TRAVEL CO-WORKING IN SOUTH AFRICA
SHARING workspace Co-working – sharing office space with others – is growing in South Africa, with numerous benefits for small businesses.
CAPE TOWN
Inner City Ideas Cartel
WORDS: KATH READ (@CAPETOWNINSIDER)
C
Daddy O
o-working started as a way to facilitate collaborative work and business meetings, coordinated by computers. Since then, the growth has been unstoppable, with new co-working spaces opening weekly around the globe. One of the reasons for the huge growth is the social and networking opportunities. It’s a chance to meet like-minded individuals, find new opportunities and create relationships. And it’s customisable: as a business’ needs develop and grow, there’s the flexibility to change your setup without the time-lag that affects businesses with high fixed overheads. Co-working is about creating an environment that’s flexible for each individual. It’s suited for business travellers needing a satellite office. Each space is set up differently but the focus is on flexibility, a productive working environment CO-WORKING and the potential for networking. COLLABORATION
INVOLVES A SHARED BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT, BRINGING TOGETHER SMALL COMPANIES, ENTREPRENEURS AND FREELANCERS. Here new networks, communities and collaborations are formed, bridging the gap between home offices and investment in office space. It’s easy to see the appeal: there are no commitments; everything is provided and set up. All you need to do is arrive with your laptop.
PORT ELIZABETH
The Co-Op
Instead of a hot-desk environment, the Co-Op offers a permanent base for small businesses. You can either rent an office or use it as a virtual space with access as needed. It’s also refurbished almost entirely with recycled material. www.theco-op.co.za
TOWN HOT SPOTS
Hubspace www.hubspace.co.za Shared Space www.sharedspace.co.za The Bureaux www.thebureaux.co.za Twenty Fifty www.twentyfifty.co
The Office
The Office includes a view of Table Mountain, a dining area, fully equipped boardrooms and an open-plan lounge for working, informal meetings and networking. Its partnership with Protea Fire and Ice! Hotel next door means you can use their gym and underground parking, and receive reduced room rates. www.theofficeCT.co.za
DURBAN
JOBURG
The Sett
The Sett, based in Umhlanga Ridge, aims to create a community of people who co-work, connect and create within a quality environment. It offers flexible solutions for individuals and companies, ranging from pay-as-you-go day packages to monthly rates, with access to their meeting and training rooms. www.thesett.co.za
Open PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY IMAGES
CO-WORKING
Cape Town is leading the co-working trend in South Africa but offices are opening across the country…
Set in the Old Biscuit Mill in Woodstock, Daddy O blends into the hipster style of the neighbourhood. With an oldschool classroom feel, Daddy O has a minimalist design and is a productive spot for freelancers. www.daddyo.co.za
Inner City Ideas Cartel in Buitengracht Street is divided into shared spaces, semi-private spaces and private offices. Services can be customised to your needs. They have a 144-seater cinema for hosting seminars and presentations, as well as a rooftop deck. You can get there easily from the M3 and it’s close to bus and train routes, making it convenient for people travelling on business. www.ideascartel.com MORE CAPE
Open – found in Jozi’s Maboneng precinct – is based on the understanding that businesses need to change the way they work, moving from fixed offices to a connected, flexible working environment. You’ll have a place to network and there are multiple membership levels to suit different needs, including a day-use option for non-members. They’re also partnering with Wits and the JCSE to create an ICT Innovation Hub for Africa in Braamfontein, plus they’re going to be opening another co-working space in Pretoria. www.theopen.co.za
IT Corner
IT Corner in Melville is perfect for those not ready to commit to the cost of an office. It’s a coffee shop setup, offering services such as IT support, website design and meeting rooms. IT Corner can be used for seminars, networking events and product launches. www.theitcorner.co.za
MORE JOZI HOT SPOTS
August 2014
www.flymango.com
Developing LEADERS
Leadership coaching as a formal development tool is relatively new. So why now? If you look at what’s happened in business over the last 30 years, the challenges facing leaders have multiplied. Smartphones and tablets keep us online 24 hours a day. Technology blurs the traditional 9-to-5 working hours, bombards us constantly with information and makes distance irrelevant. The competitiveness of business has increased enormously, becoming global rather than national or even local. As a result, companies have become more focused on measuring and judging performance. They experience pressure to deliver better results in complex and ambiguous situations. This has led to the use of executive coaches. SO WHAT’S LEADERSHIP COACHING?
Fundamentally, it’s an integrated development process that helps high-potential individuals to excel through setting and achieving goals. It also provides an individual with a confidential, objective and nonjudgemental sounding board where they are asked questions relative to their goals. They are also able to test ideas and receive honest feedback. According to Harvard Business Review, many of the world’s most admired corporations, from General Electric to Goldman Sachs, are investing in coaching, with the annual spend in the US alone estimated at approximately $1 billion (about R10 billion). Research reveals the following benefits: • Increased profitability • Improved retention rates • Decreased employee absences • Increased job satisfaction • Improved morale • Higher levels of innovation • Improved teamwork • Improved performance • Better levels of customer service • Increased sales • Improved communications
Impact Hub www.impacthub.net JoziHub www.jozihub.org NewARC Studios www.newarcstudios.co.za
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WORDS: LES WEISS
GET IN TOUCH @CPCoachingSA www.changepartners.co.za www.flymango.com
August 2014
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