The other day, I was walking down the street in a small downtown area nearby when I noticed what looked like some sort of lounge tucked away in one of the storefronts. At the time, it was closed (since it was night time), but I still peered in anyway to have a look. I later found out that it was a workspace for working adults who telecommuted or wanted a space to rent for a few hours to conduct business meetings, etc. I thought that this was a really neat idea.



Renting work spaces has apparently been around for a while. However, in recent years, the idea of renting a workspace has gained popularity because of the increased numbers of people who are now working remotely from home. This particular place that I was looking at had a really nice feel to it. It was trendy and modern. You could see some artwork hanging on the walls, and I noticed that there were recessed lights in the ceiling so as to not give off such a harsh glow. There was also a little kitchen area as well as a few desks, tables, and it even had a small lounge area. On top of that, it was located in a quaint section of a small downtown area where everything was literally within walking distance. So, if you were working, you could abandon your work and walk two or three stores down to the pizza place or next door to the upscale Italian restaurant. It was really nice!

I spoke to a few people online who actually use these sort of rented work spaces to get their work done. Typically, it seems that the types of people who use rented work spaces are those who are in the middle of starting their companies up and need a place to gather every now and then. There are also others who simply want to get away from their house a few days a week but don't want to get stuck in a library or at a cafe. For these people, rented work spaces give off the illusion of actually “going to the office”. The only difference is that your office might be located close to where you live versus you having to commute thirty minutes or more. As I talk about it, I like the idea more and more.

I'm not sure how much it would cost to rent a workspace, but the idea of simply having a place to host business meetings with clients and the like is a great one- especially for those Internet-based businesses that have no desire or need to have an actual office location all of the time. Renting a workspace also seems like a fairly easy enough endeavor. You can simply go online and Google it to see what comes up in your local area. One thing is for sure though- this definitely gives you another option of somewhere to do your work- especially on days when you really don't feel like going to the local cafe or coffee shop. I don't know about you, but when I go to a place like a coffe shop or a cafe, I feel as if before I can settle down to do my work, I have to first buy something (this way they don't think I'm taking advantage). However, if you continue to do your work at a coffee shop or cafe several times a week, this can quickly add up in dollars, which is something you don't want.