Trends, Outlooks and Where We’re Headed
Entrepreneurs have been storming coworking offices since the first ones popped up in the late 1990s. These shared office spaces have come a long way since their humble beginnings, now being the preferred workspace of a multitude of industries and professionals. But they are more than just a trendy fad among young businessmen and women and are proving to stand the test of time. The business of coworking is not slowing down anytime soon, so here’s a look at the trends that will shape the future of coworking:
Booking Through Apps
There’s an app for everything these days. Coworking is no different.
With the likes of Croissant, Desk.Works, and Liquidspace already in full force, booking your own office space is as easy and simple as downloading an app. With the technology already there and booming, it’s no surprise more and more coworking offices will jump on the mobile bandwagon to provide their services to more and more future coworkers.
Here at NGIN Workplace, we already employ a number of these mobile booking apps that allow anyone to book their shared desks without any hassle.
These apps will make searching, finding, and booking the perfect office space incredibly easy from anywhere in the world. Whether you’re freelancing in New York or travelling for business to Shanghai, booking apps will provide a seamless coworking experience. Being stuck in the same old office will be a thing of the past and you’ll never be stuck working out of that noisy café again.
Health Insurance
This is a big one. Health insurance can often make or break a job offer. It can be the reason you choose the corporate job over that freelancing gig or starting your own company.
Truly one of the biggest setbacks to being your own boss is the lack of health insurance. Working for an established company may offer the security of dependable healthcare but not the freedom of work you crave. That’s why coworking spaces in Ontario have come together as a collective to provide their members health insurance. Since 2013, the Coworking Health Insurance Plan (COHIP) has been providing health care coverage to coworking members of a collective in Ontario. Because of its success, COHIP has recently expanded to become a national plan, providing coverage to small companies and businesses who wouldn’t otherwise be able to provide insurance to their employees.
This is a huge game changer for the coworking community if it decides to follow Ontario’s lead. Independent professionals will no longer have to sacrifice their work for the sake of their health and wallets!
Revitalization Of Urban Neighborhoods
Coworking offices get their cool and hip feel from their modern twist on old spaces, finding homes in vacant and forgotten buildings. These offices have popped up in areas otherwise left alone, with the hopes of bringing some life back to urban neighborhoods.
It all makes sense. Opting for older buildings is a cheaper option, real estate wise, leaving more money to invest elsewhere where it will benefit members and attract just the right crowd. Bringing in entrepreneurs, young companies, and innovators of every kind to an urban neighborhood has its benefits. According to Deskmag, “Many coworking spaces will not only revitalize forgotten buildings, but are also likely to lead to a significant revitalization of the surrounding area.” Coworking spaces, as a center of business and innovation, will help bring life and commerce back to areas that desperately need them.
Some innovators are even taking it a step further, utilizing unexpected places as coworking hubs. CoworkCafe takes the existing space of a restaurant, one that is closed during the daytime hours, and converts it into a coworking office. This concept opens the door to endless possibilities. This means coworking offices could pop up virtually anywhere and provide more affordable places for people to work.
Happier Workforce
Feeling like a cog in the machine?
Working for big corporations where your work doesn’t feel like it matters can be soul crushing. Studies have shown that workers who opt for the coworking route are actually happier and more engaged in their work.
At the largest coworking conference last year, GCUC revealed exciting results for the coworking community. You can check out the numbers here, but basically coworkers are typically happier and more engaged in their work which results in higher work productivity. With more and more coworking offices popping up around the world, the number of happy workers will only continue to grow.
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The future of coworking is in good hands
— after all, coworking spaces are known for their fresh talent and bright minds. Collaborative and dynamic by nature, coworking will always be evolving to benefit those who are passionate about their work and want to succeed in their own terms. It’s not just a fad, coworking is headed for the future.
By Stefani Falkowski
