office rentals by keeping things simple and flexible. All coworking memberships at BizHaus are month-to-month which allows you to expand, contract or cancel as needed. Your space needs are dictated by your business needs — not the other way around.
What a wonderful thing it is to have others take care of the details. At coworking spaces, you let the community managers take care of coffee supplies, printer jams, mail, janitors, keys, etc. so that you can stay productive and stay focused on growing your business. Best of all, working in a coworking space provides the chance to connect with others and grow your business network. Not only will you have others to chat with about the latest episode of “The Bachelor”, but you will be able to find new clients, vendors and even business partners!
In conclusion, coworking is the best alternative to working from home for most people. It gives you a distraction-free place to do your best work, surrounds you with like-minded professionals who can lend an ear or extra pair of eyes, and is flexible enough to grow as your business grows. Building community without taking away from productivity is the best of both worlds, and could tempt you out of your home office forever! The community you find within coworking spaces cannot be replicated – contact us to see for yourself.