“Coworking” seems to have become something of a buzzword in the fast-emerging post-COVID-19 working world, and why shouldn’t it be? After all, multiple individuals and organisations working together in the same space – which is how the term “coworking” is typically defined – offers a wide range of benefits to people who choose to work in this manner.
And it can barely be denied that coworking is proving popular. According to data cited by Ergonomic Trends, there were about 20,000 coworking spaces in the world as of 2021, and this number is predicted to more than double – to 41,975 spaces – by 2024. In that same bracket of time, the number of coworking users globally is forecast to go up from 3.1 million to 5 million.
But if you’re scratching your head trying to work out what advantages coworking could possibly bring you, let’s help you out. Below are just some of the reasons why you might enquire about amenities like our own coworking space in Essex.
It’s A Highly Flexible Solution in Uncertain Times
Let’s face it: there are a lot of things to feel stressed about in the wider world at the moment. At the time of typing, the news headlines were being dominated by such matters as the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the cost-of-living crisis, and even the coronavirus pandemic isn’t completely in the rear-view mirror just yet.
These factors can all weigh down on business confidence and might leave you feeling very uncertain about what state your business will be in, six months from now.
Coworking spaces have a reputation of being more flexible than traditional private offices; the latter tend to effectively lock in businesses for a certain period of time, whereas the contracts for coworking spaces routinely acknowledge that the needs of those using them can change quickly and unexpectedly. In that sense, coworking spaces fill the gap between homeworking and more ‘old-school’ private offices.
It Provides Networking and Collaboration Opportunities
Coworking spaces are also often referred to as “collaborative office space”, and with good reason. Just imagine the difference between working on your own at home, and working somewhere like CREATE Business Hub in Brentwood, where you will be surrounded by other professionals and entrepreneurs from various business sectors, and at various stages of growing their own businesses.
Which of those two potential scenarios do you think presents the greatest likelihood of you chatting to people who might be able to help your business in some way?
Sure, it’s technically possible to network from home – for example, by attending webinars or through email communication with others in your industry. But there’s nothing like the ‘vibe’ you get from face-to-face contact and conversations, especially after a few years in which many of us have been starved of exactly that.
It Offers Access to An Excellent Atmosphere and Amenities
If there’s one thing that hasn’t helped traditional office blocks, it’s their reputation as sometimes being rather soulless and drab places. That perception, in turn, has shaped the creation of today’s shared offices in Essex and elsewhere, with facilities like CREATE Business Hub going out of their way to provide inspiring backdrops for workers.
And one other thing that is sure to inspire you as a worker, is having easy access to all the essential amenities such as super-fast broadband and Wi-Fi, sophisticated telephone systems, intelligent digital whiteboards, and business-class printing, in one space. Yes, that’s something else our own site offers, helping to make the typical working day (almost) a breeze.
The best coworking spaces, then, undoubtedly tick a lot of boxes for the professionals of the 2020s that demand inspiration, practicality, and flexibility. Rent a coworking space at CREATE Business Hub in Brentwood, and you will soon be able to experience those benefits for yourself.