Coworking Alliances: Connectivity in an Independent World
Small businesses, freelancers, telecommuters, and startups who want to transition away from isolated work environments and into a more productive, collaborative, and creative working space may want to consider joining a coworking alliance. The idea behind such alliances is that groups of like-minded individuals, or small businesses, in close geographical proximity to one another can come together in a single facility to share resources, reduce operating costs, and create a community atmosphere. As the Kansas City Coworking Alliance states: “You might work for yourself, but you don’t have to work by yourself.”
The number of coworking spaces across the globe has risen by 400% in the past two years. The U.S. alone has between 32 and 35 million independent workers who could benefit from the advantages offered by a coworking space. Participants in a coworking alliance can utilize a space by the day, the month, etc. According to the Harvard Business Review (HBR), such alliances offer those involved an “optioncon of the future by opening new doors to unforeseen possibilities”. Some additional advantages of coworking alliances, as stated by the HBR, include allowing partners to utilize each other’s skill sets without being controlled by formal structures and strict policies.
The cost of joining a coworking alliance can vary based on your region. The Orlando Coworking Alliance, for example, ranges from $99 to $425 per month based on office space selections and regularity of use. With many coworking alliances, costs can be impacted by whether you need a dedicated desk space available to you alone, or whether you only need a “hot desk” for certain hours at a time. WeWork, which provides multiple coworking locations around the world, prices its hot desks at $220 a month, whereas its private offices are priced at $450 a month. To find out more about coworking alliances in your area, reference the Coworking Handbook, hosted by Coworking Associations and Organizations.
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