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London coworking spaces are popping up everywhere, as shown by this map from\u00a0coworkinglondon.com.<\/p>\n
But the nature of coworking itself is changing, as shown by rising prices, the "niche-ing" of spaces, the increase in established companies opting for coworking spaces, and the bigger office retail companies opening up coworking spaces – either under a sub-brand or under their own name.<\/p>\n
There’s even a membership card for coworking spaces that lets you work at any number of different coworking spaces.<\/p>\n
Take this\u00a0recent article from Forbes on the changing nature of coworking spaces:<\/p>\n
"Coworking\u2019s quick spike in popularity means a new coworking space will have less innovative impact than it might have 10 years ago. And it means coworking spaces have saturated the startup culture so completely that they\u2019ve caught the attention of larger companies."<\/p>\n
This means that large coworking companies who operate spaces over several areas in London are starting to appear, such as\u00a0We Work, who already have a large presence worldwide.<\/p>\n
So when ‘A’\u00a0– a solo freelancer who’s just getting started – got in touch and asked for my advice for a suitable coworking space she could use, I thought how hard can it be to find an affordable coworking space in East London for a freelancer?<\/p>\n
Here’s the original email from Anne-Marie:<\/p>\n
"I’m in the process of becoming a consultant after ten years working client and agency side.<\/em><\/p>\n When I move into consulting, I’m hoping to work in the capital for one or two days a week.\u00a0Here’s the thing. I don’t need office space. Just somewhere offering ‘pay as you go’ service with a desk, wi-fi and printing service.<\/em><\/p>\n However, I’m finding it difficult to source a hot desking \/ coworking \/ rentadesk space at reasonable rates in London. Prices are around \u00a340+.<\/em><\/p>\n One can’t spend entire days in coffee houses! Can you recommend anything? Perhaps this is blog idea for other freelances and their experiences?"<\/em><\/p>\n Coworking spaces in London that are affordable for newly independent consultants. Easy, right?<\/p>\n Turns out, it’s actually pretty tough.<\/p>\n The first coworking space that sprang to mind was Google’s Campus London, which has a coworking space in the basement of its East London building, just a short walk from Liverpool Street Station.<\/p>\n Campus London is very busy as it is free and has very fast internet speeds, but\u00a0it’s likely the most suitable for solo\u00a0freelancers looking for a space to work.<\/p>\n Campus isn’t going to suit everyone, though. I once had a client meeting perched right on the edge of a sofa where everyone within 5 feet of us could overhear our relatively private conversation, all because there was literally nowhere else to sit. It was the client’s choice, not mine, but it didn’t set the most professional atmosphere for a meeting.<\/p>\n Other coworking spaces we looked into\u00a0and how much they cost to rent a desk:<\/p>\n So is there a gap in the market for a coworking space that suits solo freelancers that only need a desk occasionally, rather than smaller outfits and startups? Somewhere that bridges the void\u00a0between a coffee shop and permanently renting a desk?<\/p>\n This is especially the case as workers – not companies – are increasingly driving the demand for where and when they work:<\/p>\n "Workers are now demanding the technology necessary to do their jobs whilst its impact on office design is twofold. Organisations need to identify and integrate the technology that enables their workforce to preform to their full superhero potential. It has also meant that workers have become far more autonomous with\u00a0technology allowing\u00a0them to work when and wherever they want, be that at their desk, in a relaxed open space or in a coffee shop."<\/em><\/p>\n\n