- The community
Most coworking spaces will show you nice photos of desks, plants and maybe a coffee machine. What they won't necessarily show you is who you'll actually be sharing the space with. The people around you matter arguably more than the furniture, they're who you'll end up chatting with over coffee, bouncing ideas off of and building genuine relationships with.
Before signing up, ask what kind of members the space tends to attract. Is it mostly freelancers? Small teams? A mix of industries? There’s no right answer but it’s worth knowing whether the space matches the kind of work and conversations you’re hoping to have. For example, at Good Space, we cater to the individual. We have small teams (usually between 3-6 members) but otherwise it is mostly individual freelancers, remote workers or business owners.
- Flexibility that actually fits how you work
Not everyone works the traditional 9-5. Some people are most productive first thing in the morning, others work best in the evening and plenty of people dip in and out depending on the week. A good coworking space should work with that, not force you into a schedule that doesn’t work for you.
Look for membership options that match your actual work pattern. Day passes if your routine changes week to week, flexible hours if you’re not a traditional 9-5 person and the ability to scale your hours up or down easily if your business changes shape.
At Good Space we are open for members 24/7 so you can work whenever suits you. I often see people working early, late or on weekends.
- The practical stuff
It's easy to get swept up in the atmosphere of a space and forget to check the basics. A few questions worth asking:
- Is the wifi actually reliable, or does it dip the moment more than ten people are online?
- Are there quiet spaces for focused work, as well as more social areas?
- Is there somewhere to take a call without disturbing (or being overheard by) everyone else?
- What's included in the membership, printing, meeting rooms, coffee? and what costs extra?
None of these are exciting questions, but they're the ones that'll actually affect your day-to-day experience.
- Location and how it fits into your life
A beautiful space is only useful if you'll actually go. Think honestly about how far you're willing to travel on a regular basis, and whether it's a route you'll enjoy or dread. A slightly less impressive space five minutes from home often wins out over a stunning one that's a 45-minute commute away.
- Room to grow
If you're freelancing now but hoping to build a team down the line, or running a small business that might need more space in six months, it's worth checking how easy that transition would be. Can you move from a hot desk to a dedicated one? Is there room to add a private office later without switching spaces entirely? A space that can grow with you saves a lot of disruption later on.
- How it actually feels to be there
This is the hardest one to judge from a website, which is why we'd always recommend visiting in person before committing. Sit in the space for an hour if you can. Notice whether people are chatting, whether it's dead quiet, whether the energy feels collaborative or heads-down. There's no wrong answer, it depends entirely on what you're looking for, but it should feel like somewhere you'd actually want to spend your working days.
At the end of the day, the best coworking space isn't necessarily the one with the nicest photos, it's the one that fits how you actually work, who you'll actually enjoy being around, and where you'll actually want to show up. If you'd like to see what that looks like at Good Space, come in and have a look for yourself.
Book a free trial here.
