When entrepreneurs start a company or remote employees become officially remote, there is exhilaration in the idea of total flexibility and the option to work from home.
Commute? Rolling from the bed to the couch.
Coffee run? More like coffee walk to the kitchen.
Interruptions from coworkers? Not even possible.
It sounds pretty ideal. Total silence. All day long. In your pajamas.
But what happens when it's too quiet and your pajamas are too comfy? You don't get anything done. And no one is around to motivate you.
The problem is that your projects and deadlines do not change while your productivity decreases.
Cue Cabin Fever.
Coworking spaces around the world offer so many variations of amenities, but the most important features remain the most simple:
- Flexible access
- Proximity to other people
- Productivity
When people come to Work Hive for a tour, the need to get out of the house is the number one reason they are seeking coworking space.
Jamie Syke, a graphic designer based in Germany, echos this need upon his move to Berlin: "I used to absolutely and unequivocally swear by the concept of working from home. But since I moved to Berlin 3 months ago, the idea quickly stagnated. Selling all my belongings and living in AirBNBs meant I was effectively working from someone else’s “home”. And it just didn’t work. I found myself feeling uncomfortable."
Even though a designer's work is as remote as they come, Jamie still did not feel as productive as he could have. His situation was uniquely extreme in that he started his tenure in Germany staying in numerous Airbnbs, but the point remains that his productivity was affected.
24/7 access to the space, which is inherently full of other people who want to be productive, provides the flexibility for a lot of solopreneurs and remote workers to take advantage of reliable productivity based on when during the day they are uniquely the most focused.
In addition, other than the endless coffee that is available, Syke mentions the power of simply being around other people: "I’ve found working around a bunch of other people who are also working, and not pissing around watching YouTube or the latest episode of Mr Robot has been incredible for me and my productivity."