As an entrepreneur, there’s a myriad of decisions to be made. What hour will you set? Where will you work? Will you be able to employ help soon? How will you grow as a company? These are just some of the questions you probably have thought about at one time or another. Even if you’re not a total newbie to owning your own business, there are still decisions to be made.

Say you’re a small business owner (maybe the only employee is yourself) and you want to meet with a potential investor, or maybe a client. Where will you have that meeting? At your home office? With your five-year-old, demanding you watch My Little Pony? At a coffee shop where the sound of espresso machines and steaming milk overlap with your pitch? Neither one of these places sound ideal, do they?

Maybe it’s time to consider a co-working office. Many entrepreneurs see the benefits to switching from a personal office to a co-working environment. Here’s why.

Inspiration and Motivation

Something you may not have thought of before, but working alongside other entrepreneurs can be a real boom to your productivity. When you’re around like-minded people, all working hard to complete their goals, it can give you a real energy boost.

You’ll no longer be listening to cartoons in the background, but rather people running their businesses, eager to succeed. While this may spurn a bit of competition, you can always make it healthy by feeding off other’s energy and putting it into your own work. Just the act of getting out of your pajamas and going into an office can mean more productivity and more inspiration to take your business further.

Connections and Collaborations

Say you’re in need of an artist's touch, or someone who may want to invest in your business. Maybe you need someone to write a catchy tagline, or help you test a landing page. How awesome would it be to be able to ask that person next to you for help (and maybe offer some of your strengths in trade)?

These kinds of connections are formed when you work next to other people. Sure, you are all working toward a similar goal, but you all have different strengths and weaknesses, and once you make friends, and understand how you can help people and how they can help you, you’ll have the benefit of a knowledgeable buddy just a few feet away.

Professionalism

There is going to come a time when you will need to impress someone. Be that a potential client, a potential investor, or even just your not-so-supportive family member. Showing off your entrepreneurial skills by taking them to your home office is probably not going to do much to cement their faith in you.

What would look good, as if you could take them to a professional office. No, you don’t have to fork out the money for a traditional office, that’s what office sharing is all about. You get the professional look, without all the cost.

Also, many co-working spaces, like those offered by 580 Executive Center, come with meeting rooms, free coffee, and Wi-Fi. All your business needs are met, and you save yourself the embarrassment of walking your potential investors through a messy house to a poorly lit basement office.

Regardless of where you worked before, a change of scenery is always nice. As your business grows, so should your office space. A co-working space is a great way to upgrade, without spending all your money on a traditional office space rent. If you’re considering a co-working space, contact us.