It certainly takes guts to bid goodbye to a job in an established company and embrace self-employment. Not everyone can sustain the freelance life even if they have taken this major step. In case you have founded a startup, in the initial phase you may not be having any colleagues, a boss to shoulder several of your responsibilities, no banter, no gossips, no fun debates on who’s going to win the World Cup and no working together to attain a common goal. If you have been working in a well-set company for several years, then the freelancing environment all of a sudden may seem strange to you and there have been instances when the startup entrepreneurs are not able to sustain this life for too long.
Now, there is a way out when you can get the best of both the worlds. It is now possible to run your own startup business and at the same time take the great advantage of the several benefits of a shared office. A coworking space Bangalore is a world-class office where several startups and companies operate from under the same roof. As a solo entrepreneur or a nascent startup entrepreneur, you would not be able to have a big team. So, working alone with a small team can make you feel lonely, dejected and demotivated in the long run. A shared office has several other like-minded people with whom you can interact, exchange ideas and also ask for suggestions when you are stuck somewhere.
Most of the freelancers, startup entrepreneurs and self-employed come across several distractions while operating from home, popping out into the garden only to stretch their legs once in a while is not a sustainable way of working. As you are your own boss, you may be distracted to take some time out of work to walk down your neighboring market to pick up the stuff from the dry cleaning store, clear the junk from your garage and visit the local recycling centre. This eventually hampers your core work. Opting for a shared office will prevent you from all such distractions as you will have to go to the office every day and you will not presume yourself to be available for such petty jobs. Thus, your focus on your core job would improve and, of course, you would have access to an inspiring work environment where you would be finding like-minded people to interact with which also strengthen the chances of fruitful collaborations.
Setting off to reach the shared office every morning means you have a sense of purpose and you are working towards achieving a certain goal. You would have the privilege of experiencing a strong sense of community and there would be several supportive people around who would be there to guide you during your tough times. By adopting a shared office, you would be able to make some valuable business as well as human connections. This will help you in establishing your startup business and make it a success story.
The options available
You do have several options that you can choose from when you decide to choose a shared office. You can go for flexible desks, private offices and fixed seats in a shared office as per your need and subject to availability. The price, as well as the services, differ to a certain extent based on the location as well as the service provider that you choose.
In the past few years, there are several domestic as well as international companies which have mightily forayed into the shared office business. There are several established developers in India like RMZ, Embassy etc. which have partnered with the coworking space companies or have started to extend their own services to offer the shared office to the users. There are several major players like iKeva which are considerably ramping up operations in India even though the competition is perpetually increasing with time.
Here’s how the shared offices can facilitate the growth of the startups:
- Flexibility – The shared offices offer several customization options and flexibilities which you are free to choose. You can either choose a private cabin, can work from open space or use the meeting rooms for confidential discussions. The price varies based on the facilities, location and amenities that the shared office provides.
- Multiple offices in several locations – In case you have partners, employees or clients from various other cities apart from the one where you are based at, you will have the advantage of having full-fledged offices at all the locations where you operate. There are service providers who offer superior quality shared offices in multiple prominent cities.
- Cost – As a new startup, you would definitely have a paucity of funds for operational purposes. The shared offices are many time cost-effective as compared to a traditional office. This is another great reason which you should adopt a shared office as a startup entrepreneur.
Common infrastructure – The shared offices have common support staffs and facilities like canteen, housekeeping, pantry, reception etc. which are difficult for a small startup or individual to arrange for. The shared office provides you with all in a package within affordable rates.
