Let’s start with the basics:
Co-worker (with a hyphen)- people who work together for the same company/business
Coworker (no hyphen)- people who work together within a coworking space but are not necessarily part of the same company/business
It’s just a hyphen. “What’s the big deal?”, you might ask.
If you’re looped into the coworking world, it’s a BIG deal. Allow us to explain why. Coworking was created in 2005 by Brad Neuberg (who is actually from the RGV!) in a small space in San Francisco. In Brad’s own words, “I decided to create a new kind of space to support the community and structure that I hungered for and gave it a new name: coworking.” Notice, no hyphen.
And on October 4, 2018, our style of working was finally recognized by the AP Stylebook!!
Coworkers provide support and camaraderie. They sit next to you nearly every day. They understand your struggles, because they, too, have taken that same leap of faith in being an entrepreneur. Do you need advice? You just turn to the person sitting across from you. Do you need a quick break? Walk into the cafe, pour yourself a cup of coffee, and have a chat with someone. Have a business question? Chances are someone in either of our locations has the answer. Coworking stokes the fires of creativity, collaboration, and most importantly- Community.
Could you do that at your local coffee shop? Probably not. Try turning to the person sitting at the table next to you to ask them for some advice, and the probably won’t even hear you with their headphones plugged in.
Traditional co-workers within the same company can do many of the same things- give advice, have a quick chat over coffee- but the atmosphere in which they work is usually laden with HR policies. There’s a dress code. Breaks can only last 15 minutes. The lunch hour probably doesn’t even last a true hour. Maybe the only solidarity co-workers have together is that they commiserate about how much they can’t stand their supervisor. This environment definitely doesn’t boost creativity, collaboration, or community. At least no in the coworking sense.
Look, we’re not knocking the corporate setting. There are some AMAZING industries and people that help make the world go-round in the 9-5 realm. But when it comes to coworking and co-working…well, we’re going to take pride in the differences. So, make sure you take that hyphen and stick it right where it belongs. *wink wink*
And, as always, if you’re interested in checking out the benefits of coworking for you (and your co-workers), don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We’d love to show you the differences and benefits in action.