Essential Co-working Space Etiquette

Co-working spaces have grown in popularity in recent years as a result of more people heading down the freelancing route.

For those freelancers who aren’t keen on working from their kitchen table, or for those who would go stir crazy with the social element, co-working is a great option.

It’s like working in a regular office, only none of the people around you are your colleagues. Co-working spaces attract a diverse and interesting mix of people, which means this is a daily opportunity to network and grow your business.

However, co-working offices rely on everyone to respect the rules and play their part in making it a harmonious working environment. Here are some essential etiquette rules that you should observe in your coworking space.

Keep the noise down

Excessive noise is one of the biggest complaints in co-working spaces simply because everyone is trying to work. With so many people working on different schedules, coming and going to meetings, or just popping out for lunch, there will always be commotion throughout the day in a co-working space. It’s important to be able to be able to get on with your work without making a commotion or speaking to people in the middle of their working day. A big clue to look out for: if they’re wearing headphones, they don’t want to be disturbed.

Respect the co-working schedule

One of the biggest obstacles to keeping the noise down comes when you need to make a phone call. No one expects you to whisper down the phone to a client, so if there are “breakout” areas or meetings rooms available, you should try to book them when you can. Communal meeting areas will most likely work on a schedule, so make sure you respect the schedule and don’t stay in the room for longer than you have booked it.

Join in

Collaboration is the foundation of any co-working space. Although you don’t have to be the social butterfly at the heart of every event, you should make an effort to be a part of the community.

Co-working offers a lot of opportunities to meet new people and try new things, so it’s important to keep an open mind. Although you might be very busy with work, when you do have a moment to look up from your laptop, why not introduce yourself to your neighbour? You never know who you might meet through co-working community and it could lead to a big new client or a fun project!

Clean up

Although most co-working spaces will have a cleaning service, it’s best not to be the person who has to be reminded they aren’t in school. For reasons unknown, kitchen messiness is a leading source of conflict in co-working spaces. Leaving the milk out of the fridge, forgetting to wash up your dishes or even just leaving coffee mug rings on your desk are all enough to send your fellow coworkers into a passive aggressive note-writing rage. Don’t be the reason there are anonymous notes left in the kitchen.

Insure Yourself

Even if you don’t have your own office, it’s still important to protect your belongings with insurance. Office contents insurance for freelancers can help to protect equipment like laptops and mobile phones whether you are working from your kitchen table or your favourite coffee shop.

Our business combined insurance policy includes office equipment insurance in addition to portable equipment cover. We can cover up to £10,000 worth of office equipment, with the option to add portable equipment cover up to the cost of £5,000 for those items that you take out and about.

We love to hear your co-working success stories, so why not let us know what you love about your co-working space on Facebook or Twitter.

And if you’d like to find out more about how we can help protect your freelance business, call 0333 321 1403 or click below to get your quote.

Get a quick quote for your freelance insurance today

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