Here’s why renting a space is better than camping at Starbucks
Have you ever found yourself scrambling around public spaces in Singapore to find a table to do your work? During my schooling years, I often have to force myself to wake up early to queue outside public libraries to secure myself a seat to study in. If I fail to do so, I’d go to the Starbucks stores nearby, in hope of finding a seat that is near a power socket.
Sometimes, I would have to scramble around two to three Starbucks outlets to be able to find a seat. Even if I found a seat, there is a possibility of getting chased out if I stay there too long.
With coworking spaces and space sharing gaining prominence in Singapore, we have a plethora of places that we can work or study in. We can simply rent a table somewhere at a low cost and enjoy the facilities such as WiFi and power sockets for free!
The concept of renting a “day-space” may be foreign to some of you. To put it simply, it allows you to book a facility of your choice for your specified duration and for a small fee.
Benefits of Renting a Space
Here are three reasons why renting your own space may be better than going to public spaces.
1. Privacy
As someone who prefers a quieter environment to work in, I dread the crowd at Starbucks. When the peak hour hits, Starbucks is full of people chatting away while getting their caffeine fix. Even in the library, the person next to you may be too close for comfort or their books may be invading your space on the table.
Having your own facility can prevent a host of such problems because you can decide who goes with you, or if you just want to be alone. Even if you leave your bags unattended for a little while, there’s no need to be afraid of them being stolen because only you have access to your space.
2. Flexibility
I’m sure we all remember having to reach Starbucks or the nearest library right when they open so that you can “chope” the best seats. Oftentimes, we’d have a fear of getting thrown out during peak periods. With your own space, you can come and go anytime you want. You decide the number of hours you want to stay there for and there won’t be anyone throwing you out just because you’ve finished your cup of coffee.
3. Convenience
In this digital day and age, we do not leave anywhere without our phones and laptops. This brings the problem of us constantly requiring connectivity (WiFi) and accessible charging spots for these devices. Public spaces tend to provide WiFi but the signal may be weak or may require you to constantly reconnect. Charging spots may be limited in supply or not readily available.
Renting your own space easily resolves these problems, giving you ample charging outlets and a stable WiFi connection. You would never have to worry about exceeding your mobile data limit or having a flat battery on your laptops.
Why are people not willing to rent a space?
Despite these benefits, there are some negative points to consider. For instance, you will need to incur some costs to book a space. As public spaces are often free of charge (besides the money for coffee or tea), some people may be reluctant to book a space.
However, costs needed to rent such a space are usually only slightly more than your cup of Starbucks coffee. Besides, you get to stay at the place for the whole day, without having to worry about being chased out during peak hours. Moreover, some of the spaces for lease offer free coffee and tea.
With these pros and cons listed, which type of space would you prefer?