What's the Deal with Coworking?: A Week With Croissant

Co-working spaces have become increasingly popular over the last few years and I can see why. Co-working is great for entrepreneurs and freelancers as it fosters creativity, convenience, and accessibility. As a new entrepreneur, I found myself immediately researching co-working spaces when I first launched my business. I wanted to be part of the crew!

However, I quickly learned that I can’t afford many of the posh memberships that some of my fellow entrepreneurs have.

Enter Croissant.

Croissant, a membership to the best co-working spaces, actually started as four peeps co-working in coffee shops all over NYC, doing what all of us entrepreneurs do to save a buck. You hit up a local coffee shop, buy a latte and a muffin, and hole up for 8 hours. The problem? During that time, you wrestle with loud noise and conversation, plus unreliable wifi. Not to mention that it's impossible to take a meeting because every single seat is taken.

Croissant provides you access to over 200 unique and accessible spaces across cities all over the globe, from London to NYC to Los Angeles.

I decided to see what all of the hype was all about, so last week I spent the week checking out and working from different spaces. It was such a great experience and a real breath of fresh air to leave my apartment for a week and get a feel for the spaces and their vibes.

Per the recommendation of my trusted friend, Georgette Eva (she's Croissant’s Community & Events Manager) I had a list of all the amazing spaces I should check out in NYC. Here are the ones I spent time in:

1. Rise - Flatiron

This was my favorite space of the three that I visited this past week; it was very spacious and airy. There were plenty of couches and tables to set up a laptop, and lots of outlets nearby so you never have to worry about charging your devices. The aesthetic is stylish and clean. They provide unlimited coffee and tea, an also have a cafe with food items for purchase. This was honestly my favorite part about Rise, because being as bitter cold as it has been in NYC, I wasn't excited about leaving for lunch and coming back. The space was also quiet enough that I could take a call and hear the person comfortably. I even met one of my coaching clients there, and it was comfortable and productive. I will definitely be coming back here.

2. Fueled Collective NYC

Fueled had a cool vibe going, which I felt right away. It's very trendy, and when you walk in you're greeted with several mason jars full of Swedish Fish and Dum Dums. This space is in the heart of SoHo on Broadway, so has a very energetic vibe in general. I was able to find a space to set up right away at a communal table, and there was an outlet readily available. I will say this space was a bit more condensed than Rise so it was a bit louder and harder to hear when I took a call. That said, there were a few small phone booths and conference rooms I could have taken advantage of if I needed a quieter space. There is no cafe on site here, so I did have to pop out for lunch.  Overall, loved the vibe — but if I need to have a client meeting, I'll probably pick a space more like Rise.

3. Bond Collective

Bond is also in Flatiron, and I had meetings in Flatiron all day on Friday so needed a quick place to go and take a few calls and send some emails. Bond was PERFECT for this. It has a very bustling and vibrant feel, and the people at the front desk who checked me in were extremely friendly. The space was pretty small and very quiet. I set up shop at a table easily and was able to take a few calls and get through my email. Bond also provides unlimited coffee and tea, plus snacks for purchase. I only spent about an hour here, as I had to get to a meeting, but would definitely go back. Bond is a great place to go in between meetings to regroup and get yourself organized.

Overall, my experience has been very positive with Croissant. The app is quite user-friendly and easy to navigate, making it easy to reserve your seat for the day. Pro tip: Make sure you allow enough time to get to your space, as you can only hold a seat for an hour.

If you're thinking, “This is all well and good, but how much is this going to cost me?” I have to say that honestly, pricing is reasonable. There are three tiers of membership based on your needs and budget; the name of the game is accessibility. I really enjoy the fact that instead of going to one space every day, you have an option to try several different spaces. This makes it easy to plan a day around meetings or engagements because chances are, there's a space nearby that you can check into to prep for your meeting or take a quick call.

You did good, Croissant — I'll be back!

**Want to see for yourself? Get a free week of Croissant by using my link, just enter the code 'tiffany39': https://www.getcroissant.com/a/tiffany39**