Disadvantages of Coworking (and How to Reply)

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Last week we published the mega-list of coworking advantages. Now it is the turn of the disadvantages. We have included some of the possible answers you can use.

  • I work better from home
    • Maybe coworking is not for you, but do you think that coming once a week could be beneficial to you?
    • How many contacts do you make at home?

    [Tweet “How many contacts do you make at home? #coworking”]

  • Noisy
    • Just like any other office
    • You can concentrate better if you use headphones
    • You can isolate yourself in a meeting room
    • Some spaces use white noise to reduce distractions
    • Some spaces have quiet rooms, more like a library

    [Tweet “Too much noise in your #coworking space? Here are the solutions”]

  • Too quiet
    • It may be just that you are over worried about making noise
    • Move to another room
    • Talk with the managers and see if they can have a regular office like room
    • Get away from the noisier people

    [Tweet “Is your #coworking space too quiet for you? There’s an easy solution for it”]

  • Distractions
    • Put on your headphones to reduce interaction from other people
    • Isolate yourself in a meeting room
    • Educate your coworkers into how and when to interact with you

    [Tweet “Learn how improve your concentration in a #coworking space”]

  • Privacy and confidentiality
    • You only share what you want to share
    • Get a desk with your back to the wall and in a corner
    • Use a locker for your sensitive documents
    • Isolate yourself in a meeting room to make sensitive calls
    • Reduce the volume of your voice when talking on the phone
    • The other coworkers came to work, not to listen to you

    [Tweet “How to improve privacy and confidentiality in a #coworking space”]

  • I don’t want to share my project
    • You don’t have to
  • Some people are too intense
    • Get away from them, you may even be able to move to another room
    • Tell them to leave more space for you
  • You have to pay
    • You get a lot of value for little money
    • Thera are a lot of advantages of coworking
    • If you only care about money and not about value you are not ready to cowork
  • You have to commute
    • Find a space that is close to you and that you like
  • You have to shower and brush your teeth
    • If you are filthy, nobody will want to be around you
    • It will improve your self confidence and the image you project about yourself

    [Tweet “You have to be clean to cowork. It will improve your business.”]

What would you add?

Check Your Mailbox For “Legal, Coworking and the Law”

We have just released another chapter of the Coworking Handbook to all the people subscribed to our site.

This time is Legal: Coworking and the Law and it gives pointers for legal aspects of coworking businesses. Because of the huge differences in laws across the globe it contains general advise and things to keep in mind. This is a short chapter so you should all be able to contribute a lot with your feedback ;)

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We want to thank you all for your contributions and for your engagement in our Facebook and Twitter. In just two days we have passed the 300 barrier on both of them! Our first milestone where the first 12 apostles that bought the book, now we have our 300 coworking Spartans, what will be our next literary goal?

 

Progress and Sections of the Coworking Handbook

Here’s the latest update on the progress of the book:

  1. Chapters are progressing good. One has already been shared with the subscribers for feedback and received positively.
  2. The next draft chapter will go out today to subscribers only.
  3. We have figured out the issue with Google Docs: it always shares the emails of all the people that you share the document with in CC. We will not share it like this any more. You will receive a link sent with our newsletter tool to protect your privacy.
  4. These are the chapters we are working on:
  • Introduction
  • What is Coworking
  • Community
  • Space
  • Marketing & Sales
  • Management
  • Finance
  • Annexes with check lists and questionnaires.

What is missing?

The draft of the first chapter has been sent to our subscribers!

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We are not sure about being emotionnally ready for your criticism, but knowing the coworking crowd like we do, I’m sure it will be very interesting and constructive feedback!

The invitations have been sent directly from Google Docs, so they will not be pretty. Can’t find this email invitation? Check your spam box.

If you are missing out and want to get the next chapters, just signup to our newsletter to get the next releases and more exclusive content.

Coworking Bookcamp!

The @cohandbook writing monks in @workINcompany: @jaimearanda & @ramonsuarez

Jaime and I are secluded at workINcompany in Seville to finish writing our manual for coworking space owners and managers. Work is progressing good and we are enjoying the beauty of the city. At least for me, as the alien in town, it is quite inspiring. The bookcamp has given good results in its first day, and I’ve also had the time to enjoy the food and to get to know a bunch of interesting coworkers.

The book is progressing and we will start releasing chapters into the wild tomorrow. They will be sent only to the VIP supporters that have already bought the book or that have signed up for the Coworking Handbook newsletter.

These are reviewed first drafts, an alpha version of the book. We want feedback to improve it, and those that cooperate the most/best will see their names in the book and may be included in the testimonials.

Talking about testimonials: that is a part of the book you will not see yet. We will work on them once the full first draft of the book is finished and we can contact other coworking space owners and managers we appreciate and admire to get their insight on specific points.

We have also launched a new Facebook page for the book. Click on Like and share it!

More to come, signup to be updated!