Virtual Coworking Spaces

Virtual working has been on the rise for a significant amount of time now but has never really flowed over the edge that it has been teetering on. The pandemic has been that push that virtual working has needed to become a more mainstream thing. With more people working online, there has been a growing demand for the need for co-working spaces. Combining aspects of the regular and more traditional world with that of the online working world has created the explosion of virtual co-working spaces that people have been making use of more so than ever. 

What Is a Coworking Space?

Before we look at virtual coworking spaces, what is a coworking space in general? Coworking experiences are usually for freelancers and digital nomads. Coworking spaces are somewhat of a middle ground between working from the comfort of your home, and traditional office space, as to avoid getting overly distracted. Many people simply cannot work to the best of their ability if they do not have the social aspect of working. Traditional coworking spaces are not that much different from that of the online coworking space domain. However, they have begun to be overtaken by the virtual coworking space world as they are overall just more effective than that of the physical coworking world.

What Is a Virtual Coworking Space?

As mentioned, with the rise of online workers, so has the rise of virtual coworking spaces risen alongside that. A virtual coworking space seeks to combine the benefits that can come with working remotely whilst also doing so with individuals online. The physical coworking spaces are becoming more and more sparse as time progresses. This is why online virtual coworking spaces are becoming more popular as they seek to incorporate the pros of physical coworking spaces into an online experience. They give you the comfort of sitting in your home whilst also not being completely isolated from human interaction and getting easily distracted by household activities and visuals. 

Benefits of Virtual Coworking Spaces 

There is a seemingly endless list of potential benefits that you could make use of as a result of engaging in remote work. To summarise just a few of the main pros:

• It isn’t location-based, therefore it doesn’t matter whether you live in a rural or secluded place where there isn’t any coworking space.
• It’s simple to organize post-work social online events with your group.
• Virtual coworking is significantly cheaper than alternative options. 
• The pool of people you’ll be able to interact with is significantly wider and more diverse as a result of removing the distance barrier that often hinders physical coworking. 
• They are a great option to remain in the loop with what is going on around the world without having to delve too deep into anything on your own too.
• As you work together with others, you’ll naturally exchange ideas and gain feedback on your work from like-minded and different people from all over the world. 

All these are sure to benefit your work going forward as you gain a diverse range of feedback that you can apply to your output of work going forward. 

How To Make the Most of Virtual Coworking 

It is easy to confuse the idea of virtual coworking with that of just general online meetings through platforms like Zoom and Teams. That being said, virtual coworking can be so much more than just a basic online video call. It ranges from platform to platform but so many platforms offer a variety of different features for users to make use of. Usually, there is a receptionist there to help you with any issues you may be encountering whilst using the coworking space online. As well as this, you’ll most likely have access to a variety of different workshops and sessions to partake in with other members of the space. You’ll also be able to engage in the traditional experiences of a coworking space. For example, having lunch with other members and other enjoyable activities to have some downtime in between working. Ensuring you engage with everything that a coworking space has to offer will be key to making sure you get the most out of the virtual coworking space that you’ll be engaging with. 

Should You Be Using Virtual Coworking Spaces?  

Generally, you would have to say that the decision on whether to use a coworking space or not is down to your preferences. That being said, virtual coworking may be of benefit to you if you find yourself always on the move. In contrast, it also works great for people who remain in one location, and often find themselves isolated in one room for hours at a time. People who operate businesses remotely or people who just want to have some company as they carry out their work are all on the list of people who seem to gain the most out of the virtual coworking experience once they get going. 

But it’s true that you’ll also need a good internet connection, which most physical coworking places will provide. If your company or organization operates across different time zones, scheduling and time zone complications may occur. You should also ensure that everyone in the group is comfortable with the virtual coworking space’s layout.

Conclusion 

Overall, we have tried our best to give an insight into what a virtual coworking space is, as they are often wrongly just seen as a lesser and more redundant version of physical coworking spaces.