Over the last 18 months, working outside the office has become the norm for thousands of people. With the COVID-19 pandemic still spreading throughout communities, alternative work environments could continue to be status quo for a while longer.
If you’re tired of working from your home office or just want a more flexible work space, Burlington is home to several coworking spaces that could fit the bill.
The coworking space industry started back in 2005 in San Fransisco. In the 16 years since, the industry has boomed, spreading across the U.S. and the globe.
The number of coworking spaces worldwide was expected to grow to almost 20,000 in 2020. While the market declined because of the pandemic and its associated economic slowdowns, the number of people working remotely has still grown. According to DropDesk, 42% of the U.S. labor force now works remotely.
Because of the growth and popularity of flexible work spaces, coworking spaces were the fastest-growing type of office space in commercial real estate, DropDesk said, currently making up 5% of the market. That is expected to grow to 30% by 2030.
Cathryn Hartwell, the manager at Burlington's Coworking On Main, said their coworking space is currently at full capacity, which hasn't been seen in a while.
"With coworking spaces, it ebbs and flow but since a lot of offices have closed down people have rented space here because they still need some kind of secure office space," she said. "We've noticed a pretty big increase since COVID."
"We have a lot of people that rent either a dedicated desk or they rent by the month and they come and go because they need a place that's away form home," she added.
According to DropDesk’s research, benefits of a coworking space include less isolation and loneliness, increased motivation, enhanced professional networking opportunities and operational cost savings for businesses.
Coworking spaces in Burlington include:
Coworking On Main
Membership options range from host desks for $100/month to a private office for $400/month. Services include a conference room, event/training space, WiFi, video/phone booths, printers and more.\
The Chill Place
Basic ($199/month) and all access ($499/month) memberships are available offering access to all open workstations, WiFi, a printer, free coffee and water, private office and conference room access, mail delivery and free events. The space is also dog friendly.
M&S Suite Spaces
Options range from day passes for $20/day to suite space for $350/month. Amenities include desks, private offices, a conference room, mail service, a shared receptionist, printing, video booths, networking events and a cafe. Student memberships are also available for $50/month.
District No. 3 will also open this fall, offering a fourth coworking space option in the city.
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Elizabeth Pattman is the trending topics reporter for the Times-News in Burlington, covering business, COVID-19 and all things trending. Contact Elizabeth (she/her) at epattman@gannett.com. I'm also available on social media @EPattmanTN on Twitter or @burlingtontimesnews on Instagram.
