Tips to Make the Most of Your Coworking Space
A shared office or coworking space is ideal for mobile businesses and telecommuters as well as a complement to a home office. The most important thing to remember is to arrive prepared. A common mistake new member’s make is to turn up forgetting something, like the power supply cord for their notebook or netbook. Or it could be the external drive that has data they need for the day ahead. These are just small things but they can mess with your day nonetheless. Until you get into a set routine working in a shared office, it’s always a good idea to have a checklist. This should include all the essential things you need for the day. All you have to do then is go through your list before you head out. It sounds like a simple plan because it is, but it can be a lifesaver.
Here are a few other useful tips to help you make the most out of a co-working space:
- Claim your own space
- Don’t be afraid to ask
- Book in advance
- Headphones and chargers
- Collaborate
None of these things are difficult to achieve but they can make life a whole lot easier for you and those around you. The first thing you have to do is get used to the sharing concept. A little mutual respect can and does go a long way. Those who work in coworking offices help to create a good atmosphere. You know what they say about a “happy worker,” right.
We’ll now take a look at the five “happy office sharing” tips.
#1: Claim Your Own Space
At Office Evolution Hackensack NJ, if you pick a dedicated workspace—such as a dedicated desk or office, which is your personal area, you will want to personalize it. This just means you make the space your own; something unique to you. Once you surround yourself with a few personal items the space becomes familiar and comfortable to work from. How you decorate your area is your call. The most important thing is that it looks and feels “lived in” to you personally. It’s only a minor detail but it will surprise you just how well it works. This is no different to how someone might fix up their work area in a more conventional office setting. There’s a good reason why people do this, and your coworking space shouldn’t be any different.
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#2: Don’t Be Afraid to Ask
It’s quite usual for folks to forget to pack some essential item before they head out. This is more likely to happen with new members who are just getting into a routine (see opening paragraph). You might forget something essential like a charger, headphones or HDMI cable, etc. For a lot of people, returning home to collect the forgotten item(s) is time they can ill afford and should be the last resort. In cases like these, never be afraid to ask someone if they can loan you whatever it is you’ve forgotten to pack. This is also a good opportunity for you to introduce yourself to those you may not know. There is no need to feel awkward either. Forgetting stuff is something we’ve all done at some point. Because of this, most people are understanding and sympathetic to your plight.
You could also ask the co-working office staff too. Some shared offices keep a few essentials to hand in case of emergencies. There is certainly no harm in asking. If you’re a regular member, there’s a good chance someone at some point will approach you for the exact same reasons.
#3: Book Additional Space in Advance
There can be nothing more frustrating than when you need a meeting or conference room only to find there’s nothing available. People can occupy these at any time of the day of course. But as a general rule, there is less demand for these rooms early on and toward the end of business hours. The golden rule here is to book the spaces as soon as you know you need them, and the earlier the better. Sometimes, some people need a little extra isolation when they have to focus or concentrate particularly hard on a new project. Meeting and conference rooms can become invaluable for such times too. Again, if you know you need one, book in advance.
#4: Headphones and Chargers
We’ve already looked at what to do if you forget to pack certain things in tip #2. Headphones and chargers require a special mention though. You will find that many people working in coworking spaces like to shut themselves off at certain times of the day or during specific tasks. Some like to listen to music or talk radio. Others may just want to plug their ears with memory foam earplugs for the ultimate silence. If you can relate to either of these, it’s a good idea to buy a set of headphones or earplugs just for the office. This way you can always leave them in your bag and never have to worry about forgetting to pack them. Remember too that coworking office spaces are respectfully quiet. This means it’s not practical or considerate to have loud music or other sounds coming out of your computer speakers.
If you’re a bit forgetful, consider getting a spare set of charging cables and cords. Again, you can keep these in your bag, which means you don’t have to remember to pack them each time you head out.
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#5: Collaborate
What a lot of people love about coworking is that they’re not alone. In other words they get to operate in real human spaces. As obvious as that might sound, this is something that is crucial to the coworking culture. It’s not the people per se; it’s who they are that matters. This is not usually the case in a conventional type office setting. At the shared space, you have all kinds of people on all sorts of missions, but you still share a common bond. You are all professionals, independents or work for a small firm, and have an entrepreneurial streak. It might also surprise you to know just how interconnected a lot of these projects are. The more you collaborate with your fellows, the more everyone gets out of the experience. Most who use coworking effectively agree that they are more motivated, engaged and ambitious.
In a typical coworking space it’s quite possible there are co-workers with the following skills:
- Attorneys
- Accountants
- Financial advisors
- Consultants
- Coaches
- Web developers
- Programmers
- Insurance brokers
- Real estate agents
- Graphic artists
Two heads or more are certainly better than one. Once you get to build new relationships, and you will, the more you get to realize that the coworking space is so much more than just a desk with a row of power sockets. How you make the most of your own coworking experience is something you will adapt to as you settle in. The five tips above are certainly worth considering as these are points which came about as the result of surveys.
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At Office Evolution Hackensack, we provide virtual office and private office solutions. We offer meeting rooms, offices, a coworking lounge, a shared reception, a business address, and virtual receptionist services. Plus there are many local restaurants. We have many options and price points, and all terms are flexible. Plus, you become part of a community of like-minded professionals.
Whether you live in Teaneck, Bergenfield, Maywood, Teterboro, Hasbrouck Heights, Moonachie, Little Ferry, Rochelle Park, Dumont, Bogota, River Edge, New Milford, Hackensack, Englewood, Paramus, Tenafly and other communities nearby, choosing Office Evolution Hackensack in New Jersey will help you be more professional, productive, and profitable.