Coworking is usually offered in various types of monthly membership packages. These are normally some flavour of:

1. Hot desks ($400 – $700/month) – common space access to desks which anyone can use, first come, first served.
2. Dedicated desks ($500 – $1,200/month) – exclusive use of a specific desk in a shared space environment; no one else uses your desk but you however it may be in a physical space where other coworkers have their own desks etc…
3. Offices ($700 – $1,500/person/month) – leaseless offices with flexible terms to exit, upgrade and downgrade as needed – normally provided with furniture and charged at the capacity of the office suite being rented.

When planning meetings, its recommended to find a location which is easy to get to – for all participants. If you are the host, it might make sense to plan the meeting close to where you work or live so that you have less running around.

In downtown Toronto there are a host of venues to book meetings at with hourly, daily and even monthly rates – consider how easy the one you want to book is to get to for everyone attending; by transit, foot and car.

There are a number of reasons why people enjoy belonging to a coworking community through membership, including:

1. Access to reliable infrastructure to do your work (lighting/power, strong WiFi, caffeinated beverages.)
2. Being around people – it helps to destress when you can see other folks working around you, and communicate with them – to form new relationships or just share experiences together.
3. Space to focus – its often difficult to focus in corporate offices or even at home so there are a number of reasons for different types of worker to want to have their own space in a shared environment to work.
4. Meeting space – coworking spaces offer access to more than just the desk or office you rent; coworking at its best involves access to common space which may include lounges, libraries, call booths, cafe spaces, event venues and more.
5. Proximity to a different neighbourhood – its helpful to work around the corner from your house but some people also like travelling to a coworking space in a different part of town to experience that neighbourhoods restaurants, shops and so on.
6. Mailing address – if you run your own business you might not want mail going to your house – coworking space membership can give you a professional address to receive mail and parcels.

Depending on how busy the coworking space you join can get, it may feel like you are just working in a cafe. Often we hear this from people on flexible/hot desk memberships at larger spaces like WeWork – who discount membership to get tons of people in their doors and then try to upsell you on more expensive plans.

So, choose your space carefully – we recommend taking a tour in person and staying for the day with your laptop to make sure its a great fit for your budget and headspace.

We think so – enjoying the flexibility they offer can give you a refreshed perspective on your work. Coworking offers companies a cost effective way to not only offer workspace to their members but choice in where they want to work.

Its important to visit the ones which you think look interesting online – don’t just go by their online reviews.  When you visit you’ll get a sense of how they each smell, sound and generally feel!

We recommend choosing a coworking space which works for your budget, is easy to get to every day (so you continue to visit) and offers the right mix of common/community space vs the privacy you may need when going to the bathroom and taking calls.

Ultimately if you’re spending your whole day working – its important to be comfortable and feel excited about being there.