Small Business Coworking and the Benefits of Shared Space

2. Sharing work space offers flexibility

Joe Song, founder of Atlanta-based party planning service Kidian, opted for a shared workspace for his startup because "we needed a place that would allow us to quickly and easily set up an office without a long-term lease commitment."

McCune agrees that it's ideal for a new business or small scale company. "I'd highly recommend small businesses and startups consider coworking spaces when looking to establish an office," she adds.

Unlike traditional office space, which may require a multi-year lease, coworking spaces often allow for month-to-month rentals. That makes them ideal for startups, or for established companies trying out coworking in the short term.

3. Coworking can offer unique perks

The perks offered by his coworking space sweetened the deal even further for Song. Everything his company needed to get started — including desks, chairs, Wi-Fi, printing, and cleaning services — was already on site.

Coworking spaces can also come with a laundry list of extras, such as coffee, snack and juice bars; communal kitchen areas; libraries; specialty equipment (think 3-D printers or a private studio for recording podcasts); and outdoor areas, including rooftop or backyard gardens. Plus, shared workspaces sometimes offer perks that help maintain work-life balance, such as meditation rooms, on-site yoga classes, nap rooms, on-site child care, swimming pools, rock climbing walls and more.

Those are the kinds of amenities you typically only see offered by larger companies with extensive campuses, but by pooling resources, coworking allows employees to extend big business perks on a small business budget.

Coworking challenges

The move from a dedicated to a shared space can have its challenges, too.

McCune says crowding is sometimes an issue because while there is open seating, there are only so many seats available. There are private meeting rooms in her coworking space, but they're first-come, first-serve, which can be inconvenient. And shared common areas sometimes get taken over by video shoots from other companies, which makes it harder for employees to navigate the halls.

Smart scheduling and adopting a good neighbor policy are essential in those situations. McCune's company also uses common areas for video shoots, but there are mindful of not monopolizing those areas and privileges.

In Tan's case, security is the biggest concern. "Our company handles private customer data, so we have to take extra precautions to ensure that our laptops and phones meet the internet security requirements," he says.

You can ease security concerns by verifying that a coworking space has a password-protected Wi-Fi network and testing out your software and hardware to make sure there are no issues with compatibility. Take time to develop an office security policy that covers things like password use, sharing information, securing laptops, and who has access to your coworking space.

Song says his biggest struggle so far has been the noise factor. In his coworking space, offices are built with glass walls separating each one from the next so sounds tend to carry. That can make client phone calls, not to mention getting along with your neighbors, more challenging.

To cut down on noise, Song outfitted his coworking space with rugs, plants, and insulation to cut down on echoes. He and his employees take advantage of designated call booths to handle phone conversations with minimal distractions. And he makes an effort to keep noise in his space at a reasonable level so it doesn't trickle out into the offices next door.