Is Your Next Office a Co-Working Space?

THE HISTORY

Truly there can’t be a true account of how co-working spaces started because there would have been several ideas and implementations which may not have clearly defined co-working spaces through different civilization but then we can only account for the ones we know. Harbingers of co-working spaces were first recorded in 1995 when C-base founded the first hackerspace in Berlin. They were not explicitly characterized as a co-working space but certainly, they resonate the idea.

The first official record of a co-working space, however, was in 2005 and the man behind it was Neuberg.  The idea was conceived after he felt the overwhelmingly restrictive working environment too stuffy. He wanted to work differently, with more freedom and with the relief of independence. He also wanted to work with the community in a professional synergy. Only a co-working space could satisfy his needs and he told his friend Elana Auerbach about it. Then that was it, the little spark that created the wildfire, the concept was straight out of the oven and the demand for it became overwhelming, he soon had to expand from the small space he had rented to the Hat factory – the first officially recognized co-working space.

WHY CO-WORKING SPACES?

The mass scale adoption of co-working spaces is not a fluke or a random big bang, it is it is a thriving hub because it essentially brings out the best in you as an individual and as a team, there’s the enthralling connection it ushers in that help you work together and achieve more efficiently. It is a general-purpose environment that promotes collaborative work and also doubles as a hub that enables professionals cutting across various fields to co-habit and co-create.

Uber, the $5.8bn dollar enterprise started out in a co-working space that was operated by Rocket Space in 2009. They had conceived the idea after highlighting the problems beleaguering San Francisco’s transportation system at that time. Now, they have their tentacles plugged in more than 50 countries all over the world, consistently delivering their services and constantly expanding as time passes.

Also, the popular social networking site, Instagram that has racked up more than a billion downloads on just the Google Playstore came to existence after Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger adopted a co-working space (Dog Patch Labs) as their go-to place to facilitate their idea conceptualization and brainstorming sessions. They had the freedom to experiment and they quite enjoyed the flexibility working there offered. They stayed late at night, sketching and visualizing what their product could be and that perfected the launch as over 100,000 signups were recorded in just the first week.

WHO CAN BENEFIT FROM THEM?

Small business owners can greatly benefit from co-working spaces. We know the economic demands and the heavy financial burden they have to bear in order to get things up and running. Getting a lease for a traditional office in a good location, with the constant maintenance that has to be put in place can be extremely overbearing. Affordable co-working spaces can help to circumvent this challenge by offering an all-in-one solution. From Meeting rooms, conference rooms, kitchen access, uninterrupted power supply, strong internet access, to the tasty coffee (Oh! this can help)

Co-working spaces also offer freelancers a get-away from the lethargy they feel while working in isolation by bringing them together with other purpose driven professionals of similar mindset. They can escape the uninspiring office environment and join a productive community that will propel their ambitions. It is a very good avenue to connect with goal-oriented people and also potentially meet their next client.

There are also provisions for larger organizations, founders, executives and top-tier corporate individuals that may choose to opt for co-working space. Private offices/spaces are usually for them. Eridan Space for example have premium and standard private offices which are reasonably priced.

Co-working spaces are open to virtually all goal-oriented individuals who value their essence and are willing to utilize the services provided to catalyze their work, birth their ideas, map out their goals or develop their product. They can suit your cost-saving plans by relieving you of unnecessary financial obligations and they can also connect you to your mentor or your next client. So, before you set up that conventional office space, ask yourself; “Why not a co-working space?”.