Your ticket into the world of coworking
Setting up a slick website. Closing deals with new clients and customers. Sketching out a dream office, complete with all the furnishings (and maybe even an office dog).
Yep, it?s easy to dream big when starting out on your own business venture. But if you?re just a one-person, small-scale operation, can you get that funky office space that will ?wow? clients, business partners and your new hires?
These days, you don?t need to wait long to take your business out of your home and into a dream office space. A coworking ?hot desk? could be your ticket to not just a desk, but a professional address, with all the services to help your business grow.
Wait a second. What is hot-desking, anyway?
Hot-desking simply means you don?t have a permanent desk. Instead, desks are a shared, collective resource in a workspace. This allows you, your coworkers and an employer (or coworking space) the flexibility to adjust ways of working, day-to-day.
Here?s an example. In a single week, Simon may be away sick, Lucy may be working from home, and Greg and Anna may be collaborating on a project. Hot-desking allows the available space from Simon and Lucy?s absence to be used by others, while Greg and Anna can set up as neighbours for more effective collaboration.
That?s why hot-desking is also often an entry-level service from coworking spaces. A one-person operation can get a desk in a trendy, productive workspace only for the days they need, without forking out the costs of a full-time office. In this case, flexibility means affordability.
Coworking… Is it more than just a desk?
Hot-desking at a coworking space give you much more than just a desk. You get access to services, networks and a professional image a fledgling business needs. Here are just some of the benefits when hot-desking at a coworking space.
1. Put yourself on the map with a pro postcode
Appearances matter. And a professional postcode signals professionalism to your customers, clients, partners (or maybe even the odd sticky-beak). So when you send out invoices or put an address up on your website, you?re now looking like a legitimate business.
How about an address in Melbourne?s ?Silicon Yarra?? Or close by to action in Sydney?s CBD? Or a slick loft-space in central Brissy? There?s a huge variety of coworking spaces, available all around Australia. And that means one in your ideal postcode, too.
2. Look the part for your clients
Another great reason to start out with a coworking hot desk? You?ll be able to schedule in meetings with new clients, customers and partners at a real, professional (and trendy) business address. No more home visits or coffee shop catch-ups. Welcome to the real deal.
With a hot desk at a coworking space, you?ll have access to facilities usually available for businesses much bigger than yours ? meeting rooms, concierge and check-ins, refreshments, and more. So when it?s time to show off, you’ve got this in the bag.
3. Balance the home office with the coworking office
Working from home has its perks. But a change of scenery can do wonders. A hot desk at a coworking space means that for a certain number of days in the month, you?re working out of a productive, collaborative coworking space that brings out your best work.
Some days, it may be better to work from home ? especially if you’re balancing your business with family commitments. Then for the days when you need extra services or are looking to collaborate with a coworker, then you have space at your favourite coworking location.
4. Get access to business services for a boost
One of the key benefits of joining a coworking space is access to the extras. Of course, there are the basics ? like printing, fast WiFi and meeting rooms ? but many coworking spaces offer much more than just the necessities.
These can be monthly pitch nights, investor sessions, workshops, meetups and hackathons. And some spaces also offer other support services, such as business consulting and coaching, as well as referrals to legal and accountancy services.
5. Have the room to flourish and grow
For a lean business, flexibility is key. That is, if you have a hot desk on a month-by-month plan, you can easily account for your expenses without huge overheads, such forking out for a shared office space. Just pay for what you use.
And this flexibility is great if you decide to expand your business. All you need to do is add more days in the month, or even another desk, and away you go. It?s a solution that means you?ll be able to better manage your business.