We’re biased, but it’s always surprising when we find ourselves needing to explain what coworking is (or perhaps more importantly, what it isn’t). Though coworking has exploded in the last three years both nationally and internationally (there are currently 894 coworking spaces across 82 countries), it seems that as an industry we need to work on clarification. Not only are some people not familiar with the definition of the term coworking, they’re also not clear on the concept and how it applies to the new workforce.

The Oxford Dictionary definition of coworking is “the use of an office or other working environment by people who are self-employed or working for different employers, typically so as to share equipment, ideas, and knowledge.”

For some, the mental image the word coworking brings up is reminiscent of a scene from the 2013 movie The Internship: 20-somethings in untucked shirts and bare feet. While many coworking spaces do have a casual vibe, they are definitely much more work than play. We asked one of our members about the responses she’s received when she’s told others she runs her business from a coworking space.

“People often think of coworking spaces as a bunch of hipster programmers working on their start ups,” said Hera Hub Carlsbad member Cyndi Darlington. “They’ll ask

[me] if people ride around on scooters and if there are a bunch of dogs running around. It always makes me laugh as I tell them there are actually people over the age of 30 and even – gasp – 40 who use co-working spaces and are very serious about getting work done.”

Coworking Space Hera Hub San Diego

Another misconception about coworking, as mentioned in a recent article written for Bisnow is that coworking spaces are one dimensional: either everyone shares desks or each person has their own office.  In fact, the majority of coworking spaces are mixed use. At Hera Hub, we have shared space, private offices and rooms that can be reserved for privacy, client meetings or phone calls.

Cyndi says the other question she gets when she explains her work situation is the communal desk. “People say to me, ‘but you don’t have an office?’ They can’t understand that you just bring your stuff in each day and sit at a communal space,” she explained. “This was a bit of a barrier for me, having had my own private office in past jobs. But I’ve found that I travel much lighter when I bring my stuff to and from the office each day; I print less paperwork and make smarter decisions about things I really need to save. Plus, working in a more public space tends to energize me and make me work faster and more productively, especially if I have my headphones in playing music!”
Though the definition is universal, coworking is not one-size-fits-all. We hope, that as the concept continues to grow and we open more Hera Hub locations, more people will understand what this movement is about. Do you have any questions about coworking and how it may fit your business? Ask us in the comments!