Virtual co-working spaces: Everything you need to know

One of the biggest drawbacks of remote working is that you cannot find a community full of intelligent people working on a shared target. You may feel lonely when working remotely, leading to demotivation. Fortunately, virtual co-working spaces are there to minimize these issues. 

Today, virtual co-working spaces and other flexible working platforms are getting increasingly popular. It has been shown that remote workers who use these spaces are happier and more productive. That is why it is critical to find a suitable virtual space for those who work remotely. 

What is a virtual co-working space? how Is It different from a physical one?

Virtual co-working spaces are platforms that offer most of the same benefits as physical co-working spaces, but without the presence of everyone in the same place.

People who take advantage of virtual co-working spaces can enjoy the same sense of being in a community of coworkers, but without regular interruptions or having to go to a specific workplace.

It is interesting to know that most virtual co-working spaces provide you with floorplans to help you feel like you are really in an office along with your coworkers. You can enter rooms or go to a meeting, like in a real workspace. 

Some companies offer virtual floorplans along with avatars for all workers, so you can see others and what they are working on. You can even knock on doors before entering rooms, or close your doors if you do not want to be disturbed. This way, you can have a sense of being a member of a community, leading to higher productivity. 

In physical co-working spaces, people have to move to their workspace to work. They sit at a desk, talk to their coworkers, enjoy a cup of coffee, print papers, etc. On the other hand, you can work from anywhere in a virtual co-working space. Although you do not physically sit in a real office, you virtually sit at a specific desk in your virtual floor plan. You can even visit virtual locations such as meeting rooms, and interact with others virtually. 

Benefits of virtual co-working spaces

When COVID-19 started to hunt us all down, the need for virtual co-working suddenly soared. Thanks to telecommunication technologies, it has been an easy transition for many people to migrate from physical offices to virtual co-working spaces. 

Different coworkers find it helpful to organize daily sessions and collaborate effectively from home in virtual co-working spaces. They can quickly share tasks, work on projects, and share ideas, without being distracted by emails, jumping on calls, or dealing with wires. 

Here are the other benefits of virtual co-working spaces:

• You can eliminate extra costs such as food and drink in your home office. 

• Ideal for those who cannot leave their homes due to illness or disability.

• It is not location-dependent, and it does not matter if you are even in an isolated area out of the city. 

• You can cooperate with a broad range of workers worldwide, helping you create wide networking opportunities. 

• You can work even on the go as you do not have to have a fixed location. 

• It is possible to manage social online events with your coworkers after work, including book clubs. 

• You can have your virtual desk and break-out online meeting rooms to chat with other workers. 

Challenges of virtual co-working

Although virtual co-working spaces offer eye-catching benefits, they may not be the best solution for some people. 

For example, consider you are exhausted from your physical office and tend to make some separation and stay away from your office, while still maintaining your job schedule. Then, you go for building a virtual co-working space solely for the sake of this separation. The truth is that if you still keep on working remotely from your home in your new virtual space, you cannot achieve that separation you need. In this case, heading for a virtual coworking space cannot be helpful for you.

The other challenge you may face is the need for a constant, high-speed internet connection. Physical offices offer this by default, but in a virtual co-working space, you need to make sure your internet speed is appropriate. 

The other challenge emerges when your colleagues are from different time zones, making the scheduling process a little intricate or sometimes impossible. 

What’s more, you have to ensure that all your team members are comfortable enough with the technology to be able to set up the virtual coworking space. In this case, you need to discuss the rules and instructions beforehand with everyone to make sure you are all on the same page. 

Additionally, it is challenging to build a sense of community in a virtual co-working space. Managers have to be creative to involve workers in social life, networking, and collaboration. They have to put much effort into keeping members engaged and encouraging active participation. 

Future of virtual coworking spaces

For all the benefits, lower costs, and flexibility that virtual coworking spaces offer, their popularity is soaring. Co-working spaces may incorporate a virtual element in the future, as virtual reality (VR) and other related technologies are advancing in a flash. 

Studies show that physically being in an office does not necessarily improve the productivity of workers. That being said, more businesses these days are offering flexible, remote working opportunities, expedited by the spread of COVID-19. 

Traditional coworking spaces are also more inclined these days to opt for virtual coworking spaces as a means to retain their existing members and employ new ones. 

Considering all of these signs, there is no doubt that virtual coworking will strongly continue getting increasingly popular. Even now, many companies are transitioning to virtual coworking platforms every day. 

With continuous advancements in technology, especially virtual reality (VR), the popularity of virtual co-working spaces will increase even more. The number of companies choosing to adapt to virtual co-working spaces is rapidly soaring, and the future of this trend is brighter than it seems.