The mobile workforce will grow exponentially over the next three years. But what does that mobile workforce look like and how do they relate to business centers?
IDC divides the mobile workforce into three categories: office-based mobile workers, non-office-based mobile field workers, and home-based mobile workers.
Together, these three groups of mobile workers will increase to more than 37 percent of the global workforce by 2015. Between 2010 and 2015, IDC expects the number of mobile workers in the Americas – including mobile workers in Central and South America – to increase by 16 percent, from 182.5 million to 212.1 million.
How does this relate to your business center? Let’s look at each type of mobile worker. The office-based mobile workers won’t have much impact on business center growth. But the other two types are the sweet spot for business centers.
Non-office-based mobile field workers, for example, are prime candidates to rent day offices and meeting room space. Non-office-based mobile field workers need a place to land at some point to print documents, hold meetings, or just have a quiet spot to think through strategy. Why not land at your business center for an hour or two?
Then there’s home-based mobile workers. Home-based mobile workers are prime candidates for virtual office solutions. Home-based mobile workers may want to protect their privacy, and can turn to your business center for virtual office services like a business address and phone number, along with the occasional use of day office space and meeting rooms.
No matter which way you slice the growing mobile worker pie, there is tremendous opportunity for business centers. Regus is running hard after that opportunity and is out of the gate early. So we ask again, what is your business center doing to attract mobile workers? Does your marketing paradigm need to change? Do you need to add keywords to your online marketing strategy? The time to move is now.
