What is Coworking?

Coworking is defined by Harvard as, membership-based workspaces where diverse groups of freelancers, remote workers, and other independent professionals work together in a shared, communal setting. Coworking spaces differ from a traditional office, in that they consist of a community of members who work for a variety of different organisations, projects, and developments. Instead of working remotely in separate offices or places, start-ups, freelancers, entrepreneurs, and others who have the ability to work from anywhere share one working environment. Coworking is focused on generating a community working environment which supports collaboration, innovation and the sharing of knowledge.

 

 

Benefits of coworking:

Flexibility: There is a growing need for businesses to support mobile and flexible forms of working. Coworking provide employees with the mobility and flexibility they are seeking, in an aesthetically appealing environment.  Coworking spaces can help your business adapt and accommodate changes to the size of your team and doesn’t require a firm commitment to a multi-year leasing terms like most commercial office spaces. This is also applicable to established companies that are transitioning, need additional space, or are going through periods of business uncertainty.

Collaboration:  The most appealing aspect of coworking is the creative working environment and the sense of community from like-minded professionals. Coworking provides individuals with access to networks allowing them to knowledge share and collaborate with other creative individuals who they would not normally have exposure to.

Networking: Working from a coworking space, gives you the opportunity to network with business owners, professional freelancers and other entrepreneurs. Being part of a community means you are surrounded by potential partners, clients or mentors. When working in a coworking space, you can easily outsource tasks to help you with specific projects or developments.

 

Is Coworking right for my business?

Co-working spaces aren’t right for every business, however the concept of coworking spaces can be applied to traditional offices. Just as it’s important to encourage flexibility and support an agile workforce, it is equally important to create the right kind of work environment within your space. Applying the coworking concept could be as simple as giving employees control and flexibility in their work environment, allowing them to interact with different teams and departments that they may not have exposure to in their existing working environment. Rather than forcing individuals to undertake all their work at one setting (a desk), agile working allows people to choose a work setting where it is most suitable for them to complete their task. By giving staff this flexibility it allows them to be more efficient and productive.

How well does your organisation support flexible working? Speak to a Workspace Manager about implementing a flexible work environment:  1300 122 455

References:

https://hbr.org/2015/05/why-people-thrive-in-coworking-spaces