Starting your own business can be almost like having a child. It can be stressful and hard work, but when you see the amazing thing that you poured your heart and soul into starting to grow, you couldn’t be prouder. Being a mum and starting your own business comes with challenges, but thanks to a new concept in office spaces there might be a change coming that can make things easier.
Co-working spaces are a relatively new trend, starting in San Francisco around 2005, and blossomed into the worldwide phenomenon they are today. These spaces act like a shared office or workplace where independent workers come together to do their work, and there is a whole range of benefits which come with these shared spaces. For women and mums, these benefits are particularly enticing, so is it worth finding one in your local area?
The Benefits of Co-Working Spaces
Although it’s enjoying a lot of press at the moment, co-working isn’t a new thing. People have been enjoying the benefits of these shared workspaces for years, but it wasn’t until recently that working mums started to take notice of how they could reap some of the rewards.
Any stay-at-home or self-employed mum will tell you how lonely it can be only talking to babies and children all day, and a co-working space is one way to fix this. These are hubs of creativity and motivation which allow you to engage with others, share ideas, and be part of a real-life adult conversation from time to time.
If you’re one of those mums who has your “office” set up on the dining room table, you’re probably suffering from a lack of efficiency. Stop losing your papers and your concentration, by getting a separate place to work.
Take a look at the co-working spaces in your area, and you might be surprised at how little they cost. Some can start as little as $69 a month in Sydney. Office spaces will vary greatly in price and what they offer.
You know how hard it can be trying to get something done at home with all of the distractions on offer, especially for mothers. Get away from the pile of washing or uncooked dinner and focus solely on your work while you’re there.
Most of these co-working spaces run on very flexible schedules, with some even being open 24/7. This means you can go to work depending on your personal preferences, and be completely flexible in how you put in your hours.
Why New Businesses Thrive in These Settings
It’s no wonder that mums can thrive in the co-working scene with all of these benefits, but how about new businesses owners specifically? When you’re launching a new business, you’ll want to spend as little money as possible to get things off the ground, and this is where a co-working space can help immensely. With low costs and low overheads, you can focus on getting the initial work done to start your company, and worry about upgrading later if you need it.
Another key benefit of co-working spaces for the new business owner is that you’re given a chance to network, promote your business, and get feedback on ideas from other business owners. This untapped resource is full of professionals with great ideas and those in the know who might just have the connections that your growing business needs.
According to a recent report, there are now over 300 co-working spaces in Australia, and potentially any of these are staffed with like-minded go-getters who can help you share your vision. With everyone from small business owners to tech start-ups found in the one space, you’ll have such a varied scope of people to network with and learn from.
The Modern Woman’s Approach to An Office Space
As women, we always try to ‘have it all’ and thanks to innovative ideas like this it seems to be easier than ever to achieve. A co-working space is an ideal place to start your business or work away from home without the distraction that can come from a home office, and most of them are affordable for the small business owner.
In addition to having somewhere more business-like to conduct your work, you’ll likely find it more motivating to work alongside other hardworking individuals rather than a couple of screaming toddlers.
Here at Peachymama, we’re always looking for ways to empower women to be whatever they want to be, and we have plenty of ideas to help improve motivation and efficiency.
For more advice on how the modern woman can thrive we invite you to explore the rest of our blog.
Photo by Johnson Wang on Unsplash
Further Reading:
https://www.nbnco.com.au/blog/business/co-working-spaces-the-new-corporate-cool-for-entrepreneurs