Myth-Busting Shared Office Spaces

Often, the mental imagery of a shared office space is that of a disorganized, often cluttered space, with furniture haphazardly thrown together without care of coordination. Maybe this is due to the nomadic nature of shared offices, where people are assumed to constantly be coming and going, or to the common depictions of offices in movies or TV. It’s common to call to mind thoughts of techie-types so engrossed in their devices that they don’t notice their surroundings.

Regardless of why this is the norm, we’re here to set the record straight. Here are five common misconceptions about shared office spaces and some cold, hard truth about each.

Myth 1: The only people who use shared office space are startups and entrepreneurs.

Yeah maybe there are a few. It’s pretty normal for ‘solopreneurs’ to save costs where possible. How else would they succeed in business? And, if that means working alongside other entrepreneurial types, so be it. We also find these startuppers and entrepreneurs are more productive and motivated when working from an office than they would be working at home or a coffee shop.

It’s not a hard and fast rule though. We often see high-level executives, or representatives from the corporate world working from the [inn], and why? Maybe the commute to their Head Office is over an hour away without traffic. Maybe they are remote employees of business entities based out of The States or the opposite end of Canada. With an extensive Room Services package that comes with every private office at [inn]space, including unlimited long-distance calling, this one’s a no-brainer.

Myth 1: Busted.

Myth 2: There’s no privacy in a shared office space.

A fairly common concern of shared office space is privacy- you never want your neighbour to pinch your plans for their own profit, which is precisely why [inn]space practices a non-compete rule for all members. We only offer space to one single business from any given industry or sector. Confidentiality is key, and we chose to sacrifice our bottom line so our members don’t have to.

That being said, building a business or working remotely for a larger company has been proven to be lonely. Recognizing that, we put pretty heavy emphasis on the Community at the [inn]. We attract a variety of talented and interesting businesspeople, who can all learn from and thrive alongside one another. A shared office like [inn]space also provides more support and collaboration than you’d find working from home, which can be enormously beneficial to any worker – startup or established. 

Myth 2: Busted.

Myth 3: There is no variety at a shared office space. It’s a desk over here or a desk over there.

A workspace isn’t always just a desk – whether it’s in the middle of a room or tucked away somewhere quieter.

Workspaces at the [inn] range from a coffee table in the lobby to standing desks for the active-conscious worker, dedicated desks with sliding privacy screens or fully secure private offices for a single occupant to lock out the world and focus. The best part? Every plan at [inn]space is on a month-to-month basis, so you don’t need to be anxious of what the next six weeks looks like, let alone the next six months.

Myth 3: Busted.

Myth 4: Shared office spaces are way too noisy and distracting.

In our common depiction of a shared office from the beginning of this blog, you probably heard the clutter and chaos in your brain just reading about it. It seems that disorganization and noisy distractions come hand-in-hand.

Not at the [inn]. Sliding panels, doors that lock from the inside, sound-dampened wall treatments, white noise machines, and gentle lounge music are just some of the measures in place here to create a calm, focused environment. Don’t you feel relaxed and motivated just thinking about it? You should work here.

Myth 4: Busted.

Myth 5: Shared office spaces aren’t in my budget.

What… did you think renting your own office would be more affordable? Think of all those overhead costs – rent, hydro, internet and phone – not to mention the cost of the time required when one fails or has issues, and the likely fees of having someone come in and fix it because you’re a businessperson right, not a technician. What an unnecessary headache.

Oh, you meant you’d be better off working from home or a coffee shop? What about the distractions, or that instant mood-killer of just being somewhere that you’d never bring a client who you were trying to impress? At a shared office, you pay for your space and all the other nitty-gritty costs are included – and, headache gone. 

Myth 5: Busted.

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