Co-working: 5 dos & don’ts Here at Sketch, we know how to create inspiring workplaces. It’s what we do, and we do it well. Recently, we have seen an increasing requirement for co-working spaces from our clients, and also have firsthand experience ourselves of working in a dedicated co-working environment. The trend has grown in recent years and now thousands of dedicated co-working spaces have been established across the world. A study by Emergent Research predicted that globally, co-working membership will grow about 40% per year to pass 1 million members by 2018.* So, how do you best navigate this new way of working? What is the best way to get the most out of a co-working space and what should you consider when creating this kind of environment?
40%
: The amount co-working membership will grow per year
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Do - remember that everyone is different In a co-working space, many different types of people and companies will be working alongside one another. This will include employees from start-ups, who are newly establishing their businesses and using the space as their main office, as well as staff from large global corporates, taking advantage of a spot to work as they travel around the world. Everyone will be used to different ways of working, so it’s important to be considerate of this. Dedicated quiet spaces are necessary for those who need to concentrate, and soundproof booths are essential for making phone calls. One of the biggest advantages of a co-working space is the opportunity to meet new people and forge new working relationships – so the space should encourage this not detract from it.
Don’t - choose a location that’s too remote The space should be a reliable hub in the city centre and close to transport links, so people don’t struggle to get there. Co-working spaces are best located in the middle of a city so members are in easy access of other destinations they may need to visit, so their clients don’t have to go out of their way to find them, and so lunch isn’t too difficult to track down.
Do - think about technical requirements There’s nothing worse than heading to the office to send an urgent email only to find the wifi connection isn’t working, or that your laptop battery is about to die but there is nowhere to plug it in to charge. Technology is an essential part of the workplace and so should be at the top of priority lists when considering a co-working space. In the 2016 Co-Working Forecast by DeskMag, when surveyed co-working space members were asked to rank the problems they faced in their spaces, nearly onethird cited an insufficient internet connection as the main problem. In second place was noise (24%), a lack of privacy (15%), and difficulty concentrating (17%).**
1/3 Insufficient internet
24% Noise
15% Lack of privacy
17% Difficulty concentrating
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Don’t - forget to look ahead In the 2016 survey by Deskmag, 62% of all co-working owners reported wanting to expand their spaces.** When facing this kind of growth, it’s important not to neglect the practical aspects of accommodating lots of people in one space. The toilet facilities need to be adequate, and even small issues like the number and size of waste-bins needs to be considered. Due to the transient nature of the space – people coming and going constantly throughout the day – the space needs to be cleaned frequently. Workers may not remember to clean up after their lunch, so the space needs to be prepared for this.
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62%
of all co-working owners reported wanting to expand their spaces
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Do - think about comfort Although a co-working space isn’t necessarily designed for workers to spend the traditional 9-5 working hours at their desk, it still needs to be considerate of comfort. Beanbags and low-backed sofas may look cool, workers will find their backs start to ache after a few hours of trying to work on them. To completely embrace the space, workers need to feel comfortable, and in the Deskmag 2016 Co-working Forecast survey, members who ranked their experiences as “poor” said are more likely to leave their coworking space.**
*source - http://www.smallbizlabs.com/2014/05/coworking-forecast.html **source - http://www.deskmag.com/en/2016-forecast-global-coworking-survey-results
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