Anyone in the bay area business world can tell you that the way things are done are completely changing. People are starting their own businesses more than ever, and they’re moving away from the confines of how business has been conducted in the past.

Some of this is due to skyrocketing rent and expenses. Some of it is due to the exciting opportunities that the booming tech industry has brought about. When it comes to the rise in the use of coworking spaces, both of these elements seem to be contributing. People are no longer willing or able to pay for an entire office suite, when they’re the only one that actually comes in every day. With the new softwares, apps and tech coming out, there’s no longer a need to be in the same room as your business partners, investors or even employees. This is why we’ve recently seen a huge uptick in contract and remote workers. Some employees can do their work from any computer, in any location, and function just as well as if they were sitting right next to their client or boss. Enter: coworking spaces. These innovative work spaces have provided the perfect middle ground between working from home (which can be less than ideal) and having to go into an actual office building that might be far away or require the owner to pay expensive rental costs.
Remote workers have the option to work from basically anywhere that they can find an outlet and plug their laptop in, which is great, but can come with one huge downside: lack of motivation. When you don’t have anyone looking over your shoulder, you might tend to work slower, or start later. This is a natural reaction, but the important thing is finding a way to combat the urge to be a little lazier than you normally would. One of the number one tips we’ve heard from the most successful remote workers is finding or creating a designated work area. Our brains react to our environment in a very tangible way. For example, if you spend all your time in your bed, playing video games, watching movies, working and doing other activities, you’ll probably find it harder to fall asleep at night. Alternatively, if you reserve your bed for sleeping only, your brain automatically knows that it’s time to start shutting down when you get into bed. Work is the same way. If you have a dedicated office space that you only go to when it’s time to work, your brain will have a much easier time transitioning into “work mode” and staying in it, while you’re in that space.
Another way that coworking helps remote workers is by giving them a place to go, so that they can actually maintain a normal schedule. Getting up and dressed for work in the morning might not seem like the most pleasant thing in the world, especially if you’ve had a late night out the night before. However, setting a wake up time and a window in which you arrive at your coworking space everyday can help remote workers maintain a healthy and consistent schedule. This can help you get more work done every day, as well as allowing you to “leave work at work” and not bring it home with you, which as i’m sure any remote worker can tell you, can lead to late hours, and stress on relationships.