Coworking is becoming more and more of a norm every day. As the years press on, coworking has transformed from just a tool that’s used now and again, to being the foundation that many large businesses are built on. The idea of collaborating in a neutral office setting has become increasingly popular over the years and it doesn’t seem like this trend is going to be ending any time soon.
The term coworking has probably been around a lot longer than you may think. The earliest documented mentions of coworking date all the way back to the 1600s! Now, of course, this coworking isn’t exactly the one that we know of today.
Today, we have expanded on this first idea of simple collaboration and turned it into so much more. The most notable progression of coworking is the creation of coworking spaces. These are places specifically designed with professionals in mind — whether a freelancer needs their own cubicle or a consultant needs a larger, private space to work with their clients, coworking spaces can cover it all.
These spaces didn’t burst on to the scene until 2005 in the city of all great startups: San Francisco. Five years after that, coworking was becoming more and more popular and by 2012, there were more than 2000 coworking spaces across the globe. Since then, coworking has only gotten more and more popular with both franchises and independent locations sprouting up in hundreds of cities.
Larger cities with coworking spaces include:
- New York
- Denver
- Chicago
- San Francisco
- Los Angeles
- Washington D.C.
- Seattle
While these cities have some of the largest numbers of coworking spaces, that’s not to say there aren’t any in your own city.
Coworking spaces are continuing to branch out of city environments and into the suburbs as more people move to those areas. Each year the coworking companies work to meet demand no matter how large (or small) the city may be.
Smaller cities with coworking spaces include:
- Pittsburgh
- Cleveland
- Minneapolis
- Nashville
- Kansas City
- Boston
- Portland
While the number of coworking spaces grew, so did the ideas of future companies. With the ability to focus on the work and not the office, some of these companies managed to use a coworking space to skyrocket onto the market.
These are just a few of the notable companies that have used a coworking space to help them rise to success.
You may recognize a couple of these coworking startups:
- Uber
- Timehop
- ZipRecruiter
- Indiegogo
- WanderFly
- Spotify
So, just because you don’t have an office, doesn’t mean you don’t have a great idea. Coworking can help bring any idea to life. Coworking can relieve you of the stress of finding and caring for an office and leave you to get focused on what matters: your company.
If you are someone looking to start their own business don’t underestimate the value of coworking. It can allow you to grow your business on your own turf and get success within your reach. Whether you live in a major city or prefer the burbs, you can find a space to stretch your legs and achieve your goals.
