10 - Form

Case study · Freelancer

Maude, 34, digital marketing consultant

After two years of working from home, Maude wanted a place to focus, take her client calls and get out of isolation. She visited three coworking spaces in Montreal before choosing. Here is what tipped the scales, and what changed after three months.

A real Hedhofis member. The first name has been changed.

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Her day-to-day

A typical work week

Lots of production, lots of calls: two needs that call for different conditions.

60%

Production

Writing
Strategy
Reports

30%

Client calls

Video calls every day
Often 30 to 60 minutes

10%

Prospecting and admin

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1

She can’t switch off
When the office is in the house, work is never far away in the evening.

2

Her motivation is slipping
Alone all day, with no colleagues and no break between work and everything else.

3

Her calls happen in the kitchen
In front of clients, with the dog barking in the background.

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Her search

Three spaces visited in Montreal

Maude wants a central location to meet her partners. Her budget: $250 to $400 a month.

Space A · Big open space, startup vibe

Fun atmosphere, weekly 5 à 7
High-end espresso machine

The catch: it’s noisy, and the phone booths are always taken.

Space B · High-end coworking with private offices

Quiet and well equipped
Nice address on Peel Street

The catch: $600 a month for a private office is over budget. The $300 open-space plan offers no privacy.

Space C · Hedhofis Royalmount

Her pick

Human-scale coworking, about sixty members
Quiet open space, 2 booths, 4 meeting rooms included 4 hours a month
Mixed community of freelancers and small teams, occasional 5 à 7
$299 a month, no commitment

See Royalmount

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AvantClient calls in the kitchen, dog in the background

AprèsCalls from a booth, a professional image

AvantHard to get the day started in the morning

AprèsThe commute is the signal that the workday has begun

AvantIsolated, no local network

AprèsA new client found through a coworking member

AvantEasily distracted at home

AprèsMore productive, with better-defined days

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Key takeaways

Not the biggest, not the trendiest

The right space for Maude was the one that met her three concrete needs. And visiting at the right time of day made all the difference.

Quiet to get work done

Production takes up 60% of her time. She needed a quiet open space, not an event venue.

Booths for her calls

Video calls every day, in a closed space that is free when she needs it.

A human-scale community

About sixty members: enough to build a network, without the noise of a big space.

Visit when you actually work

Space A looked perfect during the 5 à 7. On a Tuesday morning, it was unbearable.

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In her words

A client who paid for six months of membership

“I should have done this from the first month. The cost is more than made up for by the focus I gained. And that one client I got through the coworking space paid for six months of membership.”

Maude, digital marketing consultant

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How do I know if a coworking space is right for me?

Visit it at the time you normally work. A space that feels lively during a 5 à 7 can be noisy on a Tuesday morning, as Maude found out with Space A.

I make a lot of calls. What should I check?

How many phone booths there are and whether they are free when you make your calls. Booths that are always taken put you back at square one.

Do I need a private office to have some quiet?

Not necessarily. Maude chose a quiet open space with booths for her calls, rather than a $600-a-month private office.

Is coworking worth it for a freelancer?

For Maude, yes: a single client found through another member paid for six months of membership. The extra focus counts too.

Can I try a Hedhofis space before signing up?

Yes. The trial day is free and comes with no commitment, at all eight of our locations. Fill out the form at the bottom of this page to book it.

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Network access

One membership, eight locations

Access to all eight locations in the network is included with some plans and available as an option with others. You work here most of the time, then settle in Longueuil, Old Montreal or Quebec City when your day takes you there.

Maude, 34, digital marketing consultant

Self-employed for two years

A typical work week

60%

30%

10%

Two years at home starts to weigh on you

1

2

3

Three spaces visited in Montreal

Space A · Big open space, startup vibe

Space B · High-end coworking with private offices

Space C · Hedhofis Royalmount

Two working days gained back every month

Not the biggest, not the trendiest

Quiet to get work done

Booths for her calls

A human-scale community

Visit when you actually work

A client who paid for six months of membership

Choosing a coworking space

How do I know if a coworking space is right for me?

I make a lot of calls. What should I check?

Do I need a private office to have some quiet?

Is coworking worth it for a freelancer?

Can I try a Hedhofis space before signing up?

Visit at the time you usually work

One membership, eight locations