03/28/2025
Coworking vs. Home Office:
Why You Should Consider Renting Office Space?
1. Your home office is often sacrificed for home life
Maybe you’re fortunate enough to have a room completely dedicated to being your home office. Or maybe you work on a folding table shoved in your closet underneath your wife’s dresses. Homes weren’t designed to be offices, and that means that they often take second priority to all the things we need in our homes.
When you don’t have dedicated office space, you may often lack creative inspiration. Maybe it’s hard to focus. All the more reason to start looking for another space.
2. Your family doesn't always respect your work hours
How many times have you been interrupted by your spouse or children while working from home? How many times has your partner asked if you could do a load of laundry or pick up the dry cleaning because “you’re at home anyway?”
It’s sometimes hard for our loved ones to understand that we’re working when they can plainly see us at home. It’s hard for them to understand the importance of separating working from living. And since you’ll probably never change them in this regard, remove yourself from the equation, at least from 9 to 5.
3. You’re distracted
Or maybe it’s you that’s the problem. Because you’re “at home anyway,” you stop working on a project to water the plants, feed the cats, iron clothes, and shop for groceries. Meanwhile, that deadline continues to loom.
It takes great skill to compartmentalize yourself when you’re surrounded by home chores. Otherwise, you’re not giving 100% to your work, and that could impact your ability to make money.
4. You miss humans
This completely does not apply to me. As a writer, I prefer to work solitarily, but many people miss the “water cooler culture” of having coworkers around. Socializing, for many, is an integral part of the job. Joking on Slack with GIFs somehow misses the mark. Paying for office space, particularly a coworking space where you'll be around others, can make up for not being in a traditional office setting.
5. You have clients
Let’s be honest: there’s nothing professional about having a client meeting when, upon arrival, they’re greeted by your ever-shedding Cocker Spaniel. And when your daughter zooms by in a shirt and diaper…let’s just say it may lower your professionalism in their eyes.
6. Your business is growing
Maybe you started working in your garage as a one-person show, but now business is booming, and it just feels weird to have employees show up for work in a space better suited for a vehicle. Even if they also work from home, having an actual office hub can be beneficial when you need to have team meetings.
Having office space may also help you attract top talent. Because…who wants to work for a company long-term if the interview is in the founder's living room?
