The Essentials of a Great Coworking Space: Features and Necessities
Coworking Features and Benefits: What to look for?
Ambiance
The ambiance is the first thing you notice in the first 10-30 seconds when you enter and observe a place. The ambiance alone can tell a lot about a place, what it does, the type of service it provides, and the quality of service. Of course, when you’re going to pick a Coworking Space, you want to be comfortable, light, and in the right mood when working to perform at your best while staying productive and focused.
For instance, an artist or a designer will find it difficult to be creative in a dull environment with no inspiration. If you’re a content writer, it will be hard to work in a noisy environment where your words might just jumble around with the background noise outside of your mind.
Coworking Spaces are filled with various professionals that work in the same space and from time to time they influence the ambiance and mood in the Coworking area. You may even notice them collaborating on something while having fun working and you won’t realize that you’re being influenced by their mood. And that is one of the beauties of Coworking Spaces.
Sometimes ambiance plays an important role in picking the right place for the right mood. Ambiance builds up the atmosphere or the character of a place that can be made up of different things like: Lighting, Décor, Interiors, Noise, Mood, Spacing, Smell .
Hot Desks
Hot Desks has increased in popularity ever since as it became the new way of returning from work, or people simply got tired of working from home. Although it’s not new for coworking regulars, it is new to companies and organizations with a bigger workforce that is looking to transition and adapt to hybrid and remote work models.
Hot Desks is the usual to-go of coworkers in a Coworking Space where they station themselves and usually do their work with the opportunity of socializing and connecting with other coworkers and professionals.
The usual features of a Hot Desks that you can take advantage of for your productivity purposes are:
- A table (usually a long one for sharing with coworkers)
- Comfortable Ergonomic Chairs
- A nearby electric socket (usually on top of the table)
- A fast Wi-Fi / Ethernet Cable Connection
- Access to the community pantry
- Free Coffee, Tea, and Water!
High Speed Internet
Just imagine this, you’re working at your home while presenting something big, something very important, this is the biggest responsibility you’ve carried and then you failed to reconnect to a meeting because of internet connectivity issues. Sucks, right?
Working remotely means you’ll be working virtually with your team, and a reliable and fast internet connection should be at your grasp at the very least.
A Coworking Space can provide a reliable internet connection without the worries of being disconnected from your workmates. A private Phonebooth is also recommended when attending virtual meetings and events for soundproof stalls that provide the internet speed and privacy that you need.
As soon as you enter the Coworking Space, you can test the internet speed by using speedtest.net or downloading their app for iOS or Android and you can check if the internet speed meets your required speeds for the workload that you will be doing.
What to check when testing the internet speed and a non-technical explanation on what they are:
- Ping
- How fast a digital signals travels from one place to another, to a computer or a website.
- Lower the better
- 100ms is Good, 50ms is Great, Lower than 20ms is exceptional.
- Upload Speed
- The speed on how fast a digital data is transferred from the internet to your computer (or how fast you download data)
- Higher the better
- 20 Mbps is Good, 50 Mbps is Great, 100 Mbps is exceptional.
- Download Speed
- The speed on how fast a digital data is transferred from your computer to the internet (or how fast you upload data)
- Higher the better
- 20 Mbps is Good, 50 Mbps is Great, 100 Mbps is exceptional.
Access to Office Equipment
Coworking Spaces are fully equipped with all the office equipment that you’ll ever need. Well, of course, it’s a work facility for professionals and workers alike, it would be canon to have prepared office equipment ready for usage.
What usually you can borrow:
- Extra monitor
- Keyboard
- Mouse
- Headset
- Desktop
- Laptop
- Printers, Scanners, and Photocopier
Tip: Remember to return them after using! They are quite expensive.
Free Refreshments
Working all day requires a lot of energy to sustain and to maintain your performance. Although you might be sitting the whole day with little physical activity, your brain function is strongly influenced by your hydration. Continuous brain activity throughout the day will surely exhaust all of your mental capabilities that might even lead to bad decision-making if you don’t stay hydrated.
Taking a break with refreshments will keep you going to perform at your 100%! Research shows that even mild hydration can impair many aspects of brain function, and having free refreshments in a workspace is beneficial for professionals like you who are in the daily grind.
A little tight on the budget and resisting buying coffee at Starbucks? No problem!
Here are the refreshments usually available at Coworking Spaces:
- Water (Hot, Warm, and Cold)
- Freshly Brewed Coffee
- Tea
- Snacks (for sale at the reception)
Great Location
An overlooked feature when choosing the right by coworkers is a great location. Picking a Coworking Space in a Prime Location encourages coworkers to keep coming back and enjoy coworking.
Here are things to consider when picking the right location for you:
- Central Business District
- Free Parking
- Accessible to Public Transportation
- Nearby Café, Bar, and Restaurants
- Close to home
- Nearby Leisure Places
Picking the right location for your Coworking Space depends on your needs and preference. Some Coworkers prefer Coworking Spaces that are accessible by walking distance. Others prefer Coworking Spaces near Cafés, Bars, and Restaurants to end their day with a hearty meal. Although free parking may be one of the important aspects of a Coworking Space since all coworkers come from different locations.
If you’re looking for a Coworking Space that covers all the essentials of a Prime Location, Weremote is one of the best Coworking Spaces that may be for you. Weremote is located at the heart and Central Business District of Ortigas, surrounded by condominiums, restaurants, cafés, malls, and leisure places that also offer free parking that offers convenience, accessibility, and comfort.
Check out this Coworking Space City Guide in Ortigas to guide you when you visit Weremote Ortigas.
Price
The most common deal-breaker when making a purchase, price varies from different Coworking Space to another.
Most different Coworking Spaces offer affordable prices for professionals, startups, and freelancers. You won’t be renting the whole building per day. Heck, you wouldn’t even have to spend on utilities, cleaning services, security, and maintenance since most Coworking Spaces have it all covered which makes it cheaper compared to a traditional office space.
Companies transitioning to flexible work through a Coworking Space are 100% beneficial in terms of financing. It heavily cuts down expenditures to 25% for Multinational Companies and a whopping 60-70% for companies with a workforce of 30 employees.
Weremote offers flexible plans for:
- Coworking Membership Rates (starts at ₱999/month)
- Coworking Day Pass (for only ₱499 for 9 Hours)
With Access to:
- Hot Desk Area with Ergonomic Chair
- 24/7 Access for Full-Time Monthly Members
- 1 Dedicated Locker
- High-Speed Internet with backup, Wi-Fi Access Points, and Ethernet Cables
- Airconditioning
- 24/7 Security
- Common Areas and Pantry
- Free Coffee, Tea, and Water
(Terms and Conditions Applied)
Weremote offers these Coworking Space features that enable you to transition and adapt to flexible work with accessibility and convenience at cost-efficient rates for you.
Amazing Amenities
Every Coworking Space has Amenities that they often boast about. It is one of the Coworking Space features that most coworkers look in to when picking the right Coworking Space for them.
What standouts the most is the service given by the receptionist, our friendly security guards, and janitors. Their simple greeting, accommodation, care and taking the extra step just to make us feel belonged and welcomed can make a huge difference picking and to staying loyal to our favorite Coworking Space.
Amazing Amenities to look for:
- Great Staff
- Inspiring Interiors
- Safety & Security
- Accommodation
- Community Pantry
- Coworking Lounges
- Gaming Room
- Sleeping/Rest Area
Inspiring Interiors
One of the Coworking Space features that sets the difference from a traditional office space is the Inspiring Interiors. Typically, Coworking areas has a set theme, décor, and design that sets the ambiance and the characteristics of the Coworking Space which coworkers tend to admire while working. The interior design is what makes a Coworking Space unique.
Inspiring Interiors may include:
- Murals
- Creative Interiors
- Modern Interiors
- Industrial Interiors
It would be boring to work in a dull environment and white-painted office. I bet you would rather work around inspiring interiors and décors to inspired and influenced by creative unique ideas. Having these inspiring interiors is beneficial for coworkers to keep them engaged at work while increasing productivity and to keep the creative juices flowing
Weremote has a creative, geeky, pop-art inspired approach to provide a fun workspace for our Coworkers. From Marvel, Justice League, Street Fighter, Mario, to Video game inspired interiors to keep our coworkers creative and inspired.
A Place to Relax
“The dough rises when it rests.”
Proofing is a term used in cooking after you knead the dough forcefully, letting it rest, and it rises in doubles its size. Well as a foodie, and a home cook, I wouldn’t want to let the opportunity for the quote to slide.
Coworking Spaces are workspaces for working, grinding, and professionals. We are all humans, even the smartest, hardworking, passionate, highly and energetic human being gets tired too. No matter how good you are at what you’re doing.
Relaxation is one of the easiest ways to reset our physical, mental, emotional, and brain capacity to get us back on track. It’s important to be always at our 100% capacity when working. We wouldn’t want to overwork ourselves to the point of total exhaustion because it lessens our capabilities of producing high-quality outputs.
Weremote understands how hard the grind is for professionals, freelancers, and startups like you. Weremote has a Gaming Lounge and a Snug Room for when coworkers feel the need to take a break.
Gaming Lounge
One of the things that make Weremote stand out is our Gaming Lounge here where you can take a break, even for a short time. A way to shrug off that burnout and fatigue is to play at our Game Room with a Vintage Arcade; with a wide variety of games to choose from Nintendo, PlayStation, Sega, Atari, and old-school games and consoles
Feeling a little physical and want to keep the blood flowing? Our Game Room is also equipped with a table tennis set with a pair of rackets and a ping-pong ball for two players to enjoy.
If you ever feel the need to lounge, we also have a set of sofas and a wide-screen TV whenever you feel like watching Netflix or YouTube.
Remember to Take Breaks
To prevent burnout from work, it is recommended to take 15-minute breaks every 1-2 hours just to reset our brain to keep us going. You can lay down for a bit, watch a short YouTube video, or get yourself a snack.
Tip: Keep in mind to not be too hard on yourself. Always take a break when you need one.
Safety and Security
“Safety is our #1 priority”
If you know Crazy Russian Hacker, you’ve probably heard his voice while reading that. Kidding aside, safety and security should be everyone’s priority. It is important even outside of Coworking Space. It’s a general need for everyone and it is included in Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.
What type of security that you’ll need in a Coworking Space:
- Physical Security
- Secured Entrances
- Doors with RFID
- Video Surveillance
- Cyber Security
- Data Protection & Privacy
- Secured and Protected IP
- Fire Safety
- Well-designed escape plan
- Accessible Fire Exits
- Installed Fire Alarms
Physical Security
Safety & Security is the typical physical security that we understand. Well, it is one of the common factors of security like secured doors, well-lit and secured entrances so no one can just barge in the Coworking Space. Of course, our friendly security guards are stationed at the main entrance, which is mandatory, but they can only do so much when protecting you and your coworkers from unforeseen harm.
Cyber Security
As we have mentioned before, working remotely in a Coworking Space requires you to work virtually. This means you’ll be using the cyberspace when sending emails, reports, data, and handling virtual meetings with your team and colleagues.
Making sure that your internet connection is secure and protected is one of the things that you should look for in a Coworking Space.
Weremote has its dedicated Colocation servers that secure and protects the internet, data, bandwidth, and connection to prevent hackers from easily accessing private and confidential data.
Fire Safety
Fire safety practices are one of the important life-saving must-haves in every place, everywhere. These practices are encouraged and mandatory everywhere to prevent heavy damages from a fire, faulty electricity, and explosions.
Making sure that the Coworking Space has available fire extinguishers, installed smoke alarms, accessible and well-designed fire exits and escape plans can assure you of safety if ever a fire breaks out. (Which we don’t hope to happen.)
Tip: When a fire breaks out, remember to evacuate quickly while remaining calm to prevent panic and chaos which can save lives.
Kitchen and Pantry
Every office has its place to eat. It can be a canteen or a creative pantry where coworkers can connect while enjoying their meal. Typically, you may bring your food when you go to work, but you wouldn’t want the smell to roam around the workspace because it would be embarrassing around the Coworking area. It’s also a form of respect for coworkers, and simply you might make your coworkers hungry.
What does a Kitchen and Pantry in a Coworking have?
- Refrigerator
- Microwave
- Plates, Glasses, and Utensils ready for use
- Tables and Chairs
- Coffee Machine
- Water Dispenser
Ordinary kitchen & pantries at a Coworking Space offers these types of kitchen necessities so you can use them whenever you need to. Want to reheat your food? A microwave is readily available. If you forgot to bring your utensils? you can use a pair of spoons and fork, a glass, and a plate. (But remember to wash them before and after use for hygienic purposes) Want to keep your beverage cold? There’s plenty of room in the fridge!
Tip: Be considerate to your coworkers when borrowing and using the stuff in the pantry. Also, remember to return them!
A Great Community
Being surrounded by a great, supportive, open, and respectful community offers a safe place for coworkers alike to help them enjoy working a little more.
Getting to work around the Coworking Space without the social anxiety, fear of being judged, and the isolation from the community offers more than just the typical productivity boost you get from the Coworking Space.
Having the chance to collaborate with other professionals can open different doors and opportunities for your career. Not to mention, building unexpected lifetime relationship through building a network with various professionals is a blessing in disguise in the Coworking Space.
Greet your fellow coworkers around the workspace with a simple “Hello.” It can go along way for them to feel belonged and welcomed to in the Coworking Space and it also gives you a chance to start a conversation with them!
Tip: It’s okay to greet and to engage small talks with them, as long as you don’t bother them while working.
Pet Friendly Workspace
If you’re worried about your fur babies when leaving for work, some Coworking Spaces offer Pet-Friendly workspace! You may bring your pets to your Hot Desk so you can have a buddy to help you calm down in-case of stressful situations, to keep your mental and emotional stress in-check to keep the grind going.
What to Bring for Your Pet:
- Pet Cage (in-case your pet goes wild)
- Diapers (You wouldn’t want a mess in the workspace)
- Pet Food
- Leash
Things to keep in-mind when bringing a pet:
- Small to medium sized pets (for dogs)
- Make sure they are not hostile to stranger
Tip: Always keep your pets close to you, and don’t let them roam around the workspace so you won’t disturb your fellow coworkers.
Coworking Space Features: More Than Meets The Eye
There are a lot of reasons why coworkers prefer to work in a Coworking Space. It can be the Fast Internet Connection that is not available to their homes. Some may find it too distracting to work from home or too embarrassed to squeeze in that Caramel Macchiato for 8 hours just to work in a Coffee Shop.
The Coworking Space features mentioned above are the tangible things that you can get from a Coworking Space. How about the intangible things that we can benefit from?
Here is what makes Coworkers Excel in the Coworking Space:
- Increased Productivity
- Sense of Purpose
- Flexibility of Work
- Working around a supportive community
- The feeling of belonging
- In control of their jobs
- Increased job satisfaction
Coworking Spaces has a lot to offer besides the space, amenities, and a place to work. It also helps coworkers find their sense of purpose when working, a place where they belong, and a friendly community that makes working more fun, which helps them excel because coworkers enjoy what they do.
Coworking Spaces also enables flexible work models where you have the choice what time you want to go to work.
If you are a night-owl that fully-operates from caffeine and a 100% more productive at night you can have 24/7 access to Coworking Space, depending which subscription you’ve availed. If you are an early bird who prefers to work in day light, you can also access the Coworking Space from its operating hours.
Other Productive Coworking Space Features
A Private Office at a Coworking Space, usually comes fully equipped with office necessities for productivity use. From Tables, Ergonomic Chairs, Fast Internet Connection / Wi-Fi / Ethernet Cables, Whiteboards, Storage, everything you need for an office can be rented out for companies to a big workforce, or even for a small team.
You can also customize a Private Office to your liking or match the office to your brand for your company with cost-efficient rates compared to renting a huge office space.
Meeting Rooms
Meeting Rooms are available for rent for 1 hour, 4 hours, and 8 hours. The longer you rent, the cheaper you get. These Meeting Rooms are fully equipped with Audiovisuals, Flat-Screen TV, Professional Executive Chairs, A Long Table, A Secured Internet Connection, and Frosted Glass Windows for privacy and confidentially.
Weremote offers fully-designed video game-themed Meeting Rooms while providing the professionality and top-of-the-line equipment to conduct meetings and discuss what matters the most.
Virtual Office
A Virtual Office is a type of service that provides business registration services, flexible work models to businesses, industries, and startups. One of the best strategies for businesses, industries, and startups to take advantage of. It efficiently cuts down expenditures, saves money, which allows you to scale better by allocating resources in what matters the most.
Availing a Virtual Office has also access to the Coworking Space, Amenities, and Meeting Rooms, whenever you need to meet an important client to close-in key deals and agreements for the growth and success of your business.
Takeaway
These are the things that you might want to consider when looking for the right Coworking Space. These Coworking Space features can help you enhance your coworking experience even further. A Coworking Space like Weremote offers more than just the Coworking Space Features mentioned above the article. if you want to be the best version of yourself in terms of career, connection, relationships, and to find a sense of purpose, Weremote might just be the Coworking Space for you. Join us here!
