Why People are Leaving the Home Office for Coworking

by Nathaniel FitzGerald

When we first started MAKE SOUTH BEND, it was because we wanted makers in our community to have access to tools and resources that they wouldn't be able to afford on their own.

Our motivation was a bit selfish, admittedly: Michelle had sketched out a leather wallet/journal combo that she was stoked about. She bought some leather making tools and made a few prototypes. After a few failed concepts, our first negative review on Etsy, and a couple hundred dollars down spent on tools that she didn't want to look at anymore, she threw up her hands and wished for a coworking space that would have the tools for her. Seeing nothing in the area, we opened our own.

We wanted our space would become a haven for artists and makers who didn't have their own studio or tools to come in and create. Not everyone has access to a screenprinting studio. Laser cutters, pottery wheels, and kilns aren't exactly home-friendly.  

But something happened that we weren't expecting.

People who didn't need our space bought memberships.

We have a few members who just paint. One is an illustrator—I don't even think she's ever used any of our equipment. One person came in to practice origami boxes. 

These are all things that a person could easily do at home. We were doing some of that in our basement before we opened the shop. But I understand why they're coming.

Outside of MAKE, I write freelance. This gives me the freedom to work whenever I want from wherever I want. But the problem with setting your own work schedule is the "work" part. I have the freedom to plop down on the couch in front of my record collection and plug away on my laptop. And, surprising no one, that quickly devolves into slacking off.

Working in the shop, however, gives some accountability. When I'm around other people who are working, it helps me stay on task too. And sometimes, I'm even inspired by what they're doing. Their contagious energy rubs off, and I want to accomplish something too.

This isn't only happening at MAKE. Freelancers, entrepreneurs, and remote workers are joining coworking in ever-growing numbers. In the past ten years, almost 14,000 coworking spaces have popped up around the world. Many of these don't even have special equipment people can use: just a few desks, wi-fi, and a community of like-minded individuals.

If that sounds like something you could benefit from, but you aren't ready to purchases a membership, stop by the shop every other Wednesday morning for Coworking Wednesdays. Have a cup of coffee, grab a spot at a desk, and enjoy the community. And from personal experience, it sure beats mindlessly tabbing between your work and Reddit all by yourself.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go put on some real pants.