I never thought I’d be a coworking girlie, nevermind a WeWork girlie! After years of working from home (and loving the freedom) I’m now a huge fan of the structure that a work space brings. My screen time is down, because I have much better discipline about keeping work inside work hours.

Once I get home from the office, I very rarely open my laptop again. Today I’m sharing a review of my time with WeWork and how it has helped to boost productivity and profitability. And if you scroll to the bottom, you’ll also find a WeWork discount code if you’re interested in signing up!

Why WeWork?

I moved in with my boyfriend around a year ago. On the one hand, yay, but also… this meant downsizing from a three bed house to a two bed apartment. So I went from having a dedicated home office with no one around to bother me, to living in an apartment with a beautifully chaotic freelance videographer. On the few occasions that we’ve both tried to work from home, it hasn’t been particularly productive.

I’ve always been a huge fan of saving money and working from home, but since I no longer live alone, I find it more productive to get out and about during the day. This series of events led me to wonder if it was time to find a co-working space.

I had explored a few, but found them to be too crowded or overpriced. And then I found WeWork. There used to be three WeWork offices in Manchester, but this has recently been reduced to two. There are also hundreds of WeWork offices dotted around the world, and if you choose All Access membership, you will have access to most of them.

I originally signed up on a six month contract on a promotional rate and figured I would end my membership at the end. But 11 months on, I’m still here and I can’t imagine ending my membership.

First impressions

My first impression of WeWork is that they make it really easy to join. I signed up online, downloaded the app and showed up the next day. The community team were incredibly welcoming, setting me up with my membership card and letting me know about how to use the app. Overall, the process has been seamless.

You then book a desk in whichever coworking space you’d like to use. So far, I’ve only explored three WeWork spaces (two in Manchester and one in Sydney). St Peter’s Square is my home site and I’m there most of the time. I’m looking forward to exploring the WeWork offices in New York in September and LA in March!

The app is simply great. It contains all of the information you need to make the most of the facilities. You can use it to book desks in your home office or in other offices. You can also book offices for the day or meeting rooms by the hour. And if you have a meeting room booked, you can invite up to the room capacity in guests. Which is very handy if you’re trying to put on a show for your clients.

The meeting rooms are equipped with TVs, whiteboards and are available in lots of different sizes. I recently booked a 4 person room for a website strategy meeting and it was perfect for our needs.

The Good Bits

The building is beautiful, with views of St Peter’s Square and the Central Library. There are two floors to choose from with excellent facilities on each floor. The upper floor has a little more buzz to it, with a more communal feel. Downstairs is more relaxed, with fewer desk spaces and more lounging areas.

The kitchens are well-stocked and incredibly clean. There are coffee machines on each floor, and I’ve been enjoying a couple of really strong iced lattes every day. The fridges are always stocked with a range of milks and there are also things like tea bags and condiments available to use. There is also an on-site barista from around 8-3.

There’s also an honesty market, with snacks and drinks to purchase using a little iPad. And my absolute favourite bit of this whole place… the beer taps. From 3pm to 6pm the beer taps are open with a selection of beer, cider and kombucha.

The community events programme is varied and regular, without leaving you feeling like you’re always under pressure to join in. There are more social events (silent disco) and mindful activities (yoga and sound bathing). And sometimes it’s just a random treat to get you through the day, like a crepe stand or free smoothies.

The Bad Bits

I really had to dig deep to find any bad points about this workspace. If I had one complaint, it’s that some of the seating options aren’t great for long stretches of work. I love an orange velvet booth as much as the next person, but this isn’t always the best choice for my back. I haven’t yet found an ergonomic desk chair that will keep my back from complaining.

But this is a very minor point, as there are plenty of seating options to switch between throughout the day and there are also plenty of cushions dotted around to help make you feel more comfortable. It also encourages me to get up and move around throughout the day.

It can also get pretty loud, but this is a common occurrence in all open plan office spaces. I’ve found that using Endel with my headphones is enough to stop the noise from distracting me. People are generally very respectful that it’s a workplace. While people do take phone calls in the main room, it’s large enough that the sound doesn’t travel. There are also privacy booths available if you want to make a phone call in private.

And when I’ve been visibly overwhelmed and stressed about how busy the workplace has been, the community team have stepped in to book me a private office where I can have a mini panic in private.

WeWork Discount Code

If you’re looking for a co-working space in Manchester, I can wholeheartedly recommend this place. Use this link to get an exclusive WeWork discount code. Your WeWork discount code will get you 2 free months on a 6 month All Access Membership.

There are different membership levels available, including a dedicated office space or hot desking options. I was worried when I chose the All Access membership that I would sometimes struggle to find a space, but this has never been an issue for me.