Cafe Coworker Cull: How Business Centres Can Capitalise

Cafe Coworker Cull: How Business Centres Can Capitalise

Coffee shops are culling the laptop worker trend. We’ve been watching this for some time, but it seems that now, more coffee shops are jumping on the Wi-Fi-busting bandwagon, and are getting creative with new ways to limit the amount of time workers can use their free connection. Some block or cover their wall-mounted plug sockets, while others are enforcing strict time allowances on free usage. Others have switched off their Wi-Fi altogether.

Flexible workspace operators should consider these ousted workers. While not every coffee shop worker will walk out of a free Wi-Fi zone straight into a business centre, there are select workers that may be in the right position to do just that. They may not be looking for serviced space, but a short-term pay-as-you-go solution – like a CoWorking space – could be right up their street.

We all know that coworking is growing fast. It has come a long way in a short space of time and is now something of a buzzword. Just look at the stats from Deskmag:

• There are nearly 2,500 coworking spaces available worldwide
• More than 110,000 people use these spaces
• There are 83% more coworking spaces than last year
• Coworking space members have grown by 117% in a year
• 4.5 new coworking spaces have emerged every weekday over the past 12 months

Those are big figures, and today, coworking is a big topic for the business centre industry. It made headlines at Ray Lindenberg’s recent WANY gathering, and took centre stage at the BCA’s ‘unconference’ in London recently. It’s big news because there is significant demand and it’s growing fast, and while some flexible workspace operators see it as a threat, others see it as a golden opportunity.

However, the question of how well business centres can blend coworking into their workspace is an interesting one. A ‘true’ coworking space is many things – collaborative, supportive, inspirational, and one that fosters a sense of community. There is no hard and fast rule, but these are some of the themes that regular coworkers have come to expect. Therefore, setting aside a spare office with a handful of sofas and bar stools just won’t cut it. A coworking space needs to be a dedicated investment, and it needs to be worked at.

One flexible workspace brand that has successfully integrated coworking spaces into its London portfolio is Workspace Group PLC. In its annual report released earlier this year, it cited its coworking brand – Club Workspace – as a successful part of the company, and that’s probably because it has invested just as much in developing the right community as it has in the physical space.

“Community in coworking spaces is key,” said James Friedenthal, Managing Director at Club Workspace. “It’s the heart of a coworking space. It’s not just about desk space, it’s about a system of collaboration and engagement. It’s a different mentality to serviced or managed office space.”

He should know. At Workspace, the company operates a range of workspace including light industrial, studios, workshops, serviced office space and coworking spaces. Club Workspace is the coworking arm of the portfolio, and it has been integrated into their buildings and yet remains separate, with its own unique buzz. Every detail is focused towards collaborative working, from the layout and positioning of the space right down to the furniture design with easily portable chairs.

“Our coworking spaces have various elements, there are large collaborative desks and smaller, one-to-one areas, and quiet zones where workers can get their heads down,” he said. “It’s about creating a space that people want to work in.”

Club Workspace has made the coworking/business centre amalgamation stick, and with five hubs in key central London locations, they are well placed to attract city workers – including ousted coffee shop workers.

Business centres and flexible workspace operators should consider whether their offering would suit entrepreneurs that are still using their local cafe to work and collaborate. 

One thing’s for sure, the coworking trend is a trend worth watching. We’ve covered numerous coworking topics on OfficingToday over the past year or two and still, coworking is showing no signs of slowing down.

Image source: Sura Nualpradid, freedigitalphotos.net - artical from Officing Today and writen by Jo Disney (published on 26th July 2013)