Things to keep in mind while sharing an office space
When you are sharing office space, there are quite a few things that you need to take care of. Apart from bearing certain points while choosing the office, you need to keep up with the dos and don’ts inside the space. When you are opting for a coworking environment, there are quite a few things that you simply cannot ignore. There are other people, different from who you are or what you are doing, involved in this particular aspect. You will need to take them into consideration as well, before drawing up the final agreement. Here we will take you through the things you should keep in mind when sharing your office space.
Most people tend to ignore these factors when opting for a coworking space. Let’s see what they are and why you should keep them in mind.
What are your expectations?
When you set out in search of coworking space, there is obviously some expectation you have about your coworking space. Unless that gets fulfilled, you won’t opt for it. It is always a good idea to be clear about these expectations, and voice it out clearly to those who are allowing you to work from that space. How are you planning to pay for space? Are you going to barter services for the rent you are supposed to pay? There should be a proper contract in place stating the expectations, as that will make your life easy in the coworking space. The expectations and your methods should be clear from the start.
What is the culture like?
You need to be aware of the culture that exists in the coworking space you have identified for your needs. If you are working as a team, do you prefer having team activities? Does your team break out for impromptu games, physical or virtual? If yes, does it fit with the culture of the coworking space? This is something that you need to consider before opting for space.
Are you direct competitors?
What if, the person with whom you are sharing the space, is your direct competition? Now, that can work in two ways for you- it can either be troublesome or, it can be a boon. Let’s say you both end up working together, you can take up more projects, and it could become a win-win situation. But, if that’s not the case, you would end up stealing projects from each other. Make sure you have taken this into account as well before onboarding the new coworking space.
Check the details
Studying everything in detail is important. What will the landlord of the space provide, and what are you expected to bring? This is an important part of booking the coworking space. There is a possibility that the tiny clause stating you have to get your own coffee might have escaped your eye. This is a small thing but, there would be a great many things that tend to escape our notice. Study all the clauses in detail before you sign anything. This would help you.
These are a few things that you simply cannot ignore before you plan on going ahead with the coworking space. Make sure you have considered everything and then signed the agreement.