Running a one-person business is taxing and can take its toll when you have to wear many hats on a daily basis. Hiring and training others to help build your business can be time consuming and costly. What other options exist that can help you grow your reach and provide you with access to a plethora of talents that you don’t have to manage? Think coworking. Coworking spaces provide you with access to highly professional and experienced entrepreneurs who can offer you skills, wisdom, consulting, training, and more.
If you’ve been toying with the idea of growing your business but don’t want the responsibilities of building out a team that you are solely responsible for, consider how building a co-op of services can provide one-stop shopping for your clients. There are many benefits to this approach. First, you can offer referrals and get referrals within your co-op. Clients of all shapes and sizes come to you and your partners in crime – er, business – and you can help one another in more ways than one.
Second, you can take on bigger and better projects without worrying about finding the skills and resources needed to make that project come to life. If you need a graphic designer, writer, web developer and sales personality, you can find all of those skills and more at your local coworking space. This means that your business can level up without the added costs of bringing on employees. You might even formally develop a co-op and apply for tenders, government contracts, municipal projects, and more.
Third, your co-op might be eligible for benefits, such as health benefits or group benefits. If you have a formal or informal co-op, and everyone is willing to pitch in, not only can you build a bigger business without managing a bigger business, but you can tap into the resources that are available for groups of entrepreneurs working together.
Depending on who you talk to, you’ll hear this concept of working side-by-side called many different things. Coworking is just one way people refer to it. Agency is another. Although you are not operating under a formal company, you could form one just for the sake of working on group projects. You might also hear this way of working as consultant or freelancing as well. Whatever you call it, your business – and your co-op partners- will benefit from the arrangement.
Finally, you might consider forming a co-op at your local coworking space because you’ll find that being a solopreneur is often lonely and difficult. Working with others, regardless of industry or form, is helpful to provide you with the support and insight you need to succeed. Whether you want to reach out to different clients, offer something totally new, or just need someone to bounce ideas off of from time to time, you’ll find that co-ops, as well as coworking spaces deliver for your business and your clients’.
If you’ve been struggling to build your business from your basement, you might consider getting out and talking to other business owners who work alone. If you need a specific skill set or just want to toss around some ideas for future collaboration, you’ll find that most business owners who work from coworking spaces are open to such collaboration. Renting a coworking space is not just about getting cheap space, it’s about being seen and seeing what’s out there. Take advantage of such arrangements and your business can go far.
