Helping To Protect Freelancers From Harassment
Specialized independent work is growing in this country, from coast to coast, but with that growth has come some growing pains. From healthcare to retirement planning,
Every cubicle dweller has dreamed of working from home. No commute! No annoying interruptions! The ability to work in pajamas! But working from home has some disadvantages that freelancers soon run into once they get their businesses off the ground. It can be quite lonely.
The lack of social interaction beyond phone calls and video conferencing can wear on a person unless they naturally have a loner personality. It’s draining to avoid human contact for too long. Depending on the business, it can be difficult to block out time for social interaction when clients expect you to be available at all times.
Even the most independent loner person needs to talk face to face with people on occasion if only to stave off cabin fever and keep up social skills. One way of getting around this is to join a coworking space. A coworking space is a shared open office space with outlets and private areas where freelancers can work on their projects around other people. Most have a small cafe, printing capabilities, and a support staff to manage the place. For some freelancers, paying the fee each month to join a coworking site can stave off the boredom. Plus, they can provide a more professional appearance during video conference calls.
A company called Spacious has put a new twist on these coworking spaces. Many coworking spaces either use existing office space or build something brand new, but there are large beautiful working spaces that Spacious takes advantage of. They use restaurant dining rooms during off-hours. High-end restaurants are only open for dinner, which means that their spaces are empty during the usual workday. Spacious partners with restaurants to turn empty dining rooms into thriving coworking spaces during their down time.
For a flat $95 per month, you get access to all of their spaces. Currently, they are in four locations in NYC, and they are expanding to Los Angeles, San Francisco, and London. You get all the coffee you can drink, business-class wi-fi, and outlets at every table. It’s a win for the restaurant because they get extra income during downtime and a win for freelancers who need more social interaction or a chance to just get out of the house. Simply show up, put your phone number in at the kiosk, and you’ll get a text with the wifi password. An hour before the space closes, you’ll receive a second text so you can pack up before the restaurant opens.
We think it’s pretty ingenious, which is why we are offering AND.CO members the chance to try Spacious for a free month. Simply visit our promotions page and get your free code. If you’re not working in or traveling to NYC anytime soon, keep an eye on Spacious’ website to see if a location will open up near you. Considering all the empty restaurant space in major cities during the day, this is one business model that’s sure to expand.
And if you don’t live near a Spacious location and still want to give coworking a try, a Google search in your local city could yield some promising locations. Most have day passes for around $20-$30 so you can try out the features. Even just getting out once or twice a month to work among other people can be a worthwhile investment in your mental and social health.
