All about coworking: what are there, how much do they cost and what is included in the rent
One of the ways to save on business processes is to rent a coworking. About what it is in simple words, what is the essence and purpose of this approach to labor organization, how it works, what types of coworking there are, what conditions they have, and what the word “coworking” means - read below.
Coworking
Coworking (from the English co-working — collaboration) is an office space in which anyone can rent one or more workplaces. This is a cross between employment at home and the office in the usual sense. There are no rigid frameworks, but at the same time there is everything you need to work. Coworking is distinguished by a democratic atmosphere — there is no office routine in it, but the general atmosphere disciplines. In addition, such sites are considered a free environment for communication, in which you can make useful acquaintances.
This type of office solves issues related to the inconvenience of working from home and the high cost of renting a standard room for employees. In the first case, the problem concerns people who work freelance (a remote format of activity with short-term tasks). In the second - managers who seek to optimize the budget of their organization.
Coworking is a modern space for work and events
A comfortable workplace is equipped with everything you need - Internet, sockets, comfortable chairs, etc. When you come to work, you don't think about everyday issues that you encounter when renting a stationary office — cleaning, furniture, Internet connection, security, water or utility bills. Coworking takes care of it itself. You just come and work.
Who invented it?
In fact, the first coworking was opened in America in 2005 in San Francisco by programmer Brad Newberg. Even then, this term meant a space with a comfortable workplace, free Internet, inexpensive lunches and business events. But the very philosophy of this kind of collaboration was invented earlier by Bernie Dekoven, a game designer and writer in 1999. Back then, the games guru decided to designate the principle of group cooperation — "work together as equals”, which solved the classic problem of the hierarchy of all participants in the labor process. It was this principle that the first coworking, created in 2005, adhered to.
What services can I get?
The coworking center is a universal place for work and recreation, where you can:
- rent a workplace (it can be, for example, a table with an armchair or a comfortable armchair-bag);
- get access to high-speed internet;
- rent office equipment (computer, printer, fax, copier, etc.);
- get the necessary inventory (demonstration boards, office);
- rent a meeting room for meetings and important meetings;
- rent/take a place for a car;
- order or make coffee/tea.
Depending on the level of the institution, the services may include set meals, luggage storage, round-the-clock stay, a gym, a recreation area with a TV and much more.
Suitable for whom?
Coworking, first of all, is focused on people who do not seek to get attached to one place. These include three groups: freelancers, small teams and traveling employees.
Freelancers
Free workers who perform short-term tasks for customers in a remote format, i.e. not tied to a place. They do not need to visit the office — in the process of work they can be anywhere in the world, the main thing is to have special equipment and high-speed Internet at hand. Coworking is just the place for a freelancer, where there is everything for a full-fledged job. And at the same time there is no usual office environment, but rather a creative environment in a business format.
Small teams
Representatives of small and medium-sized businesses and creators of small commercial projects are frequent visitors to coworking centers. It is much easier to rent a workplace several times a month than to constantly pay for and maintain an entire office. Or, when a team needs, for example, a month of collaboration per year, then the sense in finding and securing their premises is also lost. In addition, it is easier to use a ready-made place than to equip cabinets on your own.
Seconded employees
A business trip is a short-term stay in a city/country during which a work area may be needed. In this case, the rental of a temporary place is also relevant. As in a situation when there is not enough free space for additional employees in the office.
Types of coworking
There is an open type of coworking, which is available to everyone, and workspaces depending on various factors:
- arrangement — in one coworking there may be only furniture, and in another additional office equipment is provided;
- age - distinguish coworking for adults and children;
- type of production — it can specialize in a certain field of activity, for example, only on sewing masters with special equipment;
- human factor - there are coworking only for certain nationalities, male or female, etc.;
- location - there are also outdoor summer coworking, and indoor — indoor.
Advantages
Usually small teams rent a stationary office based on a certain number of jobs. If for some reason the collective decreases, the cost of rent and utility payments does not change. And vice versa, when the command needs to be increased, and the standard space does not allow it to be done. An important difference between coworking and a stationary office is its "flexibility". The manager can always get jobs to expand the team or give them up.
Another important advantage of coworking is the working atmosphere. Visitors are specialists in various fields. Working in the same space with them, a person finds new acquaintances and "turns on” the so-called power of "networking" (creating useful acquaintances).
The key factors to be the advantages of coworking:
- comfortable workplaces, comfortable for both one person and the whole team;
- a soft area for relaxation and communication;
- lecture hall for interesting events and presentations;
- meeting room for private meetings, meetings and video conferences;
- coffee shop/buffet where you can have a snack and drink coffee or tea.
Disadvantages
Some disadvantages of coworking are similar to the disadvantages of conventional offices:
- waste of time on the road (but if in the case of a standard office the place is not replaced, then coworking can be picked up closer to home);
- the common space can tire a person - one way or another, the employee is in a room where there are a lot of people. He may be distracted by something and get tired of the presence of strangers.
- possible absence of a storage room — the visitor will constantly worry about the safety of their belongings, which also distracts from the workflow;
- expenses - compared to working at home, coworking still requires some expenses.
How to choose a coworking?
When choosing a coworking, you need to understand the criteria that are a priority for a person, for example: location, working hours, basic services, transport accessibility, parking availability, cost, etc.
Location
If in the case of a permanent office, it is more difficult to choose a place (since the location may fade into the background due to other factors), then coworking can be found in a convenient area. As a rule, there are enough similar establishments in large cities, because the location of the coworking can be adjusted to suit yourself.
Operating mode
Office spaces are divided into daytime and round-the-clock. If a freelancer or a separate team prefers an unstable schedule, working even at night, then coworking with continuous operation is suitable for such cases.
What is included in the rent?
Renting a workplace can mean different services, up to free coffee at night or a shower. It all depends on what tasks the employee is facing — perhaps in the process he will need a printer or a soft zone for a break, without which he will not be able to do.
Public transport
To coworking, most often, you have to get on your own. Before deciding on an office space, it is worth considering transport accessibility and estimating how much money will be spent on the road there and back.
Parking availability
If an employee has his own car or a meeting of a group of people who will come in their cars is planned, then an important criterion for choosing will be the availability of parking. And the more parking spaces, the less worries about parking.
Cost
When choosing a coworking, it is worth comparing the prices of different establishments, taking into account those services that are necessary for work. In addition, it is recommended to calculate the approximate number of future visits per month in order to understand what costs will be spent on staying in the office space. It may be more profitable to rent a place for a month at once, rather than paying each time for a visit.
Additional services
If it is important for a freelancer that there is a storage room or a recreation area with a TV in the coworking, then it should certainly be taken into account so that the working time is as pleasant and not difficult as possible.
The main criteria for choosing a coworking that you should rely on are:
- a comfortable space where there is everything for comfortable work;
- community of interesting residents for useful acquaintances;
- participation in events held by coworking.
Coworking prices
Coworking in Paris in numbers
The catalogue holds 591 coworking and serviced listings, with desks from €110 a month. Across Paris that is 292 buildings and 1483 available offices.
Prices in coworking centers are made up of those services that are offered to visitors. The average monthly price in Moscow and the Moscow region varies from 14 to 17 thousand rubles per person. In the regions — from 10 to 12 thousand rubles. If we talk about the average cost of a place, it is about 600 to 800 rubles per day, depending on the location and additional services.