The Coworking World is taking over traditional office spaces across the globe, and is infused with the energy and excitement of the start-up and creative worlds. An offshoot of the sharing economy, in which owners of high-value real estate or vehicles rent or sublet time with the asset, the coworking space has grown into a model for the working spaces of tomorrow.
The WeWork Model
WeWork is the undisputed champion in developing coworking spaces around the world. In their model, buildings are remade into specific coworking office spaces, with offices and individual desks for rent. With many in the startup world embracing the model, the coworking spaces tend to be available for work around the clock, with access to high-quality internet connections, business printing and mail services, and access to private telephones. Many also provide cleaning services and cafes serving micro-roast coffee and craft beer. Following the interests of this client-group, the workspaces tend to be art-heavy and pet-friendly.
Locations
WeWork has developed properties in most developed countries, including China, the US, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Ireland, Germany, Israel, Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Netherlands. They are adding cities regularly, and their reputation is such that most of the coworking desks fill up very quickly when made available.
The Growing Coworking Trend
Smaller cities are also developing similar spaces, and most mid-sized American cities have coworking spaces up and running. With the maker movement gaining steam, many coworking spaces are being carved out of maker spaces and other creative workspaces such as artist's studios.
Benefits of Coworking Spaces
The elements that make these workspace options so popular remain the same regardless of the type or location. These include low overhead, access to the space at extended hours, needed business attributes such as address, telephone, mail services, and professional printing and internet services, and like-minded co-workers.
Is a Coworking Space Right for You?
This community-building aspect of coworking spaces can make them very popular. However, they are often more chaotic than the traditional workspace. Communities make group decisions about issues such as music and pets, or in the case of strong management with experience in the coworking space, guidelines are set before the first creator moves in. With extended work hours, many find their own hours of greatest productivity. This flexibility makes many of the coworking spaces perfect for those who are still working at a day job but building their dream empire at night and on weekends.
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