If your office is a home office with family life distractions or a solitary small office space leaving you distracted by loneliness, then you might find coworking a welcoming change.

Not everyone can work alone, but that does not mean forgoing the benefits of telecommuting or the desire to run your own business. Coworking is the solution many are turning to instead of paying for dedicated office space, working exclusively from home or having meetings in coffee shops.

Coworking is a movement that is believed to have started in the early 2000’s, over 10 years ago. The term is thought to have evolved as a description for office space in 2005 by Brad Neuberg when he organized a coworking site for a small group of professionals in a loft.

Today coworking sites are available globally, with over 700 in the United States alone. Finding one to meet your needs is easier than you think. There are quite a few online directories to list or find a coworking site.

Coworking is a culture with benefits. It brings increased productivity, a professional environment to conduct business in, a network of like-minded professionals to brainstorm with, traditional work-place resources and equipment for use and a way to separate work and home. No more isolation or one-sided conversations at your coffee pot.

For work-at-home professionals the separation of work and home is important. Often overlooked is the time we spend working, wanting to make up for interruptions or just plain over-working because the home office space is a gray area. There is no black or white, no office and home designators sometimes. If we incessantly blur the two together we lose time and money. A recent Global CoWorking Survey claims that 42% of all coworkers report higher income since joining a cowork space. Where you increase your productivity, you also increase your income.

To find a cowork space you can search online or visit wiki.coworking.info which includes a Coworking Space Directory. Search the directories for a cowork space in your area. Also search your business social media networks, members of LinkedIn.com may be able to help. If you are a member of MeetUp.com seach for cowork groups in your area. This is particularly helpful to work-at-home moms (WAHMs). Some mom and WAHM groups are setting up cowork meetups for moms to work and have a common space where one sitter is provided to share in costs.

When you find a cowork space or two, compare the offerings. There will most likely be different levels of membership. Look for one with a basic plan to try out for month and then see what other features meet your needs (number of coworking days, number of monthly guest passes, meeting room hours, storage, dedicated desk space or office space etc.). Then try one out and get busy!