Welcome to the 21st century working world! With millennials making up more and more of the modern labor force, the traditional office setting is also seeing a gradual but drastic change as it accommodates its newer members. Gone are the days when everyone clocked in at 9 and went out at 5, sitting in the same cubicle for eight hours straight, five days a week, and remaining with the same company for decades on end.
The younger generation is bringing in new technologies, values, and practices, steadily redefining the professional landscape into one that favors flexibility over stability. And as office workers change, so does their workplace. From the traditional desk-and-chair, square cubicles that characterized the old office landscape, we now transition to coworking spaces. These simple but revolutionary spots are on the rise in major metropolises across the globe, but just as with anything new and unfamiliar, the idea of coworking spaces might draw a blank for many people. So if you’ve ever heard the term but scratched your head in confusion, you’re definitely in the right place.
Read on for all the things you need to know about coworking spaces – and why you need one, too.
The What Now?
In a workforce populated by employees who value teamwork and collaborative efforts, it comes as no surprise that the coworking industry is becoming the preferred option for leasing office spaces. Unlike the traditional office setup, coworking employees are not limited, physically or otherwise, to interacting only with those in the same company or industry. These like-minded people share everything from space, to network, and even ideas and core values, allowing for a collaborative, supportive, and collective workflow and environment.
And Coworking spaces are exactly that: they’re places where a group of people–literally any group of people–can work together. They’re designed to function like a regular office space, but look and feel completely different from the traditional desk-and-chair setup.
Coworking spaces are basically just one big open area where groups of people can come together and do work, whether they’re together as a team, or alone as individuals. In a way, it’s the adult equivalent of your college library, where you can go in to work any time you want and stay for as long as you need.
These Coworking Spaces have all the basic functionality of traditional offices. You have desks and comfortable chairs, meeting spaces, sockets, charging stations, and a solid internet connection, and even a well-stocked pantry.
Like your school library, most coworking spaces come with common area that’s just one big, open room with long desks where people can huddle together to work. There are meeting and private rooms to the side for those who need more privacy, and hot desks are available to reserve for those who need their own work area.
But even with the more private areas, coworking spaces are primarily designed to be as open and inclusive as possible, in order to encourage collaboration and networking among its occupants. Closed-off cubicles are rarely found in a typical coworking space, and even reserved desks are still relatively open.
This design intentionally keeps with the values of the working millennial, who prefers open and circular conversation as opposed to the more hierarchical structure of traditional companies where an idea has to go from Point A first before it reaches Point B.
Spaces Inside a Coworking Space
There are different areas inside the average co-working space, designed to meet different needs. Weremote in Ortigas, for example, offers the following innovative spaces:
The Common Area
The main area is an open floor space with tables that can easily seat at least five of your team, which is a perfect arrangement for startups or group works. Amenities like dry erase board, projectors, and other similar tools are available to better facilitate your meetings. Although you share the general space with other occupants, WeRemote provides packages that would guarantee your team will always have a place to sit.
Private Suites
These Private Office suites allows you to have a sense of privacy, while having the flexibility of collaborating, connecting, and networking with the professionals at the Coworking area. These Private suites are also customizable to your brand to provide the perfect feel of an office without the boring white walls for your office.
Dedicated Desk
These seats are perfect for those who prefer going solo and having a spot to call their own. Similar to having your own cubicle at work, dedicated desks always guarantee you a seat in the buzzing and thriving coworking community.
Hot Desks
Unlike Dedicated Desks that are all yours, Hot Desks are shared between users who rotate use of their shared office space on a schedule. This setup is perfect for those who aren’t always in town, or don’t always prefer to use a shared workspace, and wouldn’t mind having someone else warm their seat while their out. This is also generally a cheaper alternative to dedicated desks.
Meeting Rooms
Of course, work is still work and sometimes you have to talk to people about things you don’t necessarily want others overhearing. Meeting rooms are the perfect solution. You can rent them out per hour or work out an arrangement with the space if you’ll find yourself using it often enough. The meeting rooms at Weremote are fully equipped with topnotch facilities to cover all your conference essentials, from the mundane comfy chairs to high-tech telecom tools, it’s even more affordable if you book it for the whole day.
Podcast Studio
The 1st coworking space in the country to come with a fully-furnished recording studio. Weremote offers this facility for anyone looking to start or record their podcasts and other audio materials. This studio is complete with high-quality sound equipment to allow you to record–and broadcast, live–good content. Perfect for trainers or coaches that wants to record their learnings or your modules, too.
Photo Studio
And for those looking to snap their latest product, a photo studio is also available for rent in this coworking space–and this coworking space alone. Designed to be on par with any professional photography studio, WeRemote’s studio has overhead and stand-alone lights, backgrounds, and every other equipment you’ll need for that A-grade marketing material.
Event Space
Whether your startup is hosting a launching party, or you’re a freelancer looking to hold a workshop, coworking spaces like WeRemote also offer an events area that could comfortably hold a good number of attendees (Weremote, for example, can host up to 150). The great thing about getting this particular service from coworking spaces is that they’re fully equipped with all your event’s needs. At a fixed price, you no longer have to worry about setting up and cleaning after your event, as the space will take care of that for you. Event spaces are perfect for workshops, trainings, and other similar professional events.
One of the trickiest things that startups have to deal with is the office space: specifically, your company’s business address. In order to be a registered company, you need to list down a physical address for contact and documentation. Weremote offers you that. It provides innovative and modern office solutions by not only giving you a mailing address for all the bills and documents that come with any business endeavor, but even offers call answering and mail handling services as well, ensuring you are always up to date on your correspondence. It’s significantly cheaper to hire out a virtual office than it is to get an actual, physical place–and would work much the same way, anyway. Did we mention, you’ll get Coworking freebies too if you sign up for a Virtual Office in Weremote?
For Whom?
So who actually does use coworking spaces?
The short answer: anyone.
The long answer:
Startups
Startup businesses are the most frequent users of coworking spaces for various reasons. For starters, a group of people is more likely to need a dedicated space to come together and work, as opposed to a solo individual who could simply take their laptop to the nearest coffee shop and work there. The more people you have on a startup, the more need you also have to find a spot to do your work.
Moreover, the farther along you are in your business, the greater your need for an office space as well, where you have less distractions and more access to equipment and amenities needed in a professional setting, including basics like a fast internet, a common space that can fit all of you, boards and papers to jot down ideas, and the like.
As a startup, it’s also more likely you’re not as financially stable as you would be once your company has properly taken off, so budget may be a little tight, even for basics like office space. Coworking spaces are perfect because of how flexible the arrangements are. You don’t have to commit to a long-term office lease, and the space already has all the equipment you need to work.
Coworking spaces are definitely a cheaper and more efficient alternative to traditional office spaces.
Other than their cost-effectivity, coworking spaces also offer more non-tangible benefits:
-You’re open to the other teams and individuals sharing the area, which improves your chances at networking.
-Even a simple chat while waiting in line with a stranger for the coffee machine can be an opportunity to build connections.
-Two teams working beside each other can even merge into a bigger team because of the nature of sharing a working space.
-Startups can recruit more people in their team, can loop in potential investors, and even snag a future customer because of the open layout of coworking space.
Freelancers
Another familiar face to the coworking scene is the freelancer. Many freelancers do not have a fixed working space, generally because they prefer non-structured arrangements. As a result, the flexible set-up of a coworking space is the perfect match for them.
Many freelancers also work from home, because it could be significantly more comfortable than a crowded coffee shop (imagine working in your PJs, in the comfort of your snuggly bed!), but this set-up isn’t necessary optimum for productivity. You can get too comfortable when working from home, which is why it’s recommended to get out of the house every once in a while.
Coworking spaces are great for the full-time freelancer because they’ll get all the benefits of a traditional office (a dedicated space to work, a concentrated environment not riddled with distractions, a supportive network of people who are in a similar situation) without the constraints of one (like having to clock in and out at fixed hours, only having the one, same spot to work, etc.).
While a typical seat lease in a sharing space may be pricier than, say, a single cup of coffee at your local café, the former is still an all-around better arrangement.
How so?
Coworking spaces are designed to be a place of work—one where you are guaranteed to be productive, providing you with what you need to work your best. There is no pressure you might be overstaying your welcome because you finished your coffee hours ago, and the noise and clatter around you are not mindless distractions, but productive conversations of people doing their professional business.
And if that proves a tad too much, you can easily secure a private corner where you can be alone with your thoughts and work in more peace and quiet than you can expect from a café.
As an added bonus, there’s coffee (and food, and, in some lucky cases, even beer on tap!) in the coworking pantry, too.
Various Professionals
Of course, anyone who’s in need of a temporary work space is welcome to a coworking space.
- If you have a passion project that you want to focus on during the weekends, a coworking space is the perfect venue for you.
- If you’re setting up a project with your friends but can’t find a place where you could all sit together and focus on work, a shared office is your go-to.
- If your company is hosting a seminar but your office is too small, and everywhere else is too expensive or needs a lot of work, a coworking space has your back.
- If you’re a big organization looking for a separate space to host a networking event, or you have a product launch coming up, a coworking space should be able to accommodate your needs easily.
The highly versatile coworking space is what makes it incredibly attractive to the modern office worker, and why it’s well on its way to revolutionizing traditional office spaces.
What’s in it for me?
There are numerous benefits to getting a spot in a coworking space. As a matter of fact, a study by the Harvard Business Review found that professionals working in coworking spaces thrived higher in their professional careers than their counterparts in traditional offices.
The reason, they found out, had less to do with the physical environment of the coworking space itself, and more with the intangible, and less-direct benefits of working in one.
The Work is More Meaningful
People who work in coworking spaces generally have more control over what it is they’re working on – the projects they’re handling, the type of clients they’re meeting, etc. When they have this freedom, they find more value in the tasks itself, and they’re more likely to accomplish something because they genuinely want to get the task done, rather than finishing it to turn something in to their bosses.
An important insight HBR gleaned from this study was that people in coworking spaces found meaning “in the fact that they could bring their whole selves to work.”
The typical occupants of a coworking space are so varied in the nature of their work and their industries, that each one brings something unique to the table. There is less pressure for them to be anyone but themselves, unlike in traditional office settings where there is both overt and subtle need to fit in.
Another way a coworking space user finds more meaning in their job is through the collaborative culture inherent in an open space as such. People are not secluded from one another, and, more importantly, they are rarely in direct competition with each other.
The lack of a fundamentally competitive environment allows more open and honest interactions, where people are more likely to want to see each other succeed in their respective fields. Too, as no one does the exact same thing as another, each person’s unique skills and expertise become all the more valuable.
You Have More Control of Your Environment
As mentioned above, those who work in coworking spaces typically have more autonomy in their jobs, which is a significant advantage in and of itself. You don’t need to put in strict hours – you can clock in whenever you want, and stay for as long as you need, especially as coworking spaces are open 24/7, or offer round-the-clock packages that would allow you to work as early or as late as you need, whenever you need to.
You’re also not boxed, literally and figuratively, in the same small space for hours at a time. When you use a coworking space, you can easily move around the whole office to find a spot that best suits you, be it in the heart of the floor space, surrounded by a dozen other coworkers, or in a quiet little corner, tucked away from the hustle and bustle of the main area.
This is an especially important advantage for those in the creative industry, who could struggle with the monotony and repetitiveness of the traditional office environment.
More importantly, however, coworking spaces are not just about autonomy. There is a certain structure to this work space that guides people’s routines and keeps them from simply doing what they want, the way they might do when they are completely in control of everything, as when they’re at home, for example. Because you’re paying for your spot, you’re bound to return to your coworking space and actually get some work done in order to get your money’s worth.
Being in this space also means you’re surrounded by people who are likewise working, which can bolster your own motivation to work. As the Harvard Business Review found out, “paradoxically, some limited form of structure enables an optimal degree of control for independent workers.”
There is a Better Sense of Community
Everyone in a coworking space is on the same boat as you, which makes it easier to connect with them. Again, the open layout plays a considerable part in helping you network, but the similarity in your situations also fosters a sense of camaraderie you don’t always get in a classic office setup.
And unlike in an office where you’re more likely to feel compelled into playing nice with someone you see everyday for hours at length, interactions are less forced in a coworking space. Introverts can keep to themselves if they choose, but those looking to network, or simply talk with others, can do so because they genuinely want to.
As HRB found, interactions in coworking spaces are generally more positive because people see the potential in every connection they forge. In other words, they’re not forcing any small talk because they have to, but they’re conversing with others because they actually want to hear what the other person has to say. As a result, the networks you can make in a coworking space are more likely to be genuine and enduring because you’re also more likely to be honest going into one.
It’s Better for your Budget
Renting a coworking space might mean you’re paying upfront, but the investment will readily pay for itself.
If you’re a startup company or a small business, the cost of getting, furnishing, and maintaining an office space of your own is nothing to scoff at. Many aspiring entrepreneurs have been discouraged from pursuing their businesses because of the cost it takes to start one, and even finally launching said business does not put you in the clear.
In addition to the capital needed to get in the materials and labors, a dedicated space to work in is no middling expense either, and as more and more businesses crop up in the metro, office space becomes a more precious – and pricey – commodity.
With a coworking space, you get all the benefits of traditional office setups, at a fraction of the expense.
To begin with, you no longer need to buy and furnish a space–you can simply rent it for as long and as often as you need. If your team can create your products at home, and only need to meet up occasionally to discuss logistics or meet with clients, you can rent a coworking space to provide you with all that you need to hold a proper, professional meeting.
Likewise, if you’re a startup with a growing number of team members, but not yet enough clients to strike out on your own, renting a coworking space will give you a place to meet and do your work regularly.
As a freelancer, the payoff is in the amount of work you’re able to do in an environment specifically designed for you to be productive.
If you regularly work from home, it can be a challenge to keep yourself motivated at all times. When you go out in public, there are hardly any areas of peace and quiet where you can sit down and focus on your tasks without being distracted by the constant – and loud – chatter of the people around you.
In a coworking space, you can comfortably meet with clients and partners, and discuss the important details of your projects without having to yell to hear each other over the noise, or worry that your confidential work might be overheard by the wrong ears. And when you’re able to rake in more work, and produce much better quality outputs, it’s easier to reel in a better paycheck as well.
You Have Work-Life Balance
But perhaps the biggest advantage of coworking spaces is that its design and structure is fundamentally conducive to pursuing the ever elusive, sometimes mythical work-life balance.
In a coworking space, you only actually work when you have to. If you know there is nothing on your agenda for the day, you don’t have to get up at 5 AM, drag yourself through one of the world’s worst commutes, and “show up” at work only to simply sit idly in your desk for the next nine hours.
You no longer have to live for the weekends, either, and you’re available to go out and have fun whenever you have nothing on your plate. If you’re a night owl, you can say goodbye to the dreaded early morning shifts, and instead sleep in like your body is naturally wired to do, and start working only when you can actually get some work done.
When you are better able to segregate your work from the other aspects of your life, your overall well-being is improved as well.
-You no longer have to compromise your physical health by going through a hellish commute every single day, and you can readily take a sick day whenever you do need to have a lie-in.
-You can also take better care of your mental health when you’re better able to rearrange your schedule to one that doesn’t stress you so much.
-Your social life also sees a marked improvement when you’re more readily able to see your friends because you have no overtime, or bond with your family without needing to wait for the weekends.
On a whole, it is easier to be happier about your work—and, more importantly, your life outside of it—when you work in a coworking space.
There is no understating the benefits of working in a coworking space. Here’s a roundup of the reasons why coworking spaces can do you a world of good.
-You have the flexibility in your workload and schedule that traditional office setups can’t offer.
-You are more likely to be productive because you’re able to work only when you can and have to, and, as a result, you find more value in the tasks themselves.
-You create better quality outputs because you have more job satisfaction, and you are surrounded by a community that understands where you’re coming from and can better support you.
-You can network more easily too both because there are less physical boundaries between you and your colleagues, and because your coworking community is generally made up of different individuals from varying areas and industries, thus creating less competition and more collaboration.
-It is also a more cost-efficient setup because you can choose your work hours, and you are not required to show up when it is too inconvenient for you.
-You can select a package that works well with your professional requirements as well as personal preferences, letting you use the space as often as you need if you have an important, urgent project, or as seldom as possible if you’re travelling around.
-The environment itself is designed to boost productivity, by creating specialized spaces where you can focus on your work without the distractions abundant in other spaces like your home or your favorite coffee shop.
In conclusion…
If you’re freelancing full time, starting your own company, managing a small business, or just generally looking for a space to get some work done without being boxed in an office, you need a coworking space.
A coworking space is a workplace shared with like-minded individuals, designed to have all the functions and comforts of a traditional office, but without the restrictions (and drama) of one.
You can have your own desk and work only when you actually have to.
Your work becomes more meaningful because you have more control over it, and you’re doing it for the sake of accomplishing the task, and not only because your boss asked you of it.
You don’t have to break the bank to find a space for your team to work and launch your company.
Above all, you can actually have that coveted work-life balance when you have more control of your work so that it doesn’t take over your life.
And if you’re looking for a coworking space in the bustling, pulsing heart of Metropolitan Manila, look no further than WeRemote Coworking in Ortigas. Located at 2F, Building C, Metrowalk Commercial Complex, Meralco Avenue, Pasig City, WeRemote puts you firmly at the center of Manila’s vivacious urban living, where you’re a stone’s throw away from major business establishments, in an enviable location that client, customer, or partner can readily access. Plus, Free Parking!
For more details, shoot us an email at hello@weremote.com or leave a message to +63-917- 623-3674 or (+63) 2 216 3429. WeRemote is open 24 hours on weekdays, from 7 AM Monday to 7 AM Saturday.
