Traditional business has changed drastically in the last decade thanks to new technologies and Internet. Coworking is a great example of these changes because today entrepreneurs are willing to share offices and work in the same environment with freelancers of employees from other companies.
A recent study showed that more than 1.1 million people work in almost 14 thousand coworking spaces around the globe. The figure is huge but it’s expected to grow even further in the years to come.
According to HR specialists at Rush My Essay, this trend is getting more and more popular because coworking reduces operational costs and often leads to new business opportunities. In this article, we will explain 10 essential features of a winning coworking space.
Price
Most companies don’t need an entire building or even the whole floor. Coworking is your chance to reduce operational costs, so try to find a place that doesn’t cost too much. This is the only reasonable solution as you probably wouldn’t need to change the existing office otherwise.
The number of coworking spaces is increasing, which makes the prices still very affordable – the average monthly cost of a flexible desk is just $195 in the United States, €189 in Europe and £168 in the United Kingdom.
Location
The second most important decision driver in this case is location. You don’t want to spend too much time commuting, while it’s also good to have a position close to potential clients or other industry centers. Therefore, you should find a coworking space that is relatively close to your home but also near other places relevant to your business.
Atmosphere
You can’t fully understand the nature of a coworking space until you spend some time there, but you can make a rough estimation of the ambience immediately. Try to choose a place where you and your colleagues can feel at home. A study revealed that 60% of people feel more relaxed since coworking, mostly due to the general atmosphere of well-being and stress-free environment.
Community
A great atmosphere often comes as the result of a coherent community. Some of the best coworking places gather professionals who work in the same or similar niches. They must not be competitors – that’s obvious – but likeminded people can establish good relations much easier than usual.
For instance, more than 40% of all coworking space members are freelancers, while IT takes the lead when it comes to organizations. They understand each other and sometimes even launch mutual projects, which is a great side effect of coworking.
Safety
As an entrepreneur, you definitely want your data, business files, and other stuff to remain intact. You should only look for the places with high safety standards, both online and offline. See if there is a security officer in the lobby of this building and do they have surveillance cameras. Besides that, check their anti-hacking software and procedures in case of data breaches. No matter how incredible a coworking space might be, you don’t want to rent it in case it’s not trustworthy.
Mind the equipment
A coworking space must have every piece of equipment you need in everyday work. It must contain everything – from small things like staples and pens to bigger tools like printers and copy machines. Of course, stable and high-speed Internet connection is mandatory, as well as landline telephones and similar hardware gadgets.
Workout
Modern workers like to stay in shape but most of them don’t have enough time to exercise when they get back home. That’s why they want to train during office break, so you could also search for the coworking space with a gym. It doesn’t have to be a classical bodybuilding break – it’s enough to take a yoga class or run on a treadmill to freshen up and go back to work.
Conference rooms
Most of the time, your clients and business associates won’t mind organizing a meeting in the coworking places. However, sometimes it is necessary to provide them with a more peaceful room and hold an appointment without external disturbances. For this reason, a nice coworking space must have at least one or two conference rooms. This is usually enough because coworkers have to book the conference room in advance.
Kitchenette
Millennials make the majority of the coworking population. Besides traditional office features, they demand extra benefits such as free snacks and drinks. We suggest you follow this trend and find a coworking space that has a nice and cozy kitchenette or even a lounge bar. This allows you not only to take a quick coffee break but rather to relax and really enjoy the pause, forgetting about professional duties for a while.
Team building
The fact that you are not actually working with all those people around you doesn’t mean that they are not your colleagues in a way. A good coworking place knows this and organizes occasional team building events to strengthen the bonds between leaseholders. This can improve the office atmosphere and make everybody more productive in the long run, so don’t run away from coworking spaces with advanced team building programs.
CONCLUSION
Coworking is the easiest way to reduce operational costs but still find a good office for your organization. However, you have to know the most important advantages of a good coworking ambience before making a final decision. In this article, we showed you 10 essential features of a winning coworking space. Keep our tips in mind and good luck with finding the place that suits your business the best!
