Working from outside of the office is fantastic, until it isn’t. Maybe you don’t have a dedicated space? Maybe you’re constantly interrupted by children, pets, spouses, or someone else that lives with you? Perhaps you just wish you had a decent cup of coffee and some delicious breakfast pastries? Whatever the case may be, there are situations where working remotely, or working from home, are not always ideal. It applies to everyone, from individuals — freelancers and contractors — to small teams and beyond, including organizations.
But what do you do when that’s the case? Generally, you look for an alternative. Local coffee shops, restaurants, and even libraries, many of which offer free Wi-Fi and are great hubs to work out of, can also be distracting. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could rent a dedicated space, just for you, or your team? What if there was an Airbnb for professionals? Actually, we’re here to tell you, there is! There are workspace providers that allow you to rent or sublet locations for office work, professional endeavors, and everything in between. We did the work to find the best workspace providers, which you can rent an office from right now. You’ll find those top picks, and more, below!
Best Shared Workspace Providers 2022
1. WeWork
Tailored more towards the younger and free generations, WeWork delivers hot desks, meeting rooms, and private offices across the country. You can work near home, a little further away, or in a completely new location — if you’re traveling. It’s flexible and hybrid work-friendly, which is the primary goal. If you like a more playful workspace, WeWork is a good option — thanks to its large collection of pool tables, Foosball tables, and community playspaces. WeWork is certainly known for those whimsical amenities, that may provide some much needed respite!
While most contracts are monthly, WeWorkers do have the option to book spaces as-needed, from daily to weekly schedules, and beyond. There are several tiers of spaces, with workspaces supporting solo ventures up to operations of 100 or more people, and enterprises are fully compatible too! Many amenities are available, depending on the location, for an added fee!
2. Industrious
Industrious’ private offices and suites create great days for teams of all sizes and stages. Their wide selection of workspaces is available at over 100 locations and in more than 50 cities across the US, UK, and Singapore. If you’re looking for the promise of a better workspace, where you can be proud and happy to go to work, an Industrious office is it. Attentive and friendly staff take care of their members by anticipating their needs, and find ways to surprise and delight throughout the week. Industrious focuses on building communities through professional development programming and events. When you’re not working, you can enjoy custom-crafted charcuterie boards with delicious snacks and beverages.
Where Industrious sets itself apart is their unparalleled service and dedication to members. Daily breakfast with delicious offerings, craft coffee, and weekly programming and events are available at their office locations. Industrious delivers on its promises to make workplaces welcoming, more enjoyable, and more productive!
3. Regus
Widespread availability is the game here, with over 1,000 towns and cities supported, in 110 countries, and beyond. Regus has been in the market for over 30 years and has been providing coworking and office workspace for a long time now. Honoring the motto “work faster” Regus “takes care of the little things,” so that you and your team don’t have to. They have a great selection of workspaces too.
While most extended contracts are monthly, up to 24-months at a time, freelancers can also take advantage of a pay-as-you-go plan to reserve workspace for a day at a time. Most private offices from Regus are for one to two people, and smaller teams, but there are much larger flexible spaces available too. AT&T, Google, and Toshiba are counted as just some of the company’s clients.
4. Talent Garden (TAG)
One of the more well-known coworking and flex-space providers in Europe, Talent Garden — or TAG — offers workspaces in over 8 countries, with 23 campuses. These are proper professional campuses with thousands of creatives and workers spending their time on-site. From freelancers to enterprises, with plenty of opportunities, plenty of workspace, and lots of amenities.
Monthly terms allow you to strike a long-term contract, but freelancers can also book workspaces for a day at a time — hot desks, dedicated desks, or private offices, included. Unlimited access to Wi-Fi and high-speed internet is provided, with a bevy of additional amenities or services available for a fee. What’s more, since TAG locations are campuses, there is usually a daily or weekly roster of unique events that visitors can attend.
5. Impact Hub
Offering a sizable network of spaces, both nationally and internationally, Impact Hub is all about providing entrepreneurial-friendly workspaces and communities. With an inventory spanning over 100 networks, in over 50 countries, and across 5 continents, they certainly have space available. They also cater to live events and offer a variety of programs or venues to that end.
The main goal of Impact Hub is to improve camaraderie and collaboration through a community of events, support, and interactivity. Most spaces are tailored for individuals, like freelancers, up to small teams and small businesses. Terms are monthly, with Wi-Fi and high-speed internet included. Additional amenities are available for an added fee such as meeting rooms, phone booths, guest services, and more.
What Is a Shared Workspace Provider?
In short, a workspace provider manages and sublets space for professional use. Most providers offer a variety of workspaces from small, individual offices to large, interconnected spaces for teams and multiple workers. A lot of those spaces also come with access to communal areas, like break rooms, recreational spaces, cafeterias, eateries, and more.
How they handle the leasing, and what’s included in the cost, differs from provider to provider, as well. Some offer on-demand access across several locations, similar to a subscription, while others have dedicated space you must reserve in or out of busy locations, namely major cities and the like.
Why Are They Called “Shared” or “Coworking” Spaces?
They are called shared spaces because, especially as an individual or freelancer, you are effectively sharing the large workspace with others, and other teams. Don’t let this worry you, as this does not necessarily mean you’ll be forced to interact with other teams or companies. You can still, absolutely, reserve a dedicated workspace, be it an office or another type of room. For large teams, it’s also possible to reserve big areas — sometimes even an entire location or facility.
The “shared” term comes from the fact that the space itself is community-driven, with communal areas — amenities too — and all of it is managed by a third party provider. The individuals, teams, or even companies using the shared space(s) are not responsible for maintaining the rooms or buildings.
What’s Included?
Most locations include Wi-Fi connectivity with high-speed internet, or access to it, at the very least. You can also access common amenities such as restrooms, guest services or reception, phone booths, printing, and much more. Some shared workspace providers charge an additional fee if you want to take advantage of the available services — each one is different.