Why Co-Working is the future

I’m not talking about the classic definition of an entrepreneur building a big company – I’m talking about the freelancer, part-timer, and the independent. Yes, corporations will live on, but innovation, disruption, and the future lies in the hands of the entrepreneurs. At the center of this movement - and it's already here - we see major changes in how, when, and where people work. This is the rise of co-working and you should do it too.

So, what is co-working?

It’s quite simple. If you’ve ever spent more than a week working from home, you’ve likely noticed that working from home, or alone, is not as easy and wonderful as it might seem. You get bored. You are a social animal. You need people to feel good. Co-working is just working together and better with others. (If you are new to co-working, check this resource for definitions etc).

For the last twenty years, you’ve noticed more and more people working at coffee shops. If you live in San Francisco or another major tech hub, it seems as if no one has an office anymore. In the last five years, co-working spaces have been popping up all over the world. You can easily find one in this directory. It's easy to get going: You can rent a desk, a room, or just pop in for the day. Most places offer coffee, meeting rooms, and comfy couches.

While in-person co-working is terrific, co-working doesn’t have to be in-person. Loads of people co-work online and cross-borders. It's not as refreshing as the real thing, but the co-working concept is really more about sustainability and community building than anything else. 

Why is it so great?

The pure creative energy that comes from co-working is just terrific. You meet new people, collaborate, and you constantly are refreshed by the environment and energy that drives co-working spaces.

Networking is super easy and some of the people in your space might buy or sell services to you – in person. That’s just a superb way of building value, right?

Our next space for Fabric will be a co-working environment. We’re looking at downtown Los Angeles and we’re looking for a street-facing retail space. If you know the perfect space or you want to join in, get in touch. Let’s make it happen!

We wish you luck, Erlend! Thanks for the inspiration. Click here for his blog.