As much as a Co-working community has its benefits, a lot of these benefits rely on the ‘YOU’ factor to be worth anything at all.

If you’re looking for tips on how to leverage a Co-working space and community to your advantage, keep reading.

Tip 1. Remain Productive

While Co-working does help boost productivity, like any other working environment, there will be distractions. Therefore, it is important for you to use tools at your disposal to consciously maintain a high productivity level. Tools and applications that help you plan your day, create to-do lists are highly recommended. If for example, you’re one who gets easily distracted by noise, getting noise cancelling headsets will be in order. Having backup equipment like extension cords apart from the ones provided by the workspace will also help to avoid slowing you down if the community’s equipment becomes faulty. Whatever steps you think you should take to fully optimise your experience within the community, take them.

Tip 2.  Be a part of the community

This tip seems like a given and should go without saying but a number of people work from Co-working communities and never make any meaningful connections. The community is available but you have to actively engage with other members of the community to build the kind of network you want. This isn’t to say that you should always be in the faces of the people you share the space with, constantly trying to sell your products or services. As much as you should tell people what you do, also offer to be a part of their own growth process. Look for ways to impact other members of your Co-working community.

Tip 3. Be respectful of others

Something as simple as basic decency will help one thrive in any environment. Co-working or otherwise. Things like trying not to be a distraction to others by being unnecessarily noisy, cleaning up after yourself in shared restrooms. Being a decent person in your Co-working community makes it easier for you to form meaningful relationships and makes people gravitate to you.

Tip 4. Attend Networking Events

Networking events are commonplace in a Co-working space. These can include mixers, seminars, conferences, workshops, sometimes just parties. These events do not only present a great opportunity to get to know your coworkers better, but they also help to expand your own personal horizons. Personally, you may not often have an opportunity to attend many workshops, events or even social gatherings  but in a Co-working space, you just might – and you never know what you might learn and the kind of connections you might form.

Tip 5. Get Familiar with the environment

In getting the best out of a Co-Working space, it is important to familiarize yourself with the environment. For instance Co-Working spaces usually have a community manager who keeps organises and keeps track of the happenings in the community. Keep in mind that the Co-Working community does not just consist of the individuals or businesses that are currently members, it also includes all those who have passed through. The community manager can also help point you to outside opportunities from the resources of past members the community has had. So, it is important to be in tune with the manager. Also, every Co-Working space has a unique culture. Before settling on a particular space, you need to be sure it’s a great fit for your business.  It’s also important to ensure you have the right level of privacy or that a socially active Co-Working space doesn’t become a distraction to your productivity.You also want to ensure it has whatever amenities you might need, such as access to a conference room, a suitable break room or kitchen, access to audio-visual equipment or printing  services. One way to do this is to familiarize yourself with the environment by using daily or weekly membership plans to get a feel of the environment before taking the space.

A Co-Working space could be the best thing to happen to your business and even your social life. It really all depends on you. We hope that you take these tips into consideration and run with them in ensuring your Co-Working space does what you intended for it to do for you.

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