It’s fascinating to see how our coworking spaces have evolved.
Although coworking is still a relatively recent phenomenon, it’s been around long enough for us to observe trends and changes. We’re not the only keen observers. COVID-19 shifted workers from their usual office to their home office. For many, that shift is an ongoing one, and remote working is a way of life.
Working from home is a way of life that doesn’t sit too comfortably with many of them. While the change of scenery and novelty factor might have been energising to start with, the lack of social contact from working with other people has left them feeling down. That’s why they’re checking us out and calling us.
Most ask us two key questions:
Do you have real people coworking there? (Why yes, yes we do.)
What’s a coworking space like in 2020? (How long have you got?)
To answer that second question, we usually point to the trends that are shaping the global coworking model in 2020. They give our potential clients a vivid picture of what life is like in coworking spaces right now, or what might happen in the near future. Here are the big four that we’ve noticed.
Smaller Spaces Are Thriving
Worldwide, there is a trend towards “coworking conglomerates”: large companies that run coworking spaces like branches. These spaces are generic, and one is virtually identical to the other. At the other end of the scale, there are some smaller players who won’t reach the same scale, and who don’t aspire to anyway. They do offer something different though, and that is variety. For example, they might provide a career-specific type of space, or work closely with local businesses in their neighbourhood, or bring more of a sense of community and inclusion to the coworking space (like us!).
Whatever the niche, coworking spaces that do something a little different are thriving.
A Space For Startups
Coworking spaces and startups are naturally suited. The space we provide is affordable and used on an “on-demand” basis. These things make it perfect for new companies that need to keep their overheads low while giving them access to the professional services they need, e.g. fast wi-fi, meeting rooms, and event spaces.
This is why an increasing number of startups are moving into coworking spaces as they begin their operations, and why coworking spaces are actively reaching out to startups at the same time.
More Add-on Services
Coming soon to coworking spaces near you: a more diverse range of services. While offering space-as-a-service is the foundation of any coworking enterprise, there is a trend towards adding other revenue streams and services,
including business coaching, on-site restaurants and cafes, and IT services.
The Sense Of Community Is Growing
One of the biggest trends is community outreach, where coworking spaces look to associate with the local business community. In some cases, this is done to get local businesses to purchase memberships for employees, or to attract freelancers and remote workers away from cafes and other spaces.
Our approach towards community is slightly different.
As far as we’re concerned, a community is something we’re creating from within.
It’s important to us.
We celebrate the diversity of our members, and as more remote workers join us, and from all sorts of backgrounds, our community becomes an even more interesting and inclusive one.
No matter what new trends shape our coworking spaces in the future, our sense of community will never change.
