Despite the pandemic which put tourism and coworking on hold for most of 2020, there is hope on the horizon. Remote working and remote culture have since exploded where a majority of the global professional workforce has been urged to stay away from the office. With this, we see a wave of innovation in remote software that will make coworking even more productive and dynamic. This leads us down a path where more people are identifying as digital nomads and the flexible office space industry will only continue in its growth.
In a recent blog post, we introduced the concept of ‘Digital Nomads’; location-independent people who use information and communications technology in the facilitation and practice of their work. You might have seen them in coffee shops or the tech hubs with their Macbook and portable hard drives.
To investigate this subject, we offered up our platform to Andrew Williams, Founder of Remote Tribelife, an online magazine for Digital Nomads and remote working. Andrew shared his insights in the article ‘How Coworking enables Digital Nomads to work from anywhere’ and in this continuation of the subject, he dives further into the subject of how coworking spaces can facilitate the lifestyle and professional needs of Digital Nomads. Read on to find out ‘How Digital Nomads can benefit from Coworking Spaces’.
Digital Nomads hotspots and their need for community belonging
Being on the road all the time is not easy. Seriously, it’s not. Digital Nomads confirm that travelling too often can lead to burnout and seriously disrupt productivity. A “professional” digital nomad will always recommend having a few bases all over the world and stay there a few months at a time. This will allow the remote entrepreneur to settle down, get accustomed to the local culture and start working and exploring.
Access to a good coworking office with an established community is one of the support anchors digital nomads are on the lookout for. It makes a big difference to establish a network of support wherever they are and coworking spaces are just the right place for it.
Coworking, not the beach, yet still the number one choice for Digital Nomads
Working from a beach all day might be the dream of any employee or a business owner. Unfortunately, a lot of digital nomads report that this lifestyle is not productive at all for several reasons: the powerful sunlight obstructs the view of the monitor, you often get sand in the keyboard and you can be easily distracted by loud tourists.
More affordable coworking spaces and great communities are preferred now to beach working. Also, there are more and more flexible office spaces being opened up in popular destinations including Phuket, Bali and Costa Rica.
Coworking in Bali
The benefits of coworking spaces for Digital Nomads
- Flexibility of choice
Digital Nomads don’t like to be tied down to one place and especially not on long term contracts or commitments. Renting a coworking desk by the day is always a great option allowing the person to pack and go whenever they’re done or if he or she wants to experience another space.
The big brands like IWG and WeWork offer global passes too which enable remote workers to access them wherever they are in the world.
- Community and network
Even if they travel a lot, remote entrepreneurs and freelancers still want to feel at home wherever they go. Therefore, they will be looking for a familiar coworking space or network that will fulfil their personality and needs. Coworking businesses must understand that if they want to attract digital nomads, It’s not so much about the cool furniture anymore, but about the community and the spirit of the place.
Millennials now view amenities such as foosball tables, free coffee and other freebies as standard, so flexible office owners should work on and emphasise other features if they want to attract this mobile workforce.
- Exciting destinations all over the world
We’ve all seen the awesome pictures with people and their laptops working from the beach and sipping on a cocktail. Even if it’s almost impossible to work like that, it was proven that open-air coworking spaces and sunlight induce less stress than in a traditional one.
Companies like Dojo in Bali offer digital nomads desks with pool and jungle views for as little as 16$ per day and are open almost non-stop. So yes, if the future is mobile and not city-based, this model will be working just fine.
- Providing structure and productivity
A workday at home can pass quickly without a commute to separate private life from work responsibilities. As a result, this schedule can make you work extra hours easily every day. After all, not everyone has an iron discipline. You can end up checking your emails from bed or even do a bit of work before your morning coffee.
Coworking spaces offer structure to your day, providing a place to arrive every morning and leave once the work is done.
Whenever you choose to start work each day, you’ll find that using a coworking space will draw a necessary separation line between your private life and professional life, even as a digital nomad. Don’t hesitate to experiment with it.
Thank you, Andrew, for taking the time to give us your insights into the life of a Digital Nomad and walking us through the significance of modern Coworking, for not one, but two insightful articles.
Looking for more? Click here to find out if your skills are up to date for the future of work and click here to learn more about how 2020 has changed remote working forever, and finally stop by here for our top 5 picks for new trends in Coworking.
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