This post was originally published on January 10, 2018 and updated on February 12, 2020.
Commuters spend an average of 54 hours a year stuck in traffic. What a waste! What if, rather than spending hours in the car driving long distances between the suburbs and an urban workspace, you could walk, ride a bike, take public transit, or take a short drive to a nearby coworking space instead?
Coworking Spaces Spread to Suburbia
Coworking spaces in the suburbs are poised to be a driver of shared workspace industry growth. These suburban coworking spaces enable people to reduce or eliminate their commute by working closer to home. The rise of suburban coworking, in general, is due to a number of factors. In addition to population flow, the continued growth of the contingent workforce, including freelancers, independent professionals and remote workers plays a role, as do cultural shifts toward more flexible work and improved work-life balance. The 2019 Global Coworking Survey estimates that nearly 2.2 million people were working in over 22,000 coworking spaces worldwide by the end of that year.
Although coworking remains most prevalent in urban markets like New York, San Francisco, and Chicago, many coworking operators are looking to expand their footprint outside of big cities. Pacific Workplaces has several suburban coworking locations in its California portfolio, and recently added two more with the opening of our Roseville and Sacramento Watt locations. These workplaces allow mobile workers, remote teams, work-from-home professionals, or just people who want to work closer to where they live, flexible workspace options within greater Sacramento. For the next few months, free coworking opportunities will be offered two days a week at both the Sacramento Watt and Roseville spaces to give local professionals a chance to try it out.
Suburban Coworking Spaces as a Lifestyle Choice
In addition to cutting commute hours, suburban coworking spaces offer several other benefits to members:
Flexibility
For suburban residents, local coworking spaces provide flexibility that may not be found in urban centers. Appointments, soccer games, and mid-day errands can all happen close to work and home, rather than across the city or in a different town entirely. This flexibility enables members to schedule their days in a way that works for them and adds to their work/life balance.
Those who work from home may want options for their workday to mitigate the isolation that can come with working alone. Home-based businesses may also appreciate well-appointed meeting rooms available at hourly rates, on-demand . Your suburban coworking space should offer a menu of membership plans which suit just about every work-style. Another value-add to most coworking locations is dropping in and mixing with other professionals; the feel of a vibrant office can do a lot to enhance workday energy. A monthly coworking membership allowing a few days per month to drop in, might be a well chosen business decision. If you need to access conference rooms for collaboration sessions or to meet with colleagues or clients, a Virtual Office Plan may be your solution.
Proximity
If you live in the suburbs, commuting into and out of a city everyday is exhausting. So much time is spent commuting that the rest of your day is literally shot! Suburban coworking lets parents work closer to their children’s schools and daycare centers. This means being nearby for drop-offs and pickups, emergencies, play dates, field trips and classroom participation.
Amenities
Members of suburban coworking spaces should expect all the same functional amenities one would find in an urban environment. Modern yet functional space designs, blazing fast wifi, digital mail services, teched-out meeting rooms with real-time scheduling capabilities, onsite staff, live telephone answering options, copiers, printers, access to kitchen amenities, and networking events specific to the members that make-up the space.
Amenities around the local area are important as well. You may not be able walk along the San Francisco Bay during your lunch break, but you can enjoy walkable neighborhoods with access to coffee shops, parks, restaurants, shopping and entertainment. Many coworking operators recognize the need for live-work-play areas in suburban environments that are more affordable where local professionals can work and thrive.
Curious about suburban coworking? Cowork for free on Tuesdays and Thursdays at our new Sacramento Watt and Roseville locations. The special begins at Sacramento Watt on Tuesday, February 11th and at the Roseville space on February 18, 2020. Coworkers have throughout the end of March to enjoy free wifi, coffee, and community. For a complete list of all our locations throughout California, click here.