Looking for space to accommodate your growing team? Factors like amenities and friendly neighbors affect the overall work environment, so keep these seven things in mind when hunting for the perfect co-working space.
A. A Space That Meets Your Budget
When looking for a working space, it's important not to get too consumed with its luxury, location, spacing and amenities. While all of these are important, they are also costly mistakes if you over-indulge and are bringing in too many expected costs for your business. Always look at your working space as an extra expense, and make sure it's one you can cover. - Zac Johnson, Blogging.org
A. Culture and Community
At the base level, most co-working spaces are going to be relatively similar. Community and culture are two important factors that will make or break a space for you. You'll be spending a lot of time at the co-working space you choose, so you want to find one with a culture that you jive with and with a community of people who inspire you to do your best work. - Nailah Blades-Wylie, Wylie & Co.
A. Whether It's the Right Option
Co-working spaces aren't for everyone, so finding one that matches your style of working is key. Make sure it's full of people that are approachable, smarter than you and don't mind bouncing ideas off each other. However, this type of environment can be a major time suck too, so understanding how you work is important. - Steven Newlon, SYN3RGY Creative Group
A. Inspiring People
We launched in a co-working space, and we spend a lot of time in other cities' spaces when we travel. The best ones always have really interesting people and companies who are doing inspiring things that you can learn from. Spaces full of remote salespeople or real estate agents are fine but don't compare to the ones with entrepreneurs building amazing things. - Julian Flores, GetOutfitted, Inc.
A. Positive Environment
In a co-working space, I like being around people who are eager to learn and motivated to succeed. To build a strong team, you have to surround yourself with people who are smarter than you. Being around people who have positive attitudes is infectious and good for business. Co-working spaces are always more pleasant with natural sunlight, too. - Ravi Kurani, Sutro
A. Complementary Entrepreneurs
Find a co-working space that matches your work style. If you need library-like silence, don't pick a co-working space with a lot of loud salespeople on the phone all day. If you are a developer, try to find one that has other developers. Don't go for homogeny, but some like-minded folks can make you feel at home. - John Arroyo, Arroyo Labs, Inc.
A. Convenience, Comfort and Amenities
Does the space host events? Is it easy to get to? Can you work comfortably? Are there dedicated desks, meeting space and lounge areas? Other membership perks? Amenities vary widely, so be sure to understand the membership package you would get. - Michael Rheaume, SnapKnot Inc.
These answers are provided by members of FounderSociety, an invitation-only organization comprised of ambitious startup founders and business owners.