Coworking Spaces and Covid-19: What is the future? (C1711977)

On March 23rd, Prime Minister Boris Johnson called for the UK to be on lock down due to the current COVID-19 pandemic. With this announcement, companies worldwide started to work from home. Despite many being fine with this, we may have forgotten about the future of co-working spaces. 

So, what are coworking spaces? 

The buzzword by definition can be described as, “the use of an office or other working environment by people who are self-employed or working for different employers, typically so as to share equipment, ideas, and knowledge”. Unlike traditional office spaces, they offer flexible short-term leases, ultimately making it easier for members to simply walk away. 

Due to their very recent popularity in comparison to other businesses, “the coworking model hasn’t been around to witness an economic shock”, noted real estate advisor Adam Henick. In order to survive the pandemic, he suggests coworking companies will have to alter their existing business models and lend their spaces to established companies in order to reduce the real estate costs.

Now that there is an increasing worry concerning personal hygiene, the unlikelihood of professionals wanting to share spaces seems to already have taken effect.

In a recent study, Coworker found that out of 14,000 coworking spaces across 172 countries, there has been a sharp 72% drop in the number of coworking occupants. 

This begs the question, what effect will Covid-19 have on coworking spaces and what will it mean for the creatives who inhabit them? 

Providing resources

Coworking spaces don’t just function and serve the needs of remote workers but they also heavily support small businesses, creatives and entrepreneurs. They can be seen as a lifeline for small starting businesses. For these small businesses, the shift to home will not provide them any solution as they depend on such spaces for productivity. This will be particularly hard for those in lower income quintiles. Small businesses already face barriers in terms of accessing capital and local business networks, so they may have nowhere to go in terms of applying for loans and grants. 

Community is key 

Coworking spaces have, in recent years, created their own worth and have become economic engines independently. In the Impact 2020 report, Launch Pad revealed that their coworking spaces had 

• Created 9000 jobs
• Generated $230million+
• Leased one million square feet of commercial real estate 

As the population moves into an era of social distancing, such spaces are at high risk. Large economic hits to small businesses can easily lead to a decay, which could be hard to restore. Businesses will now have to rely on social networks more than ever. 

“Nothing, absolutely nothing, can replace face-to-face communication”–Liz Elam, 2013 on stage at GCUC

Image: Pexels

The shift online

Coworking spaces without the socialisation, free coffee and large workspaces may not have much to offer but they do pride themselves with their strong sense of community. 

One of the ways they can maintain this will be through the shift online. With platforms such as Zoom, it has never been easier to connect to those you work with. Coworking spaces such as Second Home in London have now moved everything online in an attempt to maintain their communities. This is done through daily emails filled with reading lists, online classes as well as guides on how to deal with remote working. 

Whilst some experts claim that in the long run the situation will be beneficial for coworking due to an increase in the demand for flexible workspaces, in the short term, this time will prove to be challenging for coworking spaces and creatives alike.

However, despite the lack of physical presence, it is still possible to connect and create. 

Canggu- The Creative Paradise!

Photo by Tiff Ng from Pexels

Canggu…a southern Balinese town that has been transformed into one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. A town filled with a passion for healthy lifestyles, partying, and hang-out hubs. After visiting Canggu two years ago, I instantly fell in love with its vibrant atmosphere. A town unique to any other large and busy creative places.

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So, what is it about Canggu that makes it such a thriving creative hotspot?

Let’s start with the food…

FOOD

Canggu is THE place for dishing up the BEST healthy brunches. Crate Café is one hidden gem that offers fresh and nutritious food, from acai bowls to smashed avocado toast. But be warned, the café is in high demand so queues can be long!

It is the perfect location for creatives who need motivation to get some work done. The internet is extremely quick and there is plenty of space. Individuals won’t struggle to find inspiration here, sitting in the sun with a smoothie and looking over the most idyllic scenery.

This is certainly the perfect place to fuel your body and mind!

The café’s large open space is also used as a gallery for artists to share their ideas and experiences through their art pieces. The gallery is open for exhibitions in the evening, with the space providing opportunities for different artists to sit and talk about their artwork. This is a chance for different creatives in the community to meet each other.

Photo by Jonathan Borba from Pexels

Everything music and partying…

BEACH CLUBS/PARTY LIFE

Canggu’s snazzy beach clubs are the perfect places to hang-out all day until sunset. Finn’s beach club, on the shore of Berawa Beach, is one of the most vibrant places I visited in Canggu, boasting four pools, nine bars, and five restaurants! The beach club’s architect, Penjor Bali Madiri, designed its bamboo structure in the perfect position for every guest to enjoy the sunset at the end of the day.

DJs and live singers perform all day and night, providing emerging artists the opportunity to perform amid one of the world’s most scenic beaches.

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Need a quiet place to work?

COWORKING SPACES

The most recent of Canggu’s creative innovations is the ‘Genesis Creative Centre’.

This inter-disciplinary centre was built for individuals to work, collaborate, and invent. The unique infrastructure encourages creativity to thrive. The centre provides studios for photography, music, art and fashion for individuals, as well as large coworking areas for workers to share their thoughts and connect. For those looking to develop their skills, masterclasses are on offer – from videography to graphic design. This hip and snug centre encourages inspiration all around, attracting a new creative class to Canggu.

Genesis represents a unique approach to coworking spaces. A world away from metropolitan creative cities, the Genesis centre’s bright colours, natural light and poolside working spaces are sure to enhance an individual’s quality of creative work.

As an added bonus, the centre is also an affordable £8.82 for a day pass!

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Photo by Andreas from Superfuture

Can Canggu be classed as a creative place?

This peaceful paradise thrives off investment and tourism, giving it ‘place-competitiveness’. Considering Florida’s 3Ts approach, Canggu can be seen as a unique creative place.

• Canggu attracts and retains the top creative talent with its unique working lifestyle, hang out hubs, and thriving atmosphere.

• Key creative hubs, such as the Genesis Creative Centre and Crate Café, enable innovation to thrive and creative ideas to be economically successful. Canggu provides a new outlook of a creative place as it doesn’t have, or necessarily need, a university to be successful.

• Canggu welcomes people from all over the world, which is why it is one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations. The alternative lifestyle fosters the perfect environment for innovation and creativity!

The sun may set across the beautiful beaches of Canggu, but the creativity never stops! So, creatives… discover something new in Canggu!

Coworking spaces and my visit to Space 2B

An example of a Coworking space. Flickr, 2007.

Coworking: It feels like one of those buzz words that you feel like you’ve heard a thousand times, but still have no idea what it means. Breaking it down, “Coworking is the use of an office or other working environment by people who are self-employed or working for different employers, typically so as to share equipment, ideas, and knowledge”. Coworking spaces are a great opportunity for creative people that are starting businesses to get more out of an office space. They are diverse, cost effective, and flexible, which suits the needs of an entrepreneur just starting a new business. These spaces are also so much more than an office space, they create a small sense of community that helps breed and nurture business and sometimes even personal relationships.

A Coworking space provides the chance for a creative entrepreneur to make sure they stay productive, instead of working from home where they may not get as much work done. The Harvard Business Review points out that the spaces provide the chance for more job control while also being a space that promotes work progression, “Coworking spaces are normally accessible 24/7. People can decide whether to put in a long day when they have a deadline or want to show progress… They can choose whether they want to work in a quiet space so they can focus, or in a more collaborative space with shared tables where interaction is encouraged”. The accessibility factor is also a plus when considering that sometimes, real life happens, and you need to be somewhere quickly. Say (God forbid!) that your pet is ill or family member has suddenly been rushed to hospital, a Coworking space isn’t going to turn its back on you when you need to leave and you can return to your work whenever you please.

Recently I had the opportunity to visit one of Cardiff’s Coworking spaces to get a sense of how they operate and the atmosphere of a bustling space. The space I visited was Space 2B at the old maltings buildings, just a ten-minute drive from Cardiff bay. The malting factories were initially built in 1887 as Wales’ largest malting factory. The buildings were later converted into office spaces in the 1980’s. The buildings history is worked into the design aspect with its red bricked walls and metal spiral stairways. This is a refreshing take on a Coworking space, the combination of old and contemporary creates a cosy aspect while still promoting a productive atmosphere and the incorporation of the buildings older qualities shows a respect for the history and heritage of Wales’ capital.

Collaboration: An important aspect of the Coworking space. Wikipedia, 2018

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During my visit I was given a booklet which contained information about the spaces they have to offer and the price range available. This information is also available on their website. The space boasts whole floors dedicated to different spaces, including breakout areas and even a sun deck if it all gets a bit too much!

The biggest business that Space 2B provide for is a DNA agency named Lextox, which takes up the entire first floor and half of the 4^th floor of the building, employing over 100 staff. The space also provides a free cycle to work scheme and there is a free shuttle bus service for workers to access.

When I was shown through the building, I got a real sense of the importance of the space to its workers and a great sense of constant community growth was felt throughout. This is the real advantage and attracting quality of a Coworking space; it has a one-up over normal office spaces as it provides a comfortable atmosphere with the opportunity meet anyone you need to help your business grow. If you are a young entrepreneur looking to start a new business, I highly recommend you seek out a Coworking space and watch your idea flourish.

Coworking Spaces at the Heart of the Community

IMAGE: Pexels

What is coworking?

Coworking spaces offer an open and supportive shared working environment for people in the creative industries. This is a fairly new model of work and is particularly popular amongst freelancers, start-ups and small businesses.

The importance of community

Coworking spaces are both a part of and support the wider community, whilst fostering their own community of members within the confines of the space itself.

QUOTE: Coworking Europe

The Sustainable Studio

In 2016, sisters Julia Harris and Sarah Valentin went in the search of work space for their growing sustainable fashion company Zolibeau. What they found was an old munitions factory in Cardiff, and so they decided to set up a coworking space for fellow makers, creatives and artists. This was the start of The Sustainable Studio.

Making it what it is today

Julia and Sarah did not have any funding to help set up their coworking space, instead they created the space themselves, with only £5,000 (to cover fire safety and electric) and the help of family and friends (luckily, dad is an electrician).

Growing a community

Julia and Sarah held two open days to find people to join The Sustainable Studio, and their deposits were used to help fit out the space. From there it continued to grow organically, thanks to their serving a need for work space in Cardiff. Now they have over 40 members, from artists to designers to jewellery makers.

QUOTE: The Sustainable Studio

Their ethos

What is apparent when you enter The Sustainable Studio and talk with Julia and Sarah is their value of community. From their fashion business, they have brought across important relationships with people from diverse backgrounds, including refugees, asylum seekers, and those from deprived areas.

This desire to give back is also reflected in their ties to the University of South Wales, Cardiff Metropolitan University, Bridgend College and Cardiff and the Vale College, as they provide the younger generation with opportunities for work experience, work projects and work space. This is helping to inspire the creatives of the future.

QUOTE: The Sustainable Studio

The danger

The land that their building sits on has been taken over by Vastint UK, and with plans for redevelopment of the land, The Sustainable Studio are being asked to move out by the end of the year.

This would mean that all of Julia and Sarah’s hard work would be wasted, the workers housed there would be displaced, and all of the community links that they have spent so much time building would be lost.

Their hope

Julia and Sarah strongly believe that they are so entwined with the community that they should be part of the new redevelopment.

This demonstrates the importance of location to coworking, as they feel that by up and moving to a different area, they will be losing a massive part of their identity.

Coworking is all about relationships, support, collaboration, skill-sharing and most of all community.

So, here’s hoping that Cardiff doesn’t lose a valuable part of theirs.

The Rise of the Co-working Space- Freeing or Confining?

There has been a massive rise in coworking spaces popping up in cities and major towns throughout the UK. Coworking is a self-directed, collaborative, flexible and voluntary work style that is based on mutual trust and the sharing of common core values between its participants. A Coworking space is not so much about the physical space that you are renting its about the community that has been established within this Coworking space. These spaces can be found in all sorts of places in all shapes and sizes from office spaces to warehouses. They accommodate all sorts of creative adventures from maker space to more traditional office/computer space.

https://www.coworker.com/

https://www.spacecoworking.co.uk/

https://pixabay.com/get/ea36b70c2ffc1c22d9584518a33219c8b66ae3d01cb7144491f4c37d/home-office-336378_1920.jpg

The word ‘coworking’ was first coined in relation to a shared working environment by Brad Neuberg in 2005. He was an entrepreneur who created the first coworking space, as we its known today, in San Francisco. The massive rise in coworking spaces within cities have seen an annual growth rate of 24.2% since 2005. It is predicted that there will be more than 30,432 coworking spaces and over 5.1 million coworking members by the year 2022. Coworking is a new path which has been formed for the creative industries creating a more sustainable environment for those working within the industry. Forming a collaboration between the creative industries of real estate, technology and community for example, which looks to be shaping the way in which people will work in the future.

Why do people use coworking spaces?

They are a cheap proactive way for a business just starting out, a coworking space is the perfect option because it gives the ability to scale up or scale down in team numbers and acquire freelance work. There are low set-up costs due to shared space, a wide in-house community to network with, links to in-house expertise from the other user of the space, ability for collaborations as well as being the ideal platform from which to launch a new product or venture.

Ted Talk on Coworking Spaces and their ability to change the way the creative industry works:
https://youtu.be/W0RSc9mtZp4

Cardiff

Looking at the close example of Cardiff in which six coworking spaces with a seventh on the way, have opened in the last three years. Cardiff has a massive creative sector that’s only getting bigger with a huge portion of the cities population being students looking to find their footings in a working life. Meaning that networking opportunities and cheaper space is very desirable in such areas which has seen massive increases. Looking at some of these Coworking spaces.

Cardiff: Rabble

Rabble opened up just under three years ago starting the trend within of coworking with a community being built throughout these years with many of the members being with Rabble since its opening. Rabble includes professionals from all sorts of creative sectors from graphic designers to copywriters to architects. From Rabble itself ‘When creative people come together, cool things happen. At Rabble Studio, we’ve seen friendships grow and projects spring to life.’ This encapsulates what coworking and Rabble is all about.

Cardiff: Indycube

Looking at Indycube, one of the first coworking spaces to open up in Cardiff and have continued to open three further spaces within Cardiff and the surrounding area. Indycube is a larger company which controls a wide range of coworking spaces throughout the country they have more focus on providing space for freelancers within the creative industry with less focus on the community and networking side of coworking. Before Indycube opened their first space it was stated by the Welsh Government that there was a lack of space for one-man businesses and start-ups in Cardiff. The founder of Indycube thought he could fill this gap within the city by opening the first official coworking space within Cardiff.