10 Most Useful Tips For Searching And Finding Your Future Co-Working Space

Finding the right office space to accommodate a business is not an easy task, and finding the right office space for a startup or a growing company may seem even more challenging. At the very early stages of business formation, there will always be numerous issues that will have an impact on the choice renters make on this or that commercial space(spends on office maintenance, funding of tech supply of a project, etc.). Shared workspace solutions (coworking), designed to offer a collaborative and productive environment for their dynamic inhabitants, to some extent limit the obstacles tenants may potentially face while choosing an office.

Fortunately, the rapid rise of coworking spaces provides startups, entrepreneurs, and remote employees with plenty of opportunities to find the office space that fits their budget, needs, and company culture. Coworking was not mean to substitute traditional workspace environments. The collaborative trend appeared in response to the global economic downturn when the shared venues served as commercial shelters for the newly redundant and entrepreneurial. Nowadays, when the world is in a financial crisis again, due to pandemics, coworking is proving to be essential, flexible in leasing terms, relevant, and utterly sophisticated options for workforce management.

Besides offering the coworking venues, delivered exclusively by competitors operating in this sphere (WeWork, Spaces, ImpactHub, etc.), the global commercial real estate market is full of other workspace options that cater to the needs of the coworking enthusiasts. A variety of cafes, restaurants, hotel lobbies, shopping malls, etc. grab the traffic of freelancers and digital nomads, offering them the possibility to concentrate on tasks whenever they need to. Bringing together people with different backgrounds, ideas, approaches, and dreams, coworking spaces make them feel more motivated, straightforward, and, as a result, successful.

Coworking And Its Unrivalled Perks:

Being an entrepreneur is an exciting venture for lots of people. There are many aspirations entrepreneurs have in their daily lives, with bringing new ideas, developing projects, presenting products, etc. being the most valuable. Yet, perhaps the biggest positive point in entrepreneurial activity is the flexibility in schedules and the possibility to work in the environment that people feel fits the best with their creativity and styles and makes them the most productive. As a freelancer or a bootstrapping entrepreneur, there are three popular options to choose from — home, cafes, or coworking spaces.

The coworking trend is growing year by year, and many solopreneurs and small startups are happy to finally have a space to call their own without paying for their own commercial space. Shared offices are hot and modern places for entrepreneurs to hustle. One of the most common things in these venues is the comfortable seating arrangements or hot desks that cater to clients on the “first come-first serve” basis. Coworking venues, however, very often boast fixed desks and private offices for rent.

Joining the coworking office brings lots of benefits. It is an ideal place for extroverts, those who run service-based businesses, startuppers looking for potential clients and colleagues, and companies that expand to this or that particular region. Shared office venues usually have community and networking events on-site that can change the entire career trajectory of their business residents. Typically, these spaces have faster WiFi, more comfortable chairs, and a range of amenities that offer a superb office infrastructure to each client.

Another positive to the coworking space is the flexibility that comes along with it. Usually, coworking spaces propose month-to-month leases, as opposed to traditional venues that require multi-year commitments. Although the coworking space is not free, tenants do save money by getting the necessary number of workstations and not renting out a whole building. Actually, cost-efficiency is one of the core benefits that draw renters to these flexible spaces.

In other words, the right coworking environment can support people, while it is much easier to focus on work outside of the home. If you evaluate whether your business should opt for a coworking space, here are several useful tips that will probably help you make the right decision regarding the most suitable coworking base.

1.) Cleanliness And Safety Measures:

The office that is reopening after the quarantine, won’t look like before the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. Tenants will focus on safety, and the landlords, in their turn will consider changing the interiors of their venues to provide safety measures. Nowadays, a secure environment is not only the one with surveillance and alarm systems. It is a place with signs of social separation, hygiene corners, specific toilets for employees, etc. A modern office should provide occupants with a feeling of safety and confidence. Before making the choice, pay attention to how the above-mentioned rules are followed in a particular venue.

2.) Sufficient Space:

According to the latest recommendations, distances between desks should be of minimum one meter, which will definitely challenge the open space environment. The majority of leaseholders are ready to reshape the entire coworking spaces and make them more flexible to meet the tenants’ needs. Enquire about the distancing measures inside the venue to avoid close physical interaction with other tenants. A great option for workspace providers is also the possibility to set up territories outside of the office, allowing people to work in the fresh air in case of favorable weather conditions.

3.) Consider The Amount Of Money You Are Ready To Spend On Rental:

One of the primary reasons why people consider renting a desk in a coworking environment is cost-effectiveness. Actually, the rental prices are cut almost half in comparison to those you would pay for the conventional venue. After the choice on the location is made, do check onto various spaces in your region and decide which one perfectly suits your rental budget. The total cost per employee (per desk) should make you excited.

4.) Get To Know About The Facilities:

To compete for tenants, the leaseholders do their best to make coworking venues fully furnished and equipped. Still, before deciding on a certain shared office – get ensured about the specific facilities and services it offers. Some of the ultimate features to consider are the speed of the Internet, the availability of tech devices, phone lines, as well as quiet zones to use in case of necessity.

5.) Give It A Try:

The majority of landlords make it easy for tenants to understand whether this or that particular coworking venue is suitable for running their entrepreneurial activities. Get a day pass(often a free-of-charge one), to understand if you can thrive in the coworking space environment, feel motivated in its social atmosphere, like the offered facilities, utilities, and services, and whether you can potentially meet your colleagues or customers there.

6.) Commutability To The Place:

Commutability is also one of the essential factors to pay attention to while choosing the right coworking hub. Find it out if most of your employees are in a visible vicinity. It’s not easy for a person to work to the full potential if they should spend too much time traveling to/from the workplace. Try to choose the spot that is strategically located and boasts good transport connectivity.

7.) The Availability Of The Space To Grow:

Entrepreneurs usually feel optimistic and positive about the businesses they have started. So, shared office suites that offer the possibility to grow a business are really valued among tenants. Take action from the start. Ensure that, in case of necessity, the coworking office you have chosen will offer you the chance to rent more workstations, or even the entire room(if such workspaces are available).

8.) Tenancy Agreements:

As flexible work suites, practically all coworking spaces offer agile tenancy solutions. Still, it is always better to learn about the possible rental agreements before deciding which is the best for you. Hourly, daily and weekly options are suitable in case you need a workspace for an extremely short period of time. In the majority of cases, the providers operate with monthly contracts and offer discounts on long-term deals. Still, you can’t forget, that the number of hot workstations won’t be the same as it used to, again, due to the current situation with the pandemic.

9.) Accessibility To The Office:

This very feature is fundamentally crucial in case you reach the global market. Having clients and customers around the globe often requires the business operations to be active 24/7. Check if the landlord offers such an opportunity. In case this option is a must for you, get to know whether you can access your desk in a coworking office any time you wish.

10.) Connected Community:

Last but not least perk of a coworking office is its after-work life. What does it mean? Usually, tenants who share the workspace to this or that extent become a family. And, to keep the members of this “family” excited about working together in one environment, the landlords try their best to organize community events in their coworking offices. After the mass “work from home” phase, it won’t be easy to return to a normal life again. Moving forward, the landlords will have to mix virtual and physical experiences to bring people together in a secure manner and restore the sense of belonging. Get to know about these possibilities and take social inspiration from talking to colleagues(even only using virtual ways of communication).

Changes In The Entire System:

The current economic situation brings uncertainties to the commercial real estate market. The nearest future will be testing time for the coworking industry all around the world. Lots of experts agree that the behavior in the office may never be the same as it used to, and the new norms in the coworking environment will become habits. The most comfortable workplaces will be those where hygiene takes center stage. And, as personal space is nowadays more important than it used to be – the landlords will need to limit the number of tenants who can perform tasks in the shared office at once. Outdoor workspaces will become more common and sought-after when the weather allows people to work in the open air.

Many companies are already looking at how they can reduce their actual workspaces, shifting some teams to work off-site. Still, a professional working environment will always have benefits over the one in the kitchen or a living room.

The coworking model, originally developed to cater to startups, provides excellent flexibility for different workforce needs that are fluid. And the choice of the right venue to shelter business is halfway to make this business flourishing and prosperous. As employers around the world experiment with bringing their employees back to offices, the leadership must act now to ensure that when they return, workplaces are both productive and safe. This kind of approach involves issues regarding the locations of the coworking offices, their interiors, facilities, etc.

About the Author:

Olivia Martinez has been working as a Content Writer at MatchOffice. She is a professional writing expert on such topics as business, real estate, digital marketing. She also likes traveling and speaks German and French.

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