Pakistan has become the fourth fastest-growing country in the global freelancing market as reported in the Payoneer’s Global Gig Economy Index for Q2 2019. Many factors are contributing to the rise of freelancing culture in Pakistan.
The opposition may relate it to the increasing inflation that is showing in the form of increased poverty and unemployment. On the other hand, it is a moment of pride for us to appreciate the youth in finding alternative means of earning money, who are passionate to create opportunities rather than gleaming their eyes on the state and sitting idle.
The freelancers in Pakistan have the advantage of saving tax on earning money from abroad, whereas they still lack access to affordable and productive workspaces. A majority of freelancers is confined to small rooms in their houses or neighborhood because renting and furnishing a purpose-built office is quite expensive. It requires paying a hefty amount in monthly rent, arranging a stable internet connection, heating and cooling, and power backup.
Managing them all is a hectic job for a freelancer as it drains out all the time and energy, and they can hardly focus on their business goals. As a result, they are stuck in a state of meeting their running expenses and fail to expand. A co-working space is a right solution for them as they can put all the office management and maintenance tasks to space handlers, and spend the time in more productive and fruitful business activities.
The concept has soon adopted in major cities of Pakistan and freelancers are opting for the co-working space in Islamabad for an exemplary serene and peaceful working environment. Having a shared office nearest to your home or hometown is an additional benefit as one can find clients from the local markets too. In this post, I am sharing some of the worth-considering benefits of a co-working space that can help our Pakistani freelancers achieve their goals with ease.
Increased productivity
Working alone in closed doors of your home is never productive. To work progressively and meet targets, a freelancer needs a working environment where your family members may knock the door and ask him to bring grocery items and attend the guests.
This is a common problem with freelancers in Pakistan, as they have to face many distractions when they opt to work from home. A co-working space is a dedicated facility to provide them a complete office-like environment with freedom to set their own rules, work hours, meetings or calls without fearing for the guests, grocery purchases, power shutdown, etc. This, as a result, improves the productivity of freelancers, as they are capable to finish a project in time.
Saving time, money, and energy
Managing a private office, in Pakistan, may require freelancers to pay a security amount in addition to the monthly rent. Then come the furniture and fixtures expenses, renovating the washrooms and kitchen, and buying the utensils as well.
First, finding an ideal office building is a big hurdle when you have to deal with the local real estate agents who do not bother what you actually want but keep on suggesting different spaces that may not be suitable even for making it a warehouse.
Working with like-minded people
Co-working spaces abode freelancers, entrepreneurs, and startup enthusiasts from a variety of fields and industries. They might be working in a completely different domain, but will share the same spirit, passion, and dedication as yours.
A shared workspace is not a place for lazy, disappointed, and disheartened people. Therefore, you work around thorough professionals, who may be beginners or professionals, but soon-to-be the founders and CEOs. To work dedicatedly towards achieving a goal, you need to be surrounded by people of high morals who are there in a co-working space.
Business exposure and networking
A co-working space is more like a social-startup than a profit-making business. The crux of providing such a facility is to expose the creative and talented pool of freelancers to other businesses to seek guidance, funds, partnerships, and a plethora of useful activities.
A freelancing or a team of startup founders find it hard to be known in society, as they do not have a platform to display their expertise. With a co-working space, they bring forth their ideas to inspire others and be inspired. This creates a cultural exchange of business ideas among future leaders.
The media and advertising partners of a co-working facility also covers the best-performing freelancers and startups, and earn them national fame. It happens many times that experts of a specific platform or technology such as WordPress or Magento are performing above average across the globe, but unknown to the locals. The co-working spaces become their voice by managing meet-ups of our industry expert to have the due exposure and help the beginners too.
Freedom to choose late night working hours
It is a common perception that freelancing is not time-bound and that you can do it anytime you want. It is true to some extent, but to work with international clients as freelance or remote employees, you may need to be available online between 9-5 at the Eastern Time, which simply means you may need to work late at night or early in the morning.
In Pakistan or any other developing country, working late at night means you are all alone. No one is there to talk, to discuss, or bring a cup of tea or snacks for you. Co-working spaces give you the freedom to work either in the morning or late at night with all the facilities. Find an office that is open around the clock and start pursuing your dreams.
A step forward towards Entrepreneurship
Working alone in a secluded space may limit you to a standard business model, but coming out of your comfort zone and joining a co-working space to work with other professionals will broaden your vision. You will come to know more about the depth of your business and related ideas that need to explore.
Thus, with a co-working space, you can move on to begin a journey of entrepreneurship, rather than limiting your abilities of a freelancer who remains a sole proprietor and can expand beyond a job portal website.
Entrepreneurship is about recognizing a problem and tapping a solution for it that is perfect and unique to its core. It requires an understanding of various issues, observing the problems a common man faces, devising a solution for it, and finding if it will be a viable solution or not. Only seasoned professionals and mentors residing in a co-working space can help you with learning all these skills.
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Final words
Freelancing is a serious business where one has to retain in connection with his or her clients and meet the deadlines. Working from home may cripple your freedom and the ability to meet clients’ expectations that is why a co-working space is an absolute solution. It helps to minimize business operations costs by sharing the resources with fellow freelancers and working in a conducive environment towards a professional goal.