by Clinton Selby | Blog
In a practical sense, we know how coworking actually works. People from all walks of life come together in a shared space and they work. That’s how it works where we co-work anyway. But there are probably some of you who would like to know how coworking works in a psychological sense.
Good question.
Sit back and relax as we attempt to give you some sort of sensible answer. In our experience, the psychology of coworking, and how our members make it work for them, can be broken down into four areas.
They are less stressed: What we try and create is an environment where everyone is welcomed, and where they are
comfortable. We’re not control freaks, micro managers, or bullying bosses. Instead, we’re providers of a coworking space where people are able to be themselves, and where our members work to their own pace and agenda. In this less stressful environment, our members do their best work.
They have more control: Working in a conventional office can seem like being back in school with everyone sitting at their designated desks and under a state of constant supervision. In this authoritarian setting, they’re expected to perform yet having someone looking over your shoulder is actually counter-productive. On the other hand, our members achieve so much more in a co-working environment because it is communal and democratic, and feels more like home than school, or an office.
They’re part of a community: We see our coworking spaces as small communities. That’s very important to us, and to our members. Corporate work environments can be competitive places, and the interactions can seem forced, yet co-
working spaces allow our members to meet like-minded people who have the same attitudes, interests, and struggles. This is a fantastic way to grow personal or professional networks while having other people around them that are actually working is a great motivator.
They work when they’re feeling productive: Productivity doesn’t keep office hours, and neither do we. Our memberships are designed to be flexible and we offer access outside traditional office hours by prior arrangement. This fits in with the needs of our members who work at their best while others are taking it easy. Hey, we’re a community and we’re all different in how we work. The psychology of coworking works for us. It makes perfect sense and explains why our members are a productive and happy lot. We’re thrilled we can create an environment where they can do their best work, at a time and pace that suits them.
by Clinton Selby | Blog
Our coworking spaces feature a diverse cast of characters. It’s what makes our world go round. Without different personalities from all sorts of backgrounds, things around here would be far less interesting. We don’t want that.
We want to create a vibrant and colourful community.
A bit like Woodstock but with better toilet facilities.
If you’re curious about joining us, and even more curious about some of the characters you’ll encounter while you’re here, let us make a few brief introductions.
1. Introverts
There’s this misguided notion that you have to be the outgoing type to be a member of a coworking space. Actually, that’s not true. We have a few quiet and shy types working with us. They tend to hire space in broom cupboards where no one will see them. Actually, that’s not true either.
2. Extroverts
They’re outgoing but not unbearable. Our resident extroverts appreciate that this is a working space and they subdue the volume so everyone can work. Their shirts are often louder than they are.
3. Hipsters, hopsters and hamsters
We love our hipsters and our hopsters. (Hopsters are just like hipsters but with an added fondness for craft beer. So we probably love them a little bit more than our hipsters, just quietly.) But we don’t love hamsters, so please leave them at home.
4. Corporate types
They dress like they mean business.
5. Creative types
They dress like they’ve just dived into a pool of Dulux colour charts. They often borrow shirts from our extroverts.
6. Coffee snobs
Go and ask them if they’d like a cup of International Roast. Go on. We dare you.
7. Really, really brainy people
Smart people doing PHDs and Masters and Doctorates and brainy stuff like that. They’re so bright we no longer need light bulbs.
8. Night owls
These are the people who come in while everyone else is leaving. (We’re not brave enough to ask what they do while no one else is looking.)
9. Social animals
These are the people who start talking about Friday night drinks from about Tuesday morning. If you need directions to the bar, you know who to ask.
10. Circus animals
No. That would be politically incorrect. Besides, elephants wouldn’t fit through the door. (We’ve tried)
11. Celine Dion fans
We’re not allowed to discriminate so yes, they’re here too. All one of them.
In our coworking spaces, diversity is unity.
We join together in an inclusive community, and even though there’s a “chalk and cheese” element about our membership, it works.
Just why it works?
Well, we haven’t figured that out yet. I guess we should ask our really, really brainy people.
by Clinton Selby | Blog
It’s fascinating to see how our coworking spaces have evolved.
Although coworking is still a relatively recent phenomenon, it’s been around long enough for us to observe trends and changes. We’re not the only keen observers. COVID-19 shifted workers from their usual office to their home office. For many, that shift is an ongoing one, and remote working is a way of life.
Working from home is a way of life that doesn’t sit too comfortably with many of them. While the change of scenery and novelty factor might have been energising to start with, the lack of social contact from working with other people has left them feeling down. That’s why they’re checking us out and calling us.
Most ask us two key questions:
Do you have real people coworking there? (Why yes, yes we do.)
What’s a coworking space like in 2020? (How long have you got?)
To answer that second question, we usually point to the trends that are shaping the global coworking model in 2020. They give our potential clients a vivid picture of what life is like in coworking spaces right now, or what might happen in the near future. Here are the big four that we’ve noticed.
Smaller Spaces Are Thriving
Worldwide, there is a trend towards “coworking conglomerates”: large companies that run coworking spaces like branches. These spaces are generic, and one is virtually identical to the other. At the other end of the scale, there are some smaller players who won’t reach the same scale, and who don’t aspire to anyway. They do offer something different though, and that is variety. For example, they might provide a career-specific type of space, or work closely with local businesses in their neighbourhood, or bring more of a sense of community and inclusion to the coworking space (like us!).
Whatever the niche, coworking spaces that do something a little different are thriving.
A Space For Startups
Coworking spaces and startups are naturally suited. The space we provide is affordable and used on an “on-demand” basis. These things make it perfect for new companies that need to keep their overheads low while giving them access to the professional services they need, e.g. fast wi-fi, meeting rooms, and event spaces.
This is why an increasing number of startups are moving into coworking spaces as they begin their operations, and why coworking spaces are actively reaching out to startups at the same time.
More Add-on Services
Coming soon to coworking spaces near you: a more diverse range of services. While offering space-as-a-service is the foundation of any coworking enterprise, there is a trend towards adding other revenue streams and services,
including business coaching, on-site restaurants and cafes, and IT services.
The Sense Of Community Is Growing
One of the biggest trends is community outreach, where coworking spaces look to associate with the local business community. In some cases, this is done to get local businesses to purchase memberships for employees, or to attract freelancers and remote workers away from cafes and other spaces.
Our approach towards community is slightly different.
As far as we’re concerned, a community is something we’re creating from within.
It’s important to us.
We celebrate the diversity of our members, and as more remote workers join us, and from all sorts of backgrounds, our community becomes an even more interesting and inclusive one.
No matter what new trends shape our coworking spaces in the future, our sense of community will never change.
by Clinton Selby | Blog
Data from Office Hub, an online marketplace for flexible office space that operates across Australia and several Asian countries, showed a 105 per cent increase in the number of businesses with 15 or more employees looking for coworking space in 2017-2018. 
We are lead to believe that coworking is an open plan, airy space, working with other people. But then there are the major coworking operators such as WeWork and Christies which are basically serviced offices.
According to Colliers International property experts, most new coworking spaces comprised of private office suites.
Larger companies are now driving the demand to have their staff in coworking spaces as this offers these businesses a way to increase or decrease their office footprint in response to the everchanging conditions in the market.
Many of the new co-working spaces now contain discrete lockable offices with their own IT n
etworks, phone systems and conference rooms. It seems that coworking spaces are now starting to compete with the serviced office space providers such as Dexus and Regus. Both the coworking and serviced office space sectors have evolved a lot, being more like the other. Additionally, landlords are increasingly looking at coworking as a way to attract tenants. Landlords are realising client want the flexibility to expand and retract as project-based teams are needed. New industries are also adopting elements of the coworking ethos – to bring disruption to outdated models.
Popup-coworking
Popup-coworking reclaims the unused spaces that are closed during the day and turn them into pop-up coworking offices.
Due to its nature, Popup-coworking is cheaper than standard coworking and pay-as-you-go. Perfect for entrepreneurs on a budget, early-stage startups, freelancers, remote workers and the new breed of digital nomads.
Popices, which launched on 1st February 2017. is currently only available in Amsterdam but its plans to pop-up in other cities across Europe soon. Its first spaces include Metobolic Lab – an office boat nestled amongst the creative community of De Ceuvel.
Hotel Coworking
Hobo hotel in Stockholm markets itself as not just a hotel, but as a new design hotel that welcomes professionals as well as visitors. Its name is even based on the travelling lifestyle of 1930’s America, with ‘hobo’ meaning a thoughtfully aware and curious person, who sees themselves as a world citizen.
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Proudly displayed on the hotel website, Hobo is presented as ‘a meeting point, a workplace, an office or just a nice place to visit and hang out.’ It then says ‘and obviously you can stay here too. Check out our 201 amazing hotel rooms, all loaded up with handy gadgets you can borrow during your stay.’ The hotel also boasts a pop-up exhibition area (called SPACEby) for startups to showcase their products.
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