A coworking space is more than simply a place for you to bring your laptop and work. Many entrepreneurs in Chicago choose to take their company to coworking spaces because these are communities that provide entrepreneurs with the opportunity to work, connect, and learn from one another. Coworking spaces now occupy 2.6m square feet in Chicago's CBD, and there are signs that this trend will continue. They're a great cost-effective option for anyone looking to join collaborative workspaces for entrepreneurs, designers, artists, freelancers, social entrepreneurs, small teams and other entrepreneurial workers.
In the blog post below, we’ve listed the coworking spaces in Chicago who provide great work environments for entrepreneurs, along with helpful community networks for your company.
Chicago Coworking Spaces for Startups
- 1871
- Assemble
- Blue1647
- Catapult Chicago
- Colab Evanston
- The Coop
- Creative Coworking
- ENCLAVE for Entrepreneurs at O’Hare
- Enerspace
- Forum Coworking
- Free Range Office
- Grind
- Industrious
- Level
- Logan Share
- MakeOffices
- MATTER
- mHUB
- NextSpace
- OfficePort Chicago
- Onward Coworking
- Platform Coworking
- The Shift
- Space
- TechNexus
- The Incubator
- VentureSHOT
- WeWork Chicago
- Workspace at Brooklyn Boulders Chicago
- WorkSpring
Choosing a Coworking Space in Chicago
When you are researching coworking spaces to decide which is best for you or your company, there are a number of factors to consider. For this reason, we encourage you to visit any potential coworking space before deciding to work there. Better yet, visit the space during the usual hours on which you would be working or communiting, to get an understanding of how your daily experience would be. Take notes, and make an informed decision.
Below are some of the most important factors to consider when choosing a coworking space in Chicago:
- Location. This goes beyond the space's location in the city or whether there is good food nearby, though those can both be bonus factors. How is the commute? What is the parking situation? Will you potentially have to pay for parking? If so, would that included in your contract?
- Community. When you join a coworking space, you're becoming a part of their community. Every coworking space in Chicago is different, and it's important to learn about their cultures. What is the relationship between the people who work at a given coworking space and that space's staff? Is a certain coworking space more reserved, while another is outgoing? Which environment would you prefer to work in? How often do these coworking spaces host events?
- Amenities. Does the coworking space have everything you need to be productive? Do they provide coffee? Snacks? Do they have call rooms or Skype rooms, or more equipment like 3D printers or advanced scanners? If you were meeting with an investor or an investor at the coworking space, would there be any suitable meeting rooms? How about entertainment? Do they have anything quirky or fun, which could help you relax after a busy day?
- Cost. Different coworking spaces offer different plans, so it's doubly important to read your contract carefully and understand what you're signing up for. Generally, however, coworking spaces increase or decrease in monthly cost based on the quality of their amenities and on their location. A cheaper coworking space in Chicago probably won't provide you with a swimming pool or access to a state-of-the-art gym, though if the cheaper space has a fantastic community, it could prove to be even more valuable than the luxury coworking space.
Are you looking for expert guidance and feedback to build a startup in Chicago?
The Founder Institute is an idea-stage accelerator that works with solo-entrepreneurs, and teams, during the earliest stages of building a business. Through an intensive 3.5 month program, FI participants build their business through a proven structured process, and receive feedback and assistance from over 30+ successful entrepreneurs and investors in Chicago. Upon completing the program, Graduates join a global network of entrepreneurs and receive ongoing help to get funding and build their business. FI Graduates have raised over $1.85BN in funding, and are building some of the world's fastest growing companies.
Learn more about the Founder Institute at FI.co, join a free startup event in Chicago, or apply to build a startup in Chicago today.
