Home-office, before everything
Freelancers tend to work from home, mainly. Coworking spaces are growing and getting a momentum, but it’s natural that the vast majority of freelance workers still get things done from home. It’s cheaper, there is no commute and you can squeeze some laundry and home duties in the middle (with a little of self-discipline). And sometimes you even have a cat that comes and purr a bit in front of your screen.
Still, coworking is relevant as an additional mean to work in a better environment. It is especially well rated in comparison with coffee shops and libraries, usually not recommended either for the low WiFi quality or the noisy environment.
Going out for a break from home
Freelance workers enjoy getting out of home to work and do so on an average twice a week. Our study shows they stay around half a day per visit and are willing to pay for their stay, even if there is no clear price average coming out of our survey.
Mostly freelancers are looking for a different place to work. They put high value on the facilities, and are less interested in additional services the coworking place can offer, such as events, coaching and networking. These visits are usually either tied to a client meeting (so freelancers need also meeting rooms) or are a way to get fresh air and variety on their weekly agenda. It’s a virtual weekly commute.
Not only freelancers
The main surprise was to find out that not only freelancers, but also the usual office worker is keen to get out. So it seems like everybody happens to regularly break out of the office and work from a different place from times to times. The average being from one to two times a week, usually for half a day.
That reminds me of a friends in San Francisco who works at Google. He has a lot of options, from being on the GooglePlex in Palo Alto or crashing in the fantastic offices in SF, near Bay Bridge. Well, he was telling me last summer that he usually goes out of office for an inspirational break. His favorite place? Dandelion’s Chocolate factory !
The smell of hot chocolate might be stimulating… For others, it will be the opportunity to meet new people, attend workshops or just get out in a park for fresh air, sun and doodling on a notebook. It just proves again that we will see in the near future a ever-growing liquid workforce, in need for alternative space to hang out, work in teams and just break free from the cubicle.
Studies foresee that half the workforce will be remote in the next 10 years, while already 65% of employees are willing to enjoy the opportunity given by remote working.
With Daysk we aim to help the workers get a better feeling about owning their agenda and the space(s) they work in.