There’s a certain appeal to working for a startup that attracts thousands of applicants from around the world to apply for their open job positions. Startups are small businesses that usually come from a non-traditional way thinking. People who work 9-5 jobs from a cubicle can tell you that this environment can be wearing day after day.

One of the factors that startups seem to approach differently is their actual work environment. For financial reasons, a lot of startups actually function from the owner’s own living space. Another option many startup owners take is working from a cafe or coffee shop. While these spaces do save money as opposed to renting a full office suite, they’ve proved to be problematic for other reasons. It can be nearly impossible to concentrate on work when you have the distractions of a busy coffee shop bustling around you. Even your own home can be distracting with your tv, your couch, your kids and your pets all vying for your attention. These are some of the main reasons there’s been a recent rise in coworking spaces. Here are some of the other reasons more and more startups are making coworking spaces their central location.

Non-Traditional Environment

As mentioned before, many startup workers value outside-the-box solutions. Coworking spaces provide different areas that cater to the needs of creative people. Being in a space that is specially designed to be non-traditional can do wonders for your productivity. Some parts of the space are dedicated to privacy and quiet work. If you’re in the middle of a huge project and need to hunker down and focus, these areas will guarantee that you won’t be bothered. Other areas are arranged in more open seating formats, and encourage innovative thinking and brainstorming. These areas help you get comfortable and work on more creative projects in the company of other hard working individuals.

Networking

One of the best parts of working from the open seating portion of a coworking space is the opportunity to meet other professionals. Many different types of people use coworking spaces, which means that this is a rare opportunity for you to meet people from all different types of industries and areas of expertise. In a coworking space, you might sit next to a lawyer one day, and a graphic designer the next. You never know when you’re shaking the hand of your next collaborator, employee or even investor.

Cost

Getting a startup off the ground isn’t easy. One of the biggest struggles in doing so is making the right financial decisions. Even if your company just got a huge round of funding, you don’t always know when they next one will come through. For this reason it’s vital that you only allocate funds to things that are important. Even if it’s financially possible for you to rent an office, it’s not always necessary in the beginning stages of your business. Coworking means that you pay for a place to work when you need it, and don’t waste money on it when you don’t.