What Is Co-Working and the Benefits for Digital Nomads

The term co-working has been around for a long time but it is becoming especially important for digital nomads and remote workers looking to WFA (work from anywhere). So what is co-working (or coworking) and what are the benefits for you for remote working?

What is Co-working – Definition

Co-working (also written coworking) refers to a location you can work from which is a shared office space. The co-working space though also normally comes with facilities including reliable and high-speed Internet, a meeting room, coffee & tea facilities, a printer and the chance to network.

Benefits of Co-Working as a Remote Worker

If you are looking for work remotely and travel to exotic and interesting destinations around the world, having a place to work and from where you can be sure of reliable and high-speed Internet access, I am sure you will agree, is vital.

The real benefits of co-working spaces for you as a digital nomad working remotely are:

• A place with reliable high-speed Internet to work from.
• There is very often a strong network for building business connections and tapping into others’ expertise (you might have a video-making expert in the same co-working space, for example).
• Additionally, there is often a strong social element such as organized events for those who work in the co-working space. It can, in other words, provide a wonderful way to meet others, especially as a digital nomad.
• Locations are popping up in exotic locations around the world as remote working gains in popularity rapidly and this is made more practical with co-working spaces.

Disadvantages of Co-Working

It wouldn’t be right only to list the benefits of co-working and there are certainly a few things you need to consider:

• Working in a space where others are also working isn’t productive for everyone. You might struggle to get enough work done.
• The temptation is there to spend too much time socializing with others but then again this might be excellent networking. Most co-working spaces also have quiet areas that you can work in or private rooms you can pay extra to use.

Tips for Maximising How You Use Co-Working Spaces

To get the most out of how you use co-working spaces as a digital nomad, consider these 5 tips:

1. Combine Co-working Space with Working from Your Accommodation

What I do if I have important work to get done is to combine working in whatever accommodation I am using (to get solitude) with working in the co-working space for lesser vital work where distractions are not such a problem.

If you travel with a Glocalme device (see point 3 on the travel gadgets page), you should be able to connect to the Internet easily wherever you are.

2. Combine Co-working with Coliving

To really get the most out of the co-working experience as a digital nomad, you really might want to consider the idea of also using coliving as your accommodation, if the co-working space also provides this option.

The added benefit is that you can focus on being productive with work in the daytime and then get to know your fellow co-workers in the evenings to mix, socialize, and network.

It can also often mean that you do not have to go too far to get to the co-working location.

>> Read the post we just did on the best coliving spaces around the world.

3. Choose an Exotic Location with Co-Working Space

Many countries are now offering special Digital Nomad Working Visas and this means that there are now some beautiful locations you can work from remotely.

Want to spend a year living and working in the Bahamas, Bermuda, Costa Rica, or Thailand? They all now offer nomad visas.

The majority of digital nomads though use their tourist visitor allowance (often 90 days) to visit a location and to stay and work remotely.

Best Co-working Places Around the World

We have written a dedicated post on our favorite co-working spaces around the world for you to remotely work from. You can find the post here:

>> Best Co-working places we’ve visited

Working From Anywhere (WFA)

The beauty of co-working spaces, in essence, is that they unlock the opportunity for you to literally work from anywhere (WFA) in the world.

In the past, the only option would have been to stay in a hotel or Airbnb and hope that the WiFi would be good enough.

Even though co-working spaces have existed for 10 years or so, they have mainly been in main cities in Western countries and mainly used by people who live and work full-time in one place.

The difference now is that co-working spaces are opening up with the idea of attracting foreign remote workers and, for you, this means the chance to live in some quite incredible locations.

You might find the FREE 30-page eBook below very useful for getting started if you want to learn more about becoming a digital nomad and working from different places around the world.