• Marketplace
  • Resources
  • Business Directory
  • Events
  • Advertise
  • Brand Pulse
  • Publish a Press Release
  • Get the Newsletter
  • Contact
  • About Us
The FUTURE OF WORK® since 2003
Allwork.Space
No Result
View All Result
Subscribe
  • More
    • Columnists
      • Dr. Gleb Tsipursky – The Office Whisperer
      • Nirit Cohen – WorkFutures
      • Angela Howard – Culture Expert
      • Drew Jones – Design & Innovation
      • Jonathan Price – CRE & Flex Expert
    • Get the Newsletter
    • Events
    • Advertise With Us
    • Publish a Press Release
    • Brand PulseNew
    • Partner Portal
  • Latest News
  • Business
  • Leadership
  • Work-life
  • Career Growth
  • Tech
  • Design
  • Workforce
  • Coworking
  • CRE
  • Podcast
  • More
    • Columnists
      • Dr. Gleb Tsipursky – The Office Whisperer
      • Nirit Cohen – WorkFutures
      • Angela Howard – Culture Expert
      • Drew Jones – Design & Innovation
      • Jonathan Price – CRE & Flex Expert
    • Get the Newsletter
    • Events
    • Advertise With Us
    • Publish a Press Release
    • Brand PulseNew
    • Partner Portal
  • Latest News
  • Business
  • Leadership
  • Work-life
  • Career Growth
  • Tech
  • Design
  • Workforce
  • Coworking
  • CRE
  • Podcast
No Result
View All Result
Subscribe
Allwork.Space
No Result
View All Result
Advertisements
Maximize Flexible Space Revenue
Home Business

Be Honest: Is It Really a Coworking Space, Or a Shared Office?

Jo MeunierbyJo Meunier
December 18, 2014
in Business
Reading Time: 3 mins read
A A
Coworking

Not for the first time and certainly not for the last, our industry is coming up against a little trouble with terminology.

The flexible workspace sector is home to all manners of different types of workspace. Those ‘in the know’ understand the subtle differences between a coworking space and a shared office, or a serviced office and a managed office.

Advertisements
Nexudus - Tech Stack Lovers

As the industry settles into the mainstream, the wider business community is catching on to the vast variety of flexible workspace available. Indeed what was once a niche industry has blossomed into a fast-paced and exciting sector alive with with multiple types of workspace, to suit an equally diverse array of clients (who are doing their best to keep up with the lingo).

And it’s working. The latest stats from the UK business centre market confirmed that the UK sector is now worth over £2 billion and is home to around 80,000 businesses. As for coworking, there are now over 780 coworking spaces in the US alone (2013 figures), which increased by 83% from 2012-2013, according to a report released early this year by NAIOP.

Advertisements
Maximize Flexible Space Revenue

So what’s the problem?

As fast as the industry develops, buzzwords and catchy media-friendly phrases are peppering SEO strategies and advertising campaigns worldwide. While that’s a great way to attract attention and make sales, it comes with a very important caveat: what you speak and print must match what you sell.

Take coworking for instance.

Coworking evangelists probably sound like a broken record when they say: “It’s not just a shared office”. It might seem that way to the uninitiated, but as we know, it comes with so much more: an entrepreneurial vibe, a sense of community, a sharing of knowledge, a chance to learn from those around you. Oh, and good coffee.

Advertisements
Nexudus - Tech Stack Lovers

Yet it seems a few workspace operators are jumping on the coworking bandwagon and using the buzzword to sell space that doesn’t quite fit the bill.

Read the below post by Victoria Arnold, founder of DeskUnion, for a very fitting example.

Of course no-one is immune to the temptation to get a little over-zealous in their advertising campaigns, or to inject product keywords that are a little wide of the mark. The problem comes when clients leave the space feeling disappointed, or believing they’ve been mis-sold. In our age of social media and digital transparency, bad experiences spread like wildfire – leaving carefully built reputations at the mercy of others.

Cleaning up industry jargon is easier said than done, particularly in a sector that’s growing and expanding so fast. Perhaps what’s needed is greater sensitivity over terminology usage, and an acceptance that maybe, just maybe, the space in question really isn’t a coworking space, but a shared office after all. We’d love to know what you think.

More stories for you

IWG Expands In Budapest With Two New Flexible Office Locations

IWG Expands In Budapest With Two New Flexible Office Locations

4 hours ago
WeWork India Continues Rapid Expansion With 200,000 Sq Ft Portfolio Addition

WeWork India Continues Rapid Expansion With 200,000 Sq Ft Portfolio Addition

4 hours ago
Why Full Occupancy Is No Longer A Flexible Workspace Bragging Point

Why Full Occupancy Is No Longer A Flexible Workspace Bragging Point

20 hours ago
U.K.’s Workspace Group Cuts Office Sizes As SMEs Favor Smaller, Flexible Spaces

U.K.’s Workspace Group Cuts Office Sizes As SMEs Favor Smaller, Flexible Spaces

6 days ago

Image source: Florence Morvan, Wikimedia Commons

—————————————————————————

The Danger of Mainstreaming ‘Coworking’

By Victoria Arnold, Founder and CEO of DeskUnion
Article originally appeared on LinkedIn Pulse 18th December 2014

Advertisements
Yardi Kube automates flex and coworking operations

Just this week I received a message from someone in the UK looking for coworking advice. They were excited to have found a locally listed coworking space after feeling isolated working from home. However, on going for a tour of the space they were greeted by this…

Coworking space

Quite possibly the most uninspiring workspace I’ve seen to date. The space described itself as, “vibrant”… erm am I missing something?!

But that’s the problem when terminology becomes mainstream. The effect being that people like the person aforementioned, are sold a vision and think that they’ve found the solution to their isolation woes. But after seeing the ‘merchandise’ in person, they lose faith in “coworking” and go back to what they’ve always known.

Yes mainstream is good, but it also dilutes the value proposition.

Advertisements
Disaster Avoidance Experts

The irony is that if this “coworking” space invested in a lick of colourful paint, upcycled their furniture and curated a home-from-home environment then they might actually have a space to be proud of.

But simply, you can’t throw some desks into a cupboard and call it “coworking”… you’re asking people to part with money, leave the comfort of their homes and invest their time in travelling to your space. At least have the courtesy of making it worth the journey.

Common sense anyone?!

Luckily, in the case above the person was left so uninspired by their experience that they are looking to start their own space! Judging by the competition I think they could be onto a winner.

Advertisements
Disaster Avoidance Experts
Advertisements
Subscribe to the Future of Work Newsletter
Tags: CoworkingMarketing
Share5Tweet3Share1
Jo Meunier

Jo Meunier

Jo is Allwork.Space's Senior Editor for the UK and Europe. Jo has worked within business centre and coworking circles since 2009, researching and contributing written features for numerous industry publications. She reports on the latest market news and delves into local issues with one main objective: to champion the flexible workspace industry and its members.

Other Stories Recommended For You

IWG Expands In Budapest With Two New Flexible Office Locations
News

IWG Expands In Budapest With Two New Flexible Office Locations

byAllwork.Space News Team
4 hours ago

International Workplace Group (IWG) has added two new flexible office locations in Budapest, marking a calculated expansion in response to...

Read more
WeWork India Continues Rapid Expansion With 200,000 Sq Ft Portfolio Addition

WeWork India Continues Rapid Expansion With 200,000 Sq Ft Portfolio Addition

4 hours ago
Why Full Occupancy Is No Longer A Flexible Workspace Bragging Point

Why Full Occupancy Is No Longer A Flexible Workspace Bragging Point

20 hours ago
U.K.’s Workspace Group Cuts Office Sizes As SMEs Favor Smaller, Flexible Spaces

U.K.’s Workspace Group Cuts Office Sizes As SMEs Favor Smaller, Flexible Spaces

6 days ago
Advertisements
Disaster Avoidance Experts

Unlock your competitive edge in tomorrow's workplace.

Join a community of forward-thinking professionals who get exclusive access to the latest news, trends, and innovations that are shaping the future of work.

©2024 Allwork.Space News Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

Exploring the Future Of Work® since 2003.

Advertise   Newsletters   Privacy Policy   Terms Of Use   About Us   Contact   Submit a Press Release   Brand Pulse   Podcast   Events   

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Latest News
  • Topics
    • Business
    • Leadership
    • Work-life
    • Workforce
    • Career Growth
    • Design
    • Tech
    • Coworking
    • Marketing
    • CRE
  • Podcast
  • Events
  • About Us
  • Solutions
    • Advertise | Media Kit
    • Publish a Press Release
    • Brand Pulse
Subscribe

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.
-
00:00
00:00

Queue

Update Required Flash plugin
-
00:00
00:00