Proworking vs. Coworking

Shared office spaces have a lot to offer solopreneurs and small businesses: a space to meet and work in person, an enviable business-district address, flexible lease terms, and more. And given that three in four remote-capable professionals expect a remote or hybrid arrangement, many businesses can meet their team’s needs and save a lot of money by leasing a shared space with fewer seats than a traditional full-time office would have.

(Case in point: some workers are even willing to accept lower wages to work remotely.)

But deciding you’d like to work in a shared office space and actually choosing that space are two different things. Just a few minutes of research can lead to an overwhelming number of choices. What’s the difference between renting a desk and renting a private office? Do you need concierge services? How many people can occupy a shared space?

At a high level, one of the biggest differences between shared office spaces is what we call the coworking vs. proworking divide. Before you can choose a specific space, it's important to decide whether you want to cowork or prowork. Here, we’ll break down the key differences between traditional coworking spaces and the proworking spaces designed for those with greater needs for privacy and professionalism.

How Is Proworking Different from Coworking?

When you search “What is coworking?” Google tells you it’s “the use of an office or other working environment by people who are self-employed or working for different employers, typically so as to share equipment, ideas, and knowledge.”

In other words, coworking is communal. It’s open. There’s not a lot of privacy. That’s great if your aim is to network, but not if you want to complete your work free of distractions.

Proworking, too, involves an office space where multiple businesses and professionals come to work. But where coworking is open, proworking is private. Proworking spaces have walls and doors that lock. They cater to lawyers, wealth managers, financial advisors, and others whose work requires discretion and privacy. Proworking enables productivity and deep work – not networking.

In fact, when Firmspace opened its doors in 2016, it was with this simple distinction: where other shared office space providers emphasized the sharing component, we support professionals who want to get their best work done.

Proworking vs. Coworking: A Breakdown

To further break down the differences between proworking and coworking, we’ve created this table:

Proworking vs. Coworking: Choosing the Best Fit for You and Your Team

The best benefit employers can offer today is workplace flexibility. But if you fondly remember working with your team in person prior to the pandemic, it can be tough to let that go.

So don’t.

Adopting a hybrid arrangement gives you the best of both worlds – an opportunity for in-person collaboration and remote work. But which type of shared space – coworking or proworking – makes the most sense for your business?

If you want to heavily network so you can share knowledge, discover talent, or identify investors, coworking is probably the best choice for you.

But if you’re in a professional services field or require privacy and security to do your job well, that’s where we recommend proworking. In a proworking space, you can take those confidential calls and welcome serious potential partners in a professional atmosphere that’s free of distractions.

If this sounds interesting, or you’re looking for a place that lets you focus on your work and collaborate with your team, book a tour. See if Firmspace is right for you.