The Ultimate Startup Guide To Shared Workspaces
Just a few years ago, the concept of a shared workspace was entirely novel. It was an interesting talking point for businesses, but it almost seemed as though many didn’t quite trust the notion. Then, the pandemic arrived – a global life-shifter – and suddenly we were thrust into a new way of how we do things, from socialising, to travel, shopping, and, significantly, how we work and run businesses.
No longer was the concept of shared workspaces and remote working something to be skirted around. It became a new normal for business, and we all had to adapt in an air of agility, shift what we knew about brick-and-mortar necessity, and remote working and shared office space possibility.
Let’s talk about that shift here, what specifically a shared workspace is, and a few points on how to get started implementing yours.
What are Shared Workspaces?
Shared workspaces are a way for your business to create healthy, vital networks, in full agility, and without debilitating overheads. The definition has shifted slightly now though, to add a layer that speaks to pandemic interference. As we all realised that to be safe, we’d need to distance ourselves from each other as much as possible, the working way as we knew it changed.
The shared workspace has become a way to minimise bodies in rooms, but still maintain the crucial interactivity and face-to-face collaboration that’s needed for a business to properly thrive.
In essence, they’re places that put like-minded individuals together, and now safely, within regulation and independent from the business as a whole.
What to Consider as a Startup Wanting to Establish a Shared Workspace
Here are just a few top tips to think about when looking to establish a shared workspace in today’s business world:
Location
Make sure you find a space that’s safe, central and easy to find. Nothing will hinder buy-in to your shared workspace plan more than people dreading getting there.
Amenities
WeWork – a global co-working operator – prides themselves on ‘… providing an ecosystem, an environment of sustainability and community networking.’
Every successful ecosystem has a collection of components that ensure its survival and success. Your employees are that life-giving contingent of your business – provide them with an inspiring place, with amenities that give them comfort, and they’ll help your business grow.
Functionality
Define what it is you want to achieve in your shared office space. Are you looking to bring like-minded people together to spark ideation? Are you looking top establish a space for people with the right skills to collaborate and solve specific business problems for you?
Decide the approach and the reason for this project, and the type of inspiration you can inject into a shared workspace should then easily become apparent.
Are Shared Workspaces a Great Solution for Startups?
Shared office spaces are a way for a business to save on the exorbitant overheads that come with office rental, while allowing their people to come together and collaborate. The practicality here, isn’t only financial – it’s in scalability. As a business grows, space can be added – shared workspace is only charged at what the business uses.
There are many reasons a shared workspace may be the right approach for a business, but if you’re not sure, ask the ones who have been there, and done that. At FutureSpace, we have the shared workspace solutions and guidance for you.