Can Suburban Coworking Calm the Perfect Storm? | Check in App

People working remotely in their suburban home offices or out of the local coffee shop each year is on the rise, yet something is missing. The panacea of working from home is not all it was cracked up to be. Rumblings of lost productivity, constant distractions, and loneliness have grown from a distant hum to a constant beat.

As commute time and expense increase, and dissatisfaction with the home office alternative grow, a perfect storm is brewing. Coworking as a viable, cost-effective solution is on the radar of many savvy employers not willing to sacrifice the cost savings of a reduced office footprint.

Those who truly get it see the substantial return on investment achieved by funding employee shared workspace membership -- not just the positive impact on productivity, but also on employee attitude towards the employer. The wise ones use coworking as a strategic recruitment and engagement tool.

When Suite Spotte opened its second suburban coworking space in Forest Park earlier this year, the message was loud and clear. Workers living in the suburbs prefer to work in their local communities. How do we know? Because we asked our Suite Spotters. Here’s what they had to say.

Top 10 benefits to suburban coworking

1. 1. Recoup the 52.8 minutes on average I used to spend commuting each day.
   2. Work with, and be energized by, other smart, creative, successful people from the “neighborhood”.
   3. Reap all the benefits of telecommuting without the pitfalls of working from home.
   4. Produce more than a full day’s worth of work in less than a full day.
   5. “Wow” my suburban clients with a professional office space close to their home base.
   6. Save my marriage by working away from home, yet close enough for schedule flexibility.
   7. Relish the huge smile on my pre-schooler’s face when I show up (on time) for his holiday assembly without missing most of the day to get to and from work.
   8. Volunteer and contribute to my local community now that my schedule is more open.
   9. Relax at the end of the day in my new “chill-out room” (my former inefficient home office).
   10. Work, shop, dine and play locally.

Sue Reardon is the co-founder of Suite Spotte, a coworking community with offices in the Chicago suburbs of La Grange and Forest Park. Suite Spotte brings coworking to Main Street. http://suitespotte.com/