Perhaps you are the most productive person in the world and can get up every morning, put on real pants and get into home work mode. OR, perhaps you are like many freelancers who find the idea of working from home challenging and not conducive to getting things done.

Many freelancers flock to surrounding cafes, however, that can often times lead to guilt over taking up a seat for so long, and constantly trying to buy something every hour or so to compensate for that.

Ditch the sweatpants and the coffee jitters and consider some of the great benefits of using a coworking space:

Work/life balance

One of the major issues with working from home is that it tends to blur the line between “home space” and “work space” and creates an environment where you feel constant pressure to work. Using a coworking space allows you to clearly delineate the parts of your life that you use for personal and professional matters.

Network with other freelancers and potential clients

Coworking spaces create a natural and easy setting for both networking with other freelancers and spreading the word about what you do. It also is a great place to share ideas and find folks to collaborate with on projects.

Furniture is provided

Real desks and office chairs! And perhaps a coffee maker! Even if you don’t have a dedicated desk, you will have a desk that is meant to be worked at for long stretches of time.

Sense of community

Freelancing can feel like a lonely gig sometimes. It’s nice to work for yourself, however, in doing that you lose a bit of that community that you would have working in a group setting. Coworking allows you to find a community of people who are like-minded and on the same hustle train as you. Everyone gets each other in a way that is probably above and beyond a typical office setting.

Find your folks

Just like every snowflake is unique, every coworking space has a different vibe and atmosphere. Some may cater to the more serious corporate types, while some may encourage you to compost and get in on that farm share delivery that they just need one more person to sign up for and please would you do it?

You can quit

Office environments can be tough. Often there are a lot of personalities in a small space. Coworking is no exception, however, you have no obligation to stay there (unless of course, you have signed up for a longer term commitment). If you don’t like the vibe at one space, or if you just find yourself clashing with some of the personalities, then you can move along and find a space that is more in line with your values and sensibilities.

Conference rooms for meeting with clients

Most coworking spaces offer conference rooms that you can book to meet with clients, which is definitely a step up from your kitchen and or coffee shop. This not only steps up your professional game, but it puts an extra layer of separation between your personal life and your work life.

Tax write-off

The IRS is (rightfully) pretty strict about home office write-offs. A monthly coworking space is an easy, 100% tax-deductible way to claim an office without doing the math on how much those 3 square feet of your apartment that you work in is worth.

Learning opportunities

Many coworking spaces offer free workshops for folks to learn new skills, or information that is relevant to expanding and strengthening your freelance business.

Freelancers, would you consider coworking?

Want to find a coworking space in your area? Check out our Quiet Revolutionary Map!