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Coworking Provides a Valuable Alternative to Commercial Office Space, Working From Home

September 26, 2016

You’ve started a business and are exploring options for renting office space. Maybe you’ve even reviewed a few commercial leases, but are hesitant to pull the trigger on a long term lease. Perhaps you work from home and have a home office setup but miss the camaraderie of a traditional office. Or maybe you need a break from your traditional office, a space to work while traveling, or a separate location for your side hustle.

Coworking provides potential solution to all of these situations. So what is it? Coworking is a community-driven, collaborative working environment shared by people who may be self-employed or working remotely.

Coworking spaces typically provide a variety of options that range from a day pass to a permanent desk, and provide amenities such as high-speed internet connections, conference rooms, a mailing address, a kitchen, and printing. All of the above amenities are musts in today’s business world, but where coworking really shines is the focus on community-building through its members and fostering a supportive environment.

For a few days per month, I’ve been trying it out at The Candy Factory in Lancaster. The experiences so far has been amazing – I’ve met many talented entrepreneurs, professionals and all around good people who are invested in the community and helping one another in all walks of life. Based on my experience, it’s not surprising that people thrive when they cowork.

When you enter the large community flex space, the words GATHER IMAGINE CREATE THRIVE COWORK are painted in the wall in huge letters. But before you get a chance to take it all in, you’ve likely been greeted by Rose, Anne or another member. Once you look around, you’ll see an eclectic mix of environments designed for every preference – standing desks, seated desks, upholstered couches and chairs. A community kitchen lines the back wall along with a conference room, which is capped by a loft area. The Candy Factory also features permanent desks and more flex space on two floors in the tower, which will soon be expanded to a total of 6 floors plus a rooftop deck. Another upcoming Candy Factory project will be another location  at the Rock Lititz campus, called Rock Candy.

The Candy Factory

Members host events like informal lunch and learns and after business hours covering all kinds of topics, from mobile phone photography to a class on mindfulness and parenting to weekly happy hours and homebrewing. A few weeks ago, Kathy Miller and I hosted a lunch and learn on frequently asked questions about working with lawyers.

But it’s not all networking and socializing – I can assure you that the primary focus of coworking at The Candy Factory is getting work done; it just has a healthy balance of extracurriculars all geared toward bringing the talents and perspectives of its members together to build a place that helps businesses grow.

If you’re interested in learning more about coworking and how it can work for your business, schedule a tour at your local coworking space (click here for The Candy Factory).

 Matt Landis is an attorney at Russell, Krafft & Gruber, LLP, in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. He received his law degree from Widener University and works regularly with business owners and entrepreneurs. Matt’s favorite time to cowork at the Candy Factory is on Friday afternoons – feel free to stop by and say hello!