Nowadays many freelancers, entrepreneurs and startup companies choose to work from a ¨stay home office¨- Commonly know as the kitchen, living room, bedroom, garage and even the bathroom-. However, being a small company or startup does not mean that one has to sacrifice comfort while isolating at home (or at a café) until you can have a real office. Co-Working spaces are relatively new, and in Medellin they are definitely an innovative idea for any professional who requires an elegant office at low prices.

My name is Edinson Arrieta and I´m the Co-Founder of ESPACIO the first Co-Working space in Medellin, which is a bet on Colombian entrepreneurship as seen in TechCrunch. In this blog post we will share 5 benefits that come from working in a Co-Working office space.

Now, we should clarify that a Co-Working space is an office where several companies share space, where the Co-Working office itself unites entrepreneurs, while they are working on separate projects.

Co-Working benefits:

1. Networking, Networking, Networking – Any startup, entrepreneur an even a well-established company can benefit from the contacts that can be found at a Co-Working space. Normally being able to work with so many professionals provides a platform where to meet and interact constantly. Business and friendship relationship result from these interactions. These relationships are very important if someone need to find a sounding board for ideas, As an example, if an entrepreneur shares office space with an expert on marketing, this expert could become the best ¨to-go¨ professional before a product will be launch.

2. Always Learning Something New – Most Co-Working spaces offer more services beyond office space. As a matter of fact, Co-Working spaces like ESPACIO offer weekly events that can be seen on our weekly e-mail. We have had presentations regarding PR, marketing, law and property rights, as well as presentations from successful entrepreneurs such as Alex Torrenegra Co-Founder of VoiceBunny.

3. Shared Costs – Sharing office space implies that many other things are shared, such as costs. This means that the overhead can be split among the members of the space, which lead to lower rates for every member.

4. Life/Work Balance – When an entrepreneur works from home is very difficult to differentiate work from life. Having an office is important because it makes the distinction easier to figure out. This my sound silly, but if you think you can differentiate work from life while working on your bed, remember this argument when you fall asleep in front of your computer without being able to finish what you started on.

5. Productivity and Success – Just by working at a real office allows entrepreneurs to focus on what really matters – Developing a great product -. This focus leads to improved productivity, which is hard to achieve from home. This productivity is key to be successful. Furthermore, co-working with talented entrepreneurs helps setting higher objectives and motivating oneself to do better every time.

It is clear that a Co-Working space has countless advantages for entrepreneurs and startups. In Medellin the entrepreneurship culture grows constantly and Co-Working spaces like ESPACIO, not only offer a place to work, but an entrepreneurial/learning center.