The benefits of using a coworking space: stop working from your kitchen table

Author
Joe Aldous
Media and Communications Officer | PAPER CIC
12th May 2016

As the number of micro businesses and freelance workers increases, more and more people are in need of a space from where they can effectively run their brand. The requirements for operating a successful business aren’t as daunting as they once were, due primarily to technological advancements and changes in attitudes towards working.

With this, the recent surge of coworking spaces offers a promising option for enterprises providing a working environment that’s not only flexible, but potentially revolutionary.

The traditional office setting is not for everyone. For many independent enterprises and entrepreneurs, it represents a regimented and dogmatic environment that stifles productivity and impairs growth. A few years ago, you’d need access to so many resources, both in terms of personnel and business assets, just to get started. Worry not though, as this is now more achievable than ever before.

Recently the ‘The Coworking Revolution’ report  from DTZ revealed that in the UK over 4 million people work from home, the highest level since records began. The accessibility of technology and the evolution of digital marketing now means that literally anyone can run their own business.

So what are coworking spaces?

Well, simply put, a coworking space is a place wherein two or more people can meet and work together at their leisure. The boom of these spaces presents a fundamental shift in working styles, where collaboration, openness and accessibility improve productivity and support growth.

Micro businesses are on the up and up too, making up 96% of companies in the UK and employing more than 7 million people, so the demand is there for an alternative, more flexible work environment. Coworking offers organic interaction with other businesses and workers, drawing on their individual strengths to complete more ambitious projects.

Take your average illustrator, for example: if they would like to produce and market a new range of clothing, they could orchestrate this entire process from a one-stop establishment. Without leaving their space, they’d be connected to everyone that they need to get going; social media experts, textile printers and graphic designers who can collaborate freely and easily.

This is what makes coworking spaces so unique: they break down the barriers posed by traditional business infrastructure, enabling flexible growth specifically tailored to match the trajectory and resources of each enterprise or entrepreneur.

Bristol is one city in the UK that seems to be made for coworking, with the supportive start-up culture and the opportunity for collaboration being noted as one of the most important factors contributing to business growth in the city.

It’s clear that people want this kind of option and it paves the way for more of its kind to enter the fray. With a projected 17,000 new jobs in the West’s creative, digital and high tech industries by 2030, the time to capitalise on this momentum is now.

PAPER Spaces coworking space is opening in Stokes Croft (Bristol) in July, providing a creative hub for people to unite, gain contacts and develop their projects in a supportive and proactive environment.

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