Running a small business involves making decisions about where every pound, every hour and every resource should be invested.
One of the biggest decisions is often where the business should operate.
Working from home can be inexpensive, but it doesn’t always provide the professional environment, separation or facilities a growing company needs.
Taking a conventional office provides independence, but it can introduce rent, utilities, furniture, broadband, maintenance and long-term financial commitments.
Coworking provides another option.
A professionally managed coworking environment gives small businesses access to many of the advantages of an established office while retaining considerably more flexibility.
For businesses in Glasgow, this can make coworking particularly attractive during the early and growth stages of the company.
Here are some of the most important benefits.
1. Reduce the Cost of Running an Office
Cost is one of the biggest considerations for any small business.
Traditional office space can involve considerably more than the advertised monthly rent.
Depending on the property and agreement, a business may need to budget for:
- Rent
- Deposit
- Electricity
- Heating
- Broadband
- Furniture
- Cleaning
- Repairs
- Insurance
- Security
- Kitchen facilities
- Office equipment
- Meeting room furniture
- General maintenance
Some of these expenses may appear relatively small individually.
Together, they can become a substantial monthly overhead.
There’s also the initial investment required to turn an empty commercial space into somewhere your team can actually work.
Coworking changes this model.
Instead of creating an office from scratch, the infrastructure is already available.
Desks, chairs, internet, shared facilities and other amenities can be incorporated into the workspace.
This makes costs easier to understand and can reduce the amount of capital required to establish a professional working environment.
For a small business, money that would otherwise be spent fitting out an office can instead be invested in marketing, recruitment, equipment, technology or business development.
2. Avoid Being Locked Into Too Much Space
Predicting exactly how large your company will be in two or three years is difficult.
Imagine taking an office suitable for ten people when your business currently employs four.
You’re effectively paying for six empty desks while hoping the company eventually grows into the space.
Take a smaller office and the opposite problem can occur.
You recruit several employees and suddenly everyone is squeezed into premises the business has already outgrown.
The company then faces another office move.
Coworking can provide a much more flexible approach.
A small business might begin with one or two desks.
As the company grows, it could move to dedicated desks or potentially a private office.
The workspace can therefore follow the development of the company rather than forcing the company to plan its growth around a fixed property.
3. Create a More Professional Business Image
First impressions matter.
A business might provide an exceptional service while being operated entirely from someone’s spare bedroom.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with that.
However, there are situations where a professional business environment can make a difference.
Imagine meeting an important prospective client.
Your options might be:
meet them at home,
find a table in a busy coffee shop,
or invite them into a professional business environment with an appropriate meeting room.
The third option can immediately change the tone of the meeting.
A professional workspace demonstrates that the company has somewhere suitable to conduct business.
For consultants, agencies, accountants, recruiters, technology companies and other service businesses, this can be particularly valuable.
4. Separate Work From Home
One of the biggest advantages of working from home is also one of its biggest disadvantages.
You’re at home.
There is no commute.
But there is also very little separation between where you live and where you work.
The laptop might stay on the dining table.
Emails get checked in the evening.
A quick task at 6pm becomes another two hours of work.
Meanwhile, during the working day, household distractions are always nearby.
A dedicated workspace creates a physical boundary.
You leave home.
You arrive at work.
You finish for the day.
You go home.
That simple routine can make it easier to create healthier boundaries around work.
For small business owners who frequently feel that they are permanently at work, this can be one of the most underrated benefits of coworking.
5. Improve Productivity
Not everyone is productive in the same environment.
Some people can work extremely effectively from home.
Others discover that concentration gradually deteriorates.
There may be children, pets, deliveries, household jobs, television, neighbours or simply the temptation to do something else.
A professional working environment removes many of those distractions.
There’s also a psychological effect.
When you’re surrounded by other people working, the environment itself encourages you to focus.
You arrive with a purpose.
You sit down.
You work.
For business owners who struggle with procrastination or motivation when working alone, this structure can make a considerable difference.
6. Reduce Isolation
Running a small business can be surprisingly lonely.
When you’re employed within a larger company, there are colleagues around you.
You can ask someone’s opinion.
You can discuss a problem.
You can have a conversation over coffee.
When you run a business from home, much of that disappears.
You may spend most of your day communicating through email, messaging apps and video calls.
Coworking restores some of the everyday human interaction of an office without requiring everyone to work for the same company.
You might work beside a designer, accountant, software developer, consultant or another entrepreneur.
Sometimes it’s simply good to have someone nearby to talk to.
7. Build a Business Network Naturally
Networking events can be useful, but they aren’t for everyone.
Walking into a room full of strangers and attempting to generate business relationships in an hour can feel forced.
Coworking creates a different type of networking.
Relationships develop naturally.
You see the same people regularly.
You learn what their businesses do.
They learn what yours does.
Over time, opportunities can develop.
One member may require a service another member provides.
Someone might recommend your company to one of their clients.
Two businesses might collaborate on a project.
The important difference is that these relationships aren’t necessarily created through formal selling.
They develop because businesses share the same environment.
8. Access Skills Outside Your Business
Small businesses rarely have every skill they need internally.
A company might require:
- Graphic design
- Web development
- Accountancy
- Legal advice
- Marketing
- IT support
- Photography
- Printing
- HR assistance
- Business consultancy
A diverse coworking community can bring many different professions together.
That doesn’t mean every service your business needs will automatically be available in the building.
But it increases the chances of meeting people with useful knowledge, connections and experience.
A conversation over coffee can sometimes answer a question that might otherwise have taken hours of research.
9. Access Professional Meeting Rooms
Meeting rooms are one of the facilities small businesses often don’t realise they need until an important meeting appears in the diary.
Coffee shops are convenient for informal conversations.
They’re less suitable for confidential discussions, presentations, interviews or meetings involving several people.
Professional meeting rooms provide somewhere appropriate for:
- Client presentations
- Interviews
- Sales meetings
- Project discussions
- Training
- Video conferences
- Supplier meetings
- Team planning
Access to these facilities means a small company can present itself professionally without maintaining a large office purely to accommodate occasional meetings.
10. Support Hybrid Working
Hybrid working isn’t only relevant to large companies.
Small businesses increasingly employ people who divide their time between home and another workplace.
A company might have five employees without requiring five permanent desks every day.
Flexible workspace can accommodate this.
Employees can use the workspace when collaboration is important while working remotely at other times.
This can reduce the amount of permanent office space required while still giving the team somewhere to come together.
For small businesses competing for talented employees, flexibility can also become part of the overall employment proposition.
11. Recruit Beyond Your Immediate Area
A traditional office can sometimes restrict recruitment.
If employees are expected to attend the same location every day, the company naturally recruits from within a practical commuting distance.
Flexible and hybrid working can widen that area.
A Glasgow business could have employees working from different parts of the city and surrounding areas while using a coworking base when the team needs to meet.
This gives small businesses more options when recruiting specialist skills.
The question becomes less about whether somebody can commute to the office five days each week and more about whether the working arrangement suits both the employee and the business.
12. Scale Without Repeated Office Moves
Moving office is disruptive.
There’s the property search.
Negotiations.
Furniture.
Broadband.
Utilities.
Insurance.
Changing addresses.
Updating marketing materials.
Informing customers.
Physically moving equipment.
Then, several years later, a growing company may have to do it all again.
A flexible workspace can potentially allow a company to grow within the same business environment.
One desk becomes two.
Two become four.
Four desks may eventually become a private office.
The precise options depend on the workspace, but the principle is valuable.
Your business can grow without every stage of growth requiring another property project.
13. Spend More Time Running Your Business
Every hour a small business owner spends dealing with office administration is an hour they aren’t spending on customers, sales or business development.
Someone has to arrange the broadband.
Someone has to deal with the heating.
Someone has to organise the cleaner.
Someone has to report a maintenance problem.
In a small company, that person is often the owner.
Managed workspace reduces many of these distractions.
The workspace provider manages the environment while you concentrate on your company.
That can be extremely valuable.
Small business owners already have enough to do.
They don’t necessarily need to become facilities managers as well.
14. Test Having an Office Before Making a Bigger Commitment
A business working from home may eventually reach the point where an office seems like the logical next step.
But that doesn’t mean immediately signing a lengthy commercial lease is the right decision.
Coworking can act as a useful intermediate stage.
You can discover:
- How often you actually use an office
- Whether employees prefer hybrid working
- How much space you genuinely require
- Which facilities matter most
- How frequently clients visit
- Whether a dedicated office is necessary
This information can help the business make better property decisions later.
You aren’t guessing what type of office you’ll need.
You’re learning from actual experience.
15. Create Routine Without Losing Flexibility
Small business owners often value freedom.
It’s one of the reasons many people start their own companies.
But complete flexibility can sometimes become a lack of structure.
Coworking provides a useful balance.
You have somewhere professional to go.
You can establish a working routine.
But depending on your membership, you don’t necessarily need to be there every day.
Some days may be spent with clients.
Others might be spent at home.
The workspace becomes a professional base rather than somewhere you are forced to attend.
Why Coworking Can Be Particularly Useful for Glasgow Small Businesses
Glasgow has businesses spread across a wide geographic area.
The city centre remains an important commercial hub, but businesses increasingly operate successfully from locations throughout the wider Glasgow area.
For many SMEs, the question is no longer:
“How do we get an office in Glasgow city centre?”
A better question can be:
“Where is the most practical place for our team and customers?”
A flexible workspace in East Glasgow can provide an alternative for businesses whose customers, staff or suppliers are distributed around Glasgow, Lanarkshire and the wider Central Belt.
Areas including Dalmarnock and the wider Clyde Gateway regeneration area have become increasingly relevant to companies looking beyond the traditional city-centre office model.
The right location ultimately depends on where your business operates, where your employees live and where your customers are located.
Is Coworking Suitable for Every Small Business?
No workspace model is perfect for everyone.
Some businesses need specialist premises.
A manufacturer may require industrial space.
A retailer requires customer-facing retail premises.
A company handling highly sensitive information may require specific security arrangements.
Other companies may simply prefer having an entirely independent office.
The important thing is to choose workspace based on how the business actually operates.
For many professional services, digital companies, consultants, agencies, start-ups and growing SMEs, however, coworking can provide an effective middle ground between home working and traditional office leasing.
Coworking vs Your Own Office
Consider the two options from the perspective of a small business.
Traditional Office
You typically gain greater control over the premises.
But you may also assume responsibility for:
- Property commitments
- Utilities
- Furniture
- Internet
- Maintenance
- Cleaning
- Security
- Office management
Coworking
You share parts of the working environment.
But much of the infrastructure is already provided.
The choice isn’t simply about which option has the lowest headline price.
It’s about which option allows the business to operate most effectively.
Questions to Ask Before Choosing a Coworking Space
Before committing to a workspace, arrange a visit.
Don’t make the decision based purely on photographs.
Ask:
- What exactly is included?
- How flexible are the memberships?
- What internet connection is available?
- Are meeting rooms available?
- Can I receive visitors?
- Are private offices available if we grow?
- Can additional team members be added?
- What security is provided?
- What are the access arrangements?
- Are there additional charges?
- What businesses already work there?
- What happens if our requirements change?
Most importantly, spend some time in the workspace.
Does it feel like somewhere you would actually want to work?
That matters more than almost anything written on a specification sheet.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is coworking suitable for a small business?
Yes. Coworking can be particularly suitable for small businesses because it provides access to professional workspace without necessarily requiring the commitment and setup costs associated with operating an independent office.
Can several employees work from a coworking space?
Yes. Depending on the workspace, businesses may use several coworking desks, dedicated desks or private offices.
Is coworking only for freelancers?
No. Freelancers are only one part of the coworking market. Small businesses, consultants, remote employees, project teams and larger organisations can all use flexible workspace.
Can I meet customers in a coworking space?
Professional coworking facilities may provide meeting rooms and visitor facilities specifically for this purpose. Check what’s included with your chosen membership.
Can coworking help reduce business costs?
Potentially. Businesses can avoid or consolidate some of the expenses associated with establishing and managing their own office. The exact saving depends on the workspace, membership and alternative property being considered.
What happens when my business grows?
One of the advantages of flexible workspace is the potential to increase the amount of space you use. Depending on availability, a business might progress from coworking desks to dedicated desks and eventually a private office.
Discover Flexible Workspace at CubeHQ
The best coworking environment should give a small business more than somewhere to put a laptop.
It should provide a professional base.
Somewhere you can concentrate.
Somewhere you can meet customers.
Somewhere your team can collaborate.
And somewhere the company has room to develop.
CubeHQ provides flexible workspace for freelancers, entrepreneurs and growing businesses looking for an alternative to working from home or committing immediately to a conventional Glasgow office.
With coworking space, private offices, meeting facilities and a wider business community, CubeHQ is designed to provide businesses with flexibility as their requirements change.
Whether you’re moving out of the home office for the first time or looking for a more flexible base for an established company, the first step is seeing the workspace for yourself.
Book a tour of CubeHQ and discover whether coworking could provide the right environment for the next stage of your business.
