The concept of coworking, sharing a workspace with a number of other businesses or individuals, has been growing steadily in popularity over the past several years in response to changing global business needs. What are the benefits of coworking, and is it a solution for your business? What are the factors driving the growing appeal of the coworking space?
Discipline
Coworking space is essentially a shared office space with an open-plan design, and communal facilities like meeting rooms, kitchens and break areas. Many self-employed business owners and freelancers find that renting a dedicated desk in a coworking space provides them with a much-needed sense of structure that would otherwise be lacking in their home office or local coffee shop.
Networking and knowledge sharing
Working alongside like-minded people in similar industries provides a solid basis for building a community at work. The coworking environment is a great space to connect and collaborate on a professional level without attending formal industry networking events. More often than not, businesses sharing a workspace like this will end up trading services and finding unexpected resources both in and beyond their own industries. Each coworking space becomes a unique pool of talent that can lead to mutually beneficial relationships for all occupants.
Convenience
Coworking facilities are a cost-effective, professional and productive space in which to hold client meetings and conference calls. Tenants can utilise amenities like meeting rooms, board rooms and IT facilities, such as video conferencing tools, which they might not otherwise have at their disposal.
Innovative interiors
As coworking environments are usually inherently social workspaces, they can also sometimes prove distracting. However, office space providers are finding smart solutions to this, such as interior designs that deflect sound, or the provision of private and semi-private booths reserved for making phone calls. While some companies will occupy a coworking space full-time, others prefer to offer coworking facilities within their ‘regular’ working environment where most staff have dedicated desks, to their teleworkers and contractors.
Businesses in a variety of sectors can benefit from coworking. Instant has placed a wide range of clients in coworking spaces, including tax accountants, job coaches, research companies, party planners, an online health and beauty store and even a pet food manufacturer.
Take a look at these ten cool coworking spaces situated around the globe, and if you think a space like this would suit your business, don’t hesitate to contact an office consultant at Instant about coworking spaces in your city.