If you are new to coworking, you might be wondering what is the Difference Between Hot Desk & Fixed Desk.
Here is everything you need to know about Hot Desk & Fixed Desk.
You can also read our Ultimate Guide to Coworking to know about Advantages, Disadvantages of coworking too.
A hot desk is nothing but a type of seating arrangement in a coworking space that does not provide a “fixed option” to the member. A hot desk is typically a “community area” access that allows members to sit anywhere within the community lounge and work. As there is no fixed place, you might “lose” your spot if you get up to get a cup of coffee or even take a walk. Hot desks are usually given on a first-come, first-serve basis and they are the cheapest option in any coworking space.
Ideally, a hot desk is perfect for a small entrepreneur, a freelance professional or anyone who is looking for a cheap but professional office space. This does not mean that a hot desk cannot be used by a startup or a team. If you are a small business owner, you can consider taking up a hot desk package for your team which will include free meeting room credits that can be used for important meetings. As a hot desk is the cheapest option in a coworking space, it is usually the most in-demand as well. However, taking a hot desk for a team has disadvantages, mainly that other people will be overhear your conversations and can even cause data leakage.
As we discussed before, a flexible desk has reduced privacy. This means people next to you can potentially look into computer screen or even overhear conversations you are having with your team mate. This lack of privacy will be evident during busy days or if your coworking provider has all the seats full which will lead to lot of commotion preventing you from working to your best abilities.
Flexible desks work on a first come first serve basis which means if you like a particular nook of your coworking space and prefer to work from there, you will have to come to office early every day to reserve it. Even if you get up from your space for a brief period of time, you can still lose the space and get into arguments with other members for trivial reasons.
Coworking spaces offer many amenities such as credits for meeting room and printers which are fairly low for flexible desks. However, if your business does not require many of these credits then you can still consider taking up a flexible desk.
This might not be a serious disadvantage as most coworking spaces have 24/7 security cameras and ID verification to enter the premises. However, some of our clients have complained of thefts and losing expensive hardware as a result of leaving them at flexible desks at coworking spaces.
As you have probably guessed by now, a fixed or dedicated desk is an arrangement in which the “member” has a dedicated space to work as long as the membership at the coworking space is valid. In most cases, a dedicated desk will have an actual desk where you can leave office stationary without having to carry them around.
A fixed desk will be slightly more expensive than a hot desk. This is because of the dedicated space allocated by the coworking space and usually they provide cabinets to even store your personnel belongings. Even a freelancer or a small entrepreneur can use a fixed desk since this option will make traveling lighter and you can even customise your desk to your liking.
The biggest advantage of a hot desk compared to a dedicated desk is cost. As you do not have some of the added benefits of dedicated desk, a hot desk will always be much cheaper or more economical than a dedicated desk.
A flexible desk or a hot desk offers you the flexibility to work from different parts of the coworking space every day. This will prevent the monotonous feel of an office space and give you the flexibility to work from where you like the most.
In most coworking spaces, hot desk options are provided at the community lounge which is typically designed for improving creativity and even collaboration. By basing your office in a hot desk, you get a chance to collaborate with other people and it can even boost your creativity.
One of the reasons why people choose a Coworking space rather than working from home is for concentrated focus. A flexible desk, while being economical gives you the option to have this option of working from a different environment enabling you to get focus and your work done.
A typical workspace can get quickly filled with unwanted stuff and cause clutter. With a flexible desk, you will not have a fixed space or a dedicated locker so you will always have less clutter at work and you might even develop the habit of working with just bare necessities.
As the name indicates, with a dedicated desk, you always have an assigned space which is comforting to some people. There is no requirement to reach the office early and find that your favourite space is gone.
With a dedicated desk, you usually get a cabinet to put away your things which means lighter travel. However, do note that some coworking spaces charge extra for cabinets and ensure your check with your coworking provider if they give cabinets for your dedicated space.
Some people might have mixed opinions about this, but with a fixed desk you can actually develop work relationships better. This is because it is easier to strike a conversation and when you see the same coworker over a period of time, you can develop a friendship which can even become a business-relationship.
Sometimes, using a flexible desk can even cause conflict. This is because even if you move just to get a drink of water, you can lose your space which can result in conflict with your coworkers. To prevent this, a dedicated desk will ensure the place is yours and avoid unnecessary arguments or conflicts at the workspace.
Both a dedicated desk and a flexible desk are good options to start working out of a coworking space and which one to choose entirely depends on your personal preference. A hot desk or a flexible desk will be more economical where are as a dedicated space will give you some additional features for an incremental increase in cost.
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