Working an at-home job or running a home-based business can get lonely. After all, we’re social animals. Some solve the problem by becoming Starbucks squatters–staking out a power outlet and sipping lattes for hours on end. They don’t really need to interact with other people, they just need to be around them.
But other home-based employees and business owners crave a more, well, office-like environment. To feed the need, social workplaces are springing up all over the world. Not the cubicle farms of yesteryear, these new opt-in workspaces are more like something you’d see in a 1960′s movie. People sitting around in beanbag chairs and comfy sofas, but instead of exchanging social diseases and sharing their inner selves, they’re exchanging ideas and sharing knowhow.
The term for this new work style is Coworking . According to a recent survey, the most important features of a coworking space are atmosphere, a feeling of community, the opportunity for collaboration, location, and networking opportunities.
If you work at home and are interested in coworking, click here to go to the coworking wiki. For a peek at one of these office halfway houses, check out this CNN video.
