Hot desks are multi-purpose desks in a coworking facility, library, or other public workspace where multiple individuals can use the same workstation at different times throughout the day, week or month.  Hot desks are extremely popular in more densely populated areas where real estate pricing can be high and shared workspace among remote workers, freelancers and part-time employees may be more common.

In a coworking or flexible workspace setting, hot desks tend to be one of the entry level membership price points, from $99-$200 per month on average.  This offers a cost effective way to get your feet wet in using a coworking space and allows you to easily separate your personal personal and lifestyle from your professional workspace in either a part time or full time scenario.

In coworking, we’ve found that members use hot desks for a number of reasons, including:

• Full time remote employment (40 hour weeks)
• Part time remote employment (1-4 days per week)
• Graduate student study space outside of the home
• Parents who need workspace away from the family to go back to school
• Lack of proper internet access in a rural residence and require bandwidth at certain times throughout the month
• Included access to facility conference room space to meet with clients on occasion
• Included access to facility podcast studios to record regular episodes or other production work
• A beginner workspace free from distractions when launching or building a new business
• A way to test the facility full time before upgrading to a private office membership
• Extra desks for temporary employees or new hires who don’t need space in an existing private office already being rented in the same facility
• An excuse to get out of the house and socialize and network with other members on a regular basis

While we are always learning about other ways our members use hot desks, these are among the most common situations.

While we can only truly speak for our own hot desk memberships and each coworking facility’s amenities can vary, we’ve found that some of the most common benefits that come with hot desk memberships include:

• 24/7 Key Card Access to the facility
• Beverages from the onsite kitchen and/or coffee bar, including coffee, tea and water
• Full access to the facility’s conference rooms and booking platform
• Full access to the facility’s podcast studio and booking platform
• Unlimited access to the facility’s printer, including B&W and color printing
• Unlimited access to high-speed internet service (wifi and/or ethernet)
• Free vehicle parking or parking passes for ramps
• Free bike parking inside or outside (depending on the seasons)
• Access to private lockers
• Access to lounge spaces to work more comfortably if desired

While higher tier memberships allow you to leave equipment and materials on your desk at the end of the day, hot desk memberships typically require that you set up your computer and gear when you arrive and that you pack it up and take it with you at the end of each day.

Hot desks can be used by any other hot desk member at any time if a space is available, so remember to respect others you may need space if you’re done using it!

Even with everything you’ve read and researched online, sometimes the only true way to know if a hot desk is going to be the best productive option for you is to take a tour of your local coworking options and give them a try.  Most coworking facilities offer trial days or weeks to see if the space is a good fit for you, no obligation.  There’s a good chance most of them offer month-to-month membership options as well, so even if you do pay for a month, what you pay is entirely in your control.

In our opinion, there’s no wrong way to go when giving hot desks or coworking in general a try.  If you live in the Madison, Wisconsin area and would like to tour or try out Brix Coworking, give us a call or email us today.