It might seem an easy task, but finding the perfect coworking space is not always a piece of cake. First of all, we recommend trying out a bunch of them in your city to be able to compare and pick the right one before committing to any of them. But how to be sure you’re making the right choice? Keep reading for 8 important things to keep in mind before making your final decision.
Pricing
Needless to say that membership prices are one of the key factors that will influence your choice. Coworking spaces can significantly differ from one another. There are plenty of options to suit all budgets. From cozy shared spaces with just the essentials to fancier beautifully-designed coworking offices in larger buildings offering all types of premium services.
Based on our experience, higher prices don’t necessarily mean better quality in all cases. It largely depends on what you expect to get from a coworking space. If you’re more community-oriented and are looking for a place where you can meet like-minded individuals to get inspiration from, we can guarantee that you’ll find great value in many inexpensive shared offices that strive to build bonds between members. Bigger business-oriented spaces – which often tend to be less affordable as well – might not be for you then.
First, you’ll need to determine how much you can/want to spend and then find a coworking space that meets that budget and checks as many boxes as possible (keep reading for other important things to keep in mind).
Services and Facilities
Other than a desk and high-speed WiFi, ask yourself what else could help you to work productively. Do you have frequent calls and need a space where you can take them without disturbing others? Then phone booths are a must. Do you commute to your workplace by bike every day? In that case, you’d better search for a coworking space that provides bike storage.
Here’s a list of some of the most common services and facilities available in coworking offices:
- Meeting rooms. Essential for team gatherings or meetings with clients. Many coworking spaces offer a certain number of free hours per month included in the membership, and only charge you if you exceed those hours. So make sure to take that into account, especially if you have regular meetings.
- Calling booths. We’re all bombarded with calls and online meetings these days. Phone booths will just make your life easier.
- Kitchen. Most of the times they’re equipped with just the essentials, such as a fridge, a microwave and cutlery. An important feature to look for if you try to avoid eating out every day.
- Bar/Café. Having your meals on-site can be very convenient and save you lots of time. Based on our experience, only larger coworking spaces run their own café, though.
- Free coffee and tea. Ok, this is not a must but it’s nice to have, isn’t it? Just think about how much you’d save on coffee every day if it’s provided for free directly at your workplace!
- Printing. This comes in handy to avoid a commute to the printing shop. Some coworking spaces offer printing for free and others charge a small fee per page.
- Chill-out area. Taking breaks is necessary! Some of the most basic will come equipped with a couple of couches, but you can find coworking spaces that take it to the next level and provide table tennis or pool tables. One way or the other, these chill-out areas are a great spot to meet other members, as it’s easier to break the ice and start a chat with your coworkers when they’re not focusing on work.
- Outdoor space. We can all use a bit of fresh air from time to time. Courtyards and outdoors areas are a particularly nice feature to have in the warmer months, allowing you to soak up the sun while you work.
- Bike storage. For those who feel sporty in the morning. Other than storage rooms, it’s also common to find bike racks.
- Pet-friendly. This isn’t exactly a service or a facility, but it’s something to keep in mind if you’d like to bring your four-legged friend along.
Location and Accessibility
Along with pricing, location should probably be one of the most crucial factors in your decision-making. Think about it – if you have to commute a long distance every morning, chances are you’ll end up cancelling your membership. Or, what’s worse: keep paying for it but not making use of it.
It is equally important that the coworking space is easily accessible by public transport. Are there any subway stations or bus stops nearby which are well connected to the rest of the city? That’s something you should pay attention to. This becomes particularly essential if you often have clients over.
And last but not least, take a look around. Based on our experience, it is very convenient to have a great choice of restaurants, supermarkets and other shops within walking distance. And why not, also a couple of good bars to go out for drinks with your coworkers after a day of work.
Membership Options and Commitment
Two main things to consider here: your office layout needs and usage frequency.
There are usually three different types of arrangements:
- Private offices. Probably the most convenient option for small teams. Good for privacy.
- Fixed desks. Having a dedicated desk can come in handy in many cases. If you want to make sure your favorite spot will always be available for you and if you’d like to leave some of your stuff overnight, such as a monitor or books, then a fixed desk is probably your best bet.
- Hot desks. Hot desks are typically the cheapest type of membership, so they’re a good solution for those that just need a desk to work on their laptop.
How often you need office space is something you should also bear in mind when searching for options. Full time memberships that allow access to the workspace every day of the month seem to be the most popular choice. However, some people might just be looking for a place to work from occasionally. If that’s your case, not every coworking space might meet your needs, so check out what they offer. Some of the most common part-time memberships are Evenings & Weekends, Mornings-Only, or those that allow you to make use of the space a few days per week or per month. That said, these part-time choices depend largely on what each individual coworking space decides to offer, so it might take a little bit of research until you find a good fit. One thing that you should know is that it’s quite uncommon to find coworking spaces that allow to pay by the hour, but purchasing day passes is often possible at most coworking spaces. This is a good solution if you’d just like to pay as you go.
Another thing worth mentioning is commitment. Contracts tend to be pretty flexible. In most cases, they renew on a monthly basis, which makes it very convenient if your plans change anytime. But before signing up, make sure to get well acquainted with the terms and conditions.
Opening Hours
Working 9-to-5? Then you can skip this section, as most coworking spaces typically open during that time frame. But if you’re either an early bird or a night owl, then you’ll probably need to search for a coworking space that provides 24/7 access to members. That’s not rare to find, so don’t worry – you’ll have plenty of options to choose from.
Community and Events
Whether you’re interested in networking or just looking to meet new people, choosing a coworking space that takes the community building aspect seriously will determine how comfortable you feel in the space. It’s even been proved that sociability can have an impact on your productivity. So, strange as it may sound, being surrounded by the right people can positively influence your performance at work.
Some coworking spaces make big efforts to organize events that allow members to connect with each other. Some of these include, but are not limited to, workshops, afterwork drinks, yoga lessons, or even things as simple as a coffee break for coworkers to chat and get to know one another. Others, however, only focus on providing the work facilities, paying little attention to community building. In our experience, when that’s the case, the chances of meeting other members are much lower.
Therefore, if the community aspect is important to you (that’s often the case for freelancers and solo-workers that can on occasion feel isolated), we advise you aim to find a coworking space that hosts events for members. Remember to ask the community manager when visiting the space and, if staying for a trial day, it’s good to make an effort to meet a few coworkers and hang out with them for a bit to get an idea of what the community is like.
Staff
The community managers will be your main contact person when issues or questions arise. That’s why it’s important to feel they’re approachable, accommodating and willing to give a hand anytime. It’s often quite easy to get a sense of that when you first visit, during your initial tour of the space. If the staff succeeds to make you feel welcome in those 5-10 mins, happily answers all your questions and makes an effort to understand your needs, that’s a good sign.
Tour & Free Trial
A good idea is to make a list of 3-5 coworking spaces that meet your requirements based on the criteria above. You may want to drop by for a quick visit to be able to compare and make an informed decision. Not all coworking spaces offer a free trial day for new visitors, but whenever possible, we strongly advise to stay for a full day of work. It’s a helpful way to get a better feeling of whether it’s a good fit or not.
About Locus Workspace in Prague
Locus Workspace is an English-language coworking space that was designed from day one for solo-workers: freelancers, writers, digital nomads, solopreneurs, and other remote workers and location-independent professionals who would prefer to work alongside other people than alone.
Pricing
Locus remains one of the most affordable coworking spaces in Prague, with prices ranging from 1,900 CZK + VAT for a 7 day/month membership to 4,500 CZK + VAT for a fixed desk.
Services and Facilities
While Locus is just a small cozy space on the fourth floor of a historical building, we’re well-equipped to make sure our members work productively. We have a couple of meeting rooms, 4 calling booths, printing facilities and a kitchen area equipped with a fridge, a microwave and cutlery. Unlimited coffee and tea is offered for free to members and they have access to a courtyard to work in the summer, which is also used for events during the warmer months. Those who commute by bike will also find bike racks for their convenience.
Location and Accessibility
Locus is conveniently located in Vinohrady, just a few meters away from Jiřího z Poděbrad. The area is popular among expats and is full of nice restaurants, bars and cafés. Easily accessible by metro and tram.
Membership Options and Commitment
Locus offers a wide range of memberships to choose from. Our most popular is the Full Time membership, which allows 24/7 access to the space in a hot desk set up. Fixed Desk options with unlimited access to the office are also available, and those who only need a workspace from time to time can choose between a 7-Day membership, a Virtual membership, or simply a Day-Pass. An Evening & Weekends membership is also available for those who need to work after hours. You can check all the different membership options here.
With the exception of the Virtual membership, all contracts renew on a monthly basis, giving full flexibility to cancel whenever you need to. There are also some long-term commitment options which come with some perks, such as bonus days for free or the ability to freeze your account when you’re out of town.
Opening Hours
Members have 24/7 access to the space, while visitors are welcome from Monday to Friday from 9:00-17:00, when staff is present.
Community and Events
Community is at the heart of everything we do. That’s why Locus stands out among coworking spaces around the world for the quality of its community. From our Slack Community and Meetup Groups to our many informal members-only events such as our weekly lunches and coffee breaks and free Beer Friday, Locus makes it easy to get to know other members when the mood strikes, whether you’re an introvert or an extravert, and whether you’re at Locus to focus on your work or you’re here to get to know other people working on their own in Prague.
With an international yet local community of members from about 25 countries, and English as our language of communication, Locus helps folks who are new to Prague—or to the Czech Republic—quickly “go local”. Most importantly, it is the members themselves that give Locus—hands down—the strongest sense of community of any coworking space in the Czech Republic.
You can find our full list of events here.
Staff
The Locus team is quite international and is always available for anything members might need. Learn more about us here.
Tour & Free Day
To give visitors the opportunity to try it out and see if it’s a good fit, Locus offers everyone the opportunity to work for free for a day. All you need to do is book your Tour & Free Day and we’ll be happy to welcome you in the space 🙂
