Big businesses are taking advantage of it, start-ups are drooling all over it, corporate attires are fast turning to Jeans and Zuckerwears (Zuckerberg kinda tee shirts) Co-working has been around for a while and I assure you, it’s here to stay.
A co-working space can change a business in profound and positive ways. If you didn’t know, fear not, I am also a newbie in the territory.
It is a shared office environment that your employees can use for as long as necessary.
Why set up your business in a large office complex, when there is no way to tell how many full-time workers you will have in just a few years?
Co-working is technese for sharing, with a co-working space; you give your business a professional feel without incurring huge expenses, a network of likeminded creatives, a conducive environment, and opportunities for growth or collaboration.
How cool is it to work on a bean bag? or to come into a beautiful selfie-worthy office, fully furnished, 21st century style?
Who says you must resume by 8am and close by 5pm, with the birth of co-working spaces, you can resume by 2pm and close by 10pm, if your heart desires.
In the co-working universe, there is something for everyone, some of the spaces are corporate-y and some are chill and comfy. With facility and interior design that is state of the art, a stellar location that is easily accessible, and fine to put up on your business card, all that is left is you.
This concept is really shaking up the corporate world; It’s cozy, It’s social, It’s energetic.
Here are a few reasons why we think it is the next best thing after ice cream;
NETWORKING
Co-working allows you the opportunity to network and collaborate with a wide range of bright minds. You might even make new friends in the process. The shared space gives you the chance to “pick the brains” of professionals in your own line of work as well as those in related fields.
A recent study in Harvard Business Review found that working among people doing different jobs may enhance workers’ identity. Such workplaces gave employees “the opportunity to frequently describe what they do, which can make what they do seem more interesting and distinctive”. Writers could be in the same space as animators, programmers, digital marketers, or even legal practitioners, and could learn a thing or two.
SPECIAL EVENTS
In the interest of supporting and growing their communities, many co-working spaces feature events, including happy hours, workshops, presentations, competitions, networking events, and more. Co-working spaces have plenty of open space for individuals to work, large conference rooms, access to private office rentals, a kitchenette, and curated programming to foster collaboration and knowledge sharing.
COMMUNITY
what makes your co-working space — what makes any co-working space — great, is its COMMUNITY: all the different companies and start-ups, that work together in a space and care about each other. After all, co-working without community is just working.
Co-working takes away the ability to easily shy away from your responsibilities. Being surrounded by committed workers is highly motivating, increasing your personal output.
Creativity flows in co-working spaces, unlike other conventional offices. Co-working allows for constant collaboration with individuals who bring new perspectives to projects you may have never considered. These collaborations often lead to project or business expansions only made possible through co-working.
FUN
Words cannot describe what happens when techies decide to play. They are the perfect example of Work Hard, Play Hard.
Many of these co-working spaces come with the perks that young tech workers expect as incentives — pool tables, video games, foosball, bowls of sweets, awesome coffee. But only after a hard and profitable days’ work of course.
The best co-working spaces have great WIFI, awesome coffee, extraordinary events, and happy clients. Make sure you are getting all of this and more when you decide to join the co-working space gang.
