• Events
  • Marketplace
  • Resources
  • Press Releases
  • Business Directory
  • Advertise
  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Submit to Allwork.Space
Sunday, February 5, 2023
Allwork.Space
The FUTURE OF WORK® since 2003
Find A Flexible Office Here
  • All Topics
    • Business
    • Biophilic Design
    • Career Growth
    • Coliving
    • Collaboration
    • Coworking
    • CRE
    • DE&I
    • Digital Nomads
    • Future of Work
    • Home Office
    • Human Resources (HR)
    • Hybrid Work
    • Investment
    • Leadership
    • Marketing
    • Mental Health
    • Mergers & Acquisitions
    • Office Furniture
    • Productivity
    • PropTech
    • Remote Work
    • Self-care
    • SMBs
    • Social Impact
    • Space-as-a-Service
    • Technology
    • Virtual Office
    • Work-life Balance
    • Workforce
    • Workplace Design
    • Workplace Wellness
  • News
  • Business
    Flexible Work and Investment in ESG are Driving Profitability for this Global Brand

    Flexible Work and Investment in ESG are Driving Profitability for this Global Brand

    Disney’s Imagination Has Failed

    Disney’s Imagination Has Failed

    Can COVID Booster Shots Save Your Business?

    Can COVID Booster Shots Save Your Business? 

    Three Culture-Building Steps To Create A World-Class Company

    Three Culture-Building Steps To Create A World-Class Company

    How To Manage Partnership Risks In The Future Of Work

    How To Manage Partnership Risks In The Future Of Work

    What It Takes To Be A Hybrid LeaderWhat It Takes To Be A Hybrid Leader

    Dr. Gleb Tsipursky CEO Of Disaster Avoidance Experts | What It Takes To Be A Hybrid Leader

    HR Leaders Share How New Salary Transparency Laws Have Changed Everything

    HR Leaders Share How New Salary Transparency Laws Have Changed Everything

    Don’t Be Adidas: Making Better Decisions Fast Is Important For Business Leadership

    Don’t Be Adidas: Making Better Decisions Fast Is Important For Business Leadership

    Are Productivity Paranoia and Lack of Trust the Real Obstacles to Hybrid and Remote Work?

    Are Productivity Paranoia And Lack Of Trust The Real Obstacles To Hybrid And Remote Work?

  • Tech
    3 Steps To Build A Three-Dimensional Hybrid Workplace

    3 Steps To Build A Three-Dimensional Hybrid Workplace

    PETER MISCOVICH

    Peter Miscovich JLL Global Future Of Work Leader | The Hybrid Workplace Evolution: Unlocking The Future Of Work

    AI Is Transforming The Future Of Industrial Work

    AI Is Transforming The Future Of Industrial Work

    Reimagining Offices for Hybrid Work

    Reimagining Offices for Hybrid Work: Frameable.com CEO on the Future of Virtual Offices

    How AI Can Help The Humans Within Human Resources

    HR Professionals Are Burned Out. Can A.I. Help?

    FOWP Adam Riggs

    Adam Riggs CEO Of Frameable | Can a Virtual Experience Really Replace the Office?

    Five Ways Tech Will Change The Ways We Work In 2023

    2023 Future Of Work Forecast: Five Ways Tech Will Change The Ways We Work In 2023

    Six Steps To Start A Coworking Center In The Metaverse

    Six Steps To Start A Coworking Center In The Metaverse

    Could Meta Be the Solution to Zoom Fatigue?

    Meta Wants To Fix Ongoing Zoom Fatigue — But You’ll Be Waiting A While

  • Marketing
    Instagram GenZ

    2023 Instagram Trends Reveal How To Market To Gen Z

    2023 Future Of Work Forecast: Focus Marketing On Values and Customer Experience, Not The Product

    2023 Future Of Work Forecast: Focus Marketing On Values and Customer Experience, Not The Product

    Want Your Coworking Newsletter to Actually Convert

    Want Your Coworking Newsletter to Actually Convert? Start by Keeping It Simple, Fun, and Consistent

    5 Pros Share How To Use Instagram To Grow Your Coworking Business

    5 Pros Share How To Use Instagram To Grow Your Coworking Business

    Want To Wow Coworking Members

    Want To “Wow” Coworking Members? It All Starts With (The Right) Insights

    6 Free, High-Quality Photo Sites To Level Up Your Marketing

    6 Free, High-Quality Photo Sites To Level Up Your Marketing

    The Creator Economy Is Dramatically Changing Marketing Practices, Here’s Why

    The Creator Economy Is Dramatically Changing Marketing Practices, Here’s Why

    Everything You Need To Know About Google My Business, And How To Ace It

    Everything You Need To Know About Google My Business, And How To Ace It

    Nothing Beats In-Person Communication, But These Online Tools Come Pretty Close

    Nothing Beats In-Person Communication, But These Online Tools Come Pretty Close

  • Design
    The Secret Formula To Determine How (And How Often) Your Employees Should Work In The Office

    The Secret Formula To Determine How (And How Often) Your Employees Should Work In The Office

    Create A Neurodiverse Friendly Office In Just One Minute

    Start Creating A Neurodiverse Friendly Office In Just One Minute

    Get Employee Buy-in To Make Office Redesigns Matter

    Get Employee Buy-in To Make Office Redesigns Matter

    How To Make Your Hybrid Office Accessible To All

    How To Make Your Hybrid Office Accessible To All

    Design Of Smart Office Spaces In The Post Pandemic World

    The Future Of Work Demands Futuristic Office Tech

    Designing Leadership Spaces for Hybrid Work

    Designing Leadership Spaces for Hybrid Work

    Resources And Tips To Harness The Power Of Interior Design For Environmental Impact — And Employee Retention

    Resources And Tips To Harness The Power Of Interior Design For Environmental Impact — And Employee Retention

    Designing Human Centric Workplaces Is Key To Hybrid Program Success

    Designing Human-Centric Workplaces Is Key To Hybrid Program Success

    2023 Future Of Work Forecast: Designing Offices For Evolving Workforce Needs

    2023 Future Of Work Forecast: Office Design Is Ever-Evolving; Here Are 5 Trends For 2023

  • Work-life
    5 Brain-Boosting Snacks To Power Your Work Day

    5 Brain-Boosting Snacks To Power Your Work Day

    City-sized Buildings Are On The Way. How Will The Line Change The Future Of Work?

    City-sized Buildings Are On The Way. How Will The Line Change The Future Of Work?

    What’s Your Job Worth In The Future Of Work?

    What’s Your Job Worth In The Future Of Work?

    3 Ways To Burn Fat At Work

    3 Ways To Burn Fat At Work

    Key

    Unlock Your Hidden Benefits

    8 Crucial Tax Filing Tips For Freelancers

    8 Crucial Tax Filing Tips For Freelancers

    Update Your Home Office For A Fresh, Focused New Year

    Update Your Home Office For A Fresh, Focused New Year

    gift ideas for digital nomads

    12 Last-Minute Gift Ideas For Digital Nomads

    A Guide For Workspace Mental Health Communication

    A Guide For Workspace Mental Health Communication

  • CRE
    Rapid Work Style Shifts Are Tanking Tax Revenues — Can City Planners Catch Up?

    Rapid Work Style Shifts Are Tanking Tax Revenues — Can City Planners Catch Up?

    San Francisco Skyline

    The Future of Commercial Real Estate in San Francisco Doesn’t Look Good

    3 Things CRE Players Must Do To Stay Relevant In 2023

    2023 Future Of Work Forecast: 3 Things CRE Players Must Do To Stay Relevant In 2023

    The Office Space Sector Is Projected To See A Strong Fourth Quarter In 2022

    The Office Space Sector Is Projected To See A Strong Fourth Quarter In 2022

    Meet Flex Space More Chaotic Cousin Gray Spaces

    Meet Flex Space’s More Chaotic Cousin: Gray Spaces

    The Future Of Our Offices And Our Planet Hinges On The Real Estate Industry Priorities

    The Future Of Our Offices — And Our Planet — Hinges On The Real Estate Industry’s Priorities

    JLL New Future Of Work Survey The Next Few Years Are Crucial For Commercial Real Estate (2)

    JLL’s New Future Of Work Survey: The Next Few Years Are Crucial For Commercial Real Estate

    What Is The Impact Of Hybrid Working On Space Optimization

    What Is The Impact Of Hybrid Working On Space Optimization?

    What Can We Expect For The Future Of Office Occupancy?

    What Can We Expect For The Future Of Office Occupancy?

  • Coworking
    Revive Your Coworking Space With A Wellness Program

    Revive Your Coworking Space With A Wellness Program

    How To Apply For Digital Nomad Visas In 4 Idyllic Work Destinations

    How To Apply For Digital Nomad Visas In 4 Idyllic Work Destinations

    I'm an Independent Coworking Center Operator Thriving in a City with 9 WeWorks

    I’m An Independent Coworking Center Operator Thriving In A City With 9 WeWorks

    Data Tracking Software Gives Coworking Operators Competitive Advantage

    Data Tracking Software Gives Coworking Operators Competitive Advantage

    The Story Behind WeWork’s Failed Locations

    The Story Behind WeWork’s Failed Locations

    What Is An “Open” Coworking Space? 

    What is an “Open” Coworking Space?

    The Pandemic’s Lasting Impact on the Future of Coworking

    The Pandemic’s Lasting Impact on the Future of Coworking

    What Does “Community” Mean In Coworking?

    What Does “Community” Mean In Coworking? Your Answer Matters

    Is WeWork Going Bust?

    Is WeWork Going Bust?

  • Workforce
    Rethinking Retirement Plans — Is Phased Retirement The Future?

    Rethinking Retirement Plans — Is Phased Retirement The Future?

    Is Marc Benioff of Salesforce Right That You Can't Integrate Junior Staff Remotely?

    Is Marc Benioff of Salesforce Right That You Can’t Integrate Junior Staff Remotely?

    4 Monumental Ways Banning Noncompete Clauses Will Transform The Future Of Work

    4 Monumental Ways Banning Noncompete Clauses Will Transform The Future Of Work

    What To Do If You’ve Been Quietly Promoted

    What To Do If You’ve Been Quietly Promoted

    Nurture Skills To Retain Employees

    Nurture Skills To Retain Employees

    The Four Horsemen of the Mandated Return to Office

    The Four Horsemen of the Mandated Return to Office

    Indeed & Glassdoor Economists Predict Continued Hiring Challenges

    Indeed & Glassdoor Economists Predict Continued Hiring Challenges

    Will Remote Work Be A Mandated Right In The Future Of Work?

    Will Remote Work Be A Mandated Right In The Future Of Work?

    Why It’s Time to Retire the Term Hybrid Work

    Why It’s Time to Retire the Term “Hybrid Work”

  • Podcast
  • Subscribe
  • All Topics
    • Business
    • Biophilic Design
    • Career Growth
    • Coliving
    • Collaboration
    • Coworking
    • CRE
    • DE&I
    • Digital Nomads
    • Future of Work
    • Home Office
    • Human Resources (HR)
    • Hybrid Work
    • Investment
    • Leadership
    • Marketing
    • Mental Health
    • Mergers & Acquisitions
    • Office Furniture
    • Productivity
    • PropTech
    • Remote Work
    • Self-care
    • SMBs
    • Social Impact
    • Space-as-a-Service
    • Technology
    • Virtual Office
    • Work-life Balance
    • Workforce
    • Workplace Design
    • Workplace Wellness
  • News
  • Business
    Flexible Work and Investment in ESG are Driving Profitability for this Global Brand

    Flexible Work and Investment in ESG are Driving Profitability for this Global Brand

    Disney’s Imagination Has Failed

    Disney’s Imagination Has Failed

    Can COVID Booster Shots Save Your Business?

    Can COVID Booster Shots Save Your Business? 

    Three Culture-Building Steps To Create A World-Class Company

    Three Culture-Building Steps To Create A World-Class Company

    How To Manage Partnership Risks In The Future Of Work

    How To Manage Partnership Risks In The Future Of Work

    What It Takes To Be A Hybrid LeaderWhat It Takes To Be A Hybrid Leader

    Dr. Gleb Tsipursky CEO Of Disaster Avoidance Experts | What It Takes To Be A Hybrid Leader

    HR Leaders Share How New Salary Transparency Laws Have Changed Everything

    HR Leaders Share How New Salary Transparency Laws Have Changed Everything

    Don’t Be Adidas: Making Better Decisions Fast Is Important For Business Leadership

    Don’t Be Adidas: Making Better Decisions Fast Is Important For Business Leadership

    Are Productivity Paranoia and Lack of Trust the Real Obstacles to Hybrid and Remote Work?

    Are Productivity Paranoia And Lack Of Trust The Real Obstacles To Hybrid And Remote Work?

  • Tech
    3 Steps To Build A Three-Dimensional Hybrid Workplace

    3 Steps To Build A Three-Dimensional Hybrid Workplace

    PETER MISCOVICH

    Peter Miscovich JLL Global Future Of Work Leader | The Hybrid Workplace Evolution: Unlocking The Future Of Work

    AI Is Transforming The Future Of Industrial Work

    AI Is Transforming The Future Of Industrial Work

    Reimagining Offices for Hybrid Work

    Reimagining Offices for Hybrid Work: Frameable.com CEO on the Future of Virtual Offices

    How AI Can Help The Humans Within Human Resources

    HR Professionals Are Burned Out. Can A.I. Help?

    FOWP Adam Riggs

    Adam Riggs CEO Of Frameable | Can a Virtual Experience Really Replace the Office?

    Five Ways Tech Will Change The Ways We Work In 2023

    2023 Future Of Work Forecast: Five Ways Tech Will Change The Ways We Work In 2023

    Six Steps To Start A Coworking Center In The Metaverse

    Six Steps To Start A Coworking Center In The Metaverse

    Could Meta Be the Solution to Zoom Fatigue?

    Meta Wants To Fix Ongoing Zoom Fatigue — But You’ll Be Waiting A While

  • Marketing
    Instagram GenZ

    2023 Instagram Trends Reveal How To Market To Gen Z

    2023 Future Of Work Forecast: Focus Marketing On Values and Customer Experience, Not The Product

    2023 Future Of Work Forecast: Focus Marketing On Values and Customer Experience, Not The Product

    Want Your Coworking Newsletter to Actually Convert

    Want Your Coworking Newsletter to Actually Convert? Start by Keeping It Simple, Fun, and Consistent

    5 Pros Share How To Use Instagram To Grow Your Coworking Business

    5 Pros Share How To Use Instagram To Grow Your Coworking Business

    Want To Wow Coworking Members

    Want To “Wow” Coworking Members? It All Starts With (The Right) Insights

    6 Free, High-Quality Photo Sites To Level Up Your Marketing

    6 Free, High-Quality Photo Sites To Level Up Your Marketing

    The Creator Economy Is Dramatically Changing Marketing Practices, Here’s Why

    The Creator Economy Is Dramatically Changing Marketing Practices, Here’s Why

    Everything You Need To Know About Google My Business, And How To Ace It

    Everything You Need To Know About Google My Business, And How To Ace It

    Nothing Beats In-Person Communication, But These Online Tools Come Pretty Close

    Nothing Beats In-Person Communication, But These Online Tools Come Pretty Close

  • Design
    The Secret Formula To Determine How (And How Often) Your Employees Should Work In The Office

    The Secret Formula To Determine How (And How Often) Your Employees Should Work In The Office

    Create A Neurodiverse Friendly Office In Just One Minute

    Start Creating A Neurodiverse Friendly Office In Just One Minute

    Get Employee Buy-in To Make Office Redesigns Matter

    Get Employee Buy-in To Make Office Redesigns Matter

    How To Make Your Hybrid Office Accessible To All

    How To Make Your Hybrid Office Accessible To All

    Design Of Smart Office Spaces In The Post Pandemic World

    The Future Of Work Demands Futuristic Office Tech

    Designing Leadership Spaces for Hybrid Work

    Designing Leadership Spaces for Hybrid Work

    Resources And Tips To Harness The Power Of Interior Design For Environmental Impact — And Employee Retention

    Resources And Tips To Harness The Power Of Interior Design For Environmental Impact — And Employee Retention

    Designing Human Centric Workplaces Is Key To Hybrid Program Success

    Designing Human-Centric Workplaces Is Key To Hybrid Program Success

    2023 Future Of Work Forecast: Designing Offices For Evolving Workforce Needs

    2023 Future Of Work Forecast: Office Design Is Ever-Evolving; Here Are 5 Trends For 2023

  • Work-life
    5 Brain-Boosting Snacks To Power Your Work Day

    5 Brain-Boosting Snacks To Power Your Work Day

    City-sized Buildings Are On The Way. How Will The Line Change The Future Of Work?

    City-sized Buildings Are On The Way. How Will The Line Change The Future Of Work?

    What’s Your Job Worth In The Future Of Work?

    What’s Your Job Worth In The Future Of Work?

    3 Ways To Burn Fat At Work

    3 Ways To Burn Fat At Work

    Key

    Unlock Your Hidden Benefits

    8 Crucial Tax Filing Tips For Freelancers

    8 Crucial Tax Filing Tips For Freelancers

    Update Your Home Office For A Fresh, Focused New Year

    Update Your Home Office For A Fresh, Focused New Year

    gift ideas for digital nomads

    12 Last-Minute Gift Ideas For Digital Nomads

    A Guide For Workspace Mental Health Communication

    A Guide For Workspace Mental Health Communication

  • CRE
    Rapid Work Style Shifts Are Tanking Tax Revenues — Can City Planners Catch Up?

    Rapid Work Style Shifts Are Tanking Tax Revenues — Can City Planners Catch Up?

    San Francisco Skyline

    The Future of Commercial Real Estate in San Francisco Doesn’t Look Good

    3 Things CRE Players Must Do To Stay Relevant In 2023

    2023 Future Of Work Forecast: 3 Things CRE Players Must Do To Stay Relevant In 2023

    The Office Space Sector Is Projected To See A Strong Fourth Quarter In 2022

    The Office Space Sector Is Projected To See A Strong Fourth Quarter In 2022

    Meet Flex Space More Chaotic Cousin Gray Spaces

    Meet Flex Space’s More Chaotic Cousin: Gray Spaces

    The Future Of Our Offices And Our Planet Hinges On The Real Estate Industry Priorities

    The Future Of Our Offices — And Our Planet — Hinges On The Real Estate Industry’s Priorities

    JLL New Future Of Work Survey The Next Few Years Are Crucial For Commercial Real Estate (2)

    JLL’s New Future Of Work Survey: The Next Few Years Are Crucial For Commercial Real Estate

    What Is The Impact Of Hybrid Working On Space Optimization

    What Is The Impact Of Hybrid Working On Space Optimization?

    What Can We Expect For The Future Of Office Occupancy?

    What Can We Expect For The Future Of Office Occupancy?

  • Coworking
    Revive Your Coworking Space With A Wellness Program

    Revive Your Coworking Space With A Wellness Program

    How To Apply For Digital Nomad Visas In 4 Idyllic Work Destinations

    How To Apply For Digital Nomad Visas In 4 Idyllic Work Destinations

    I'm an Independent Coworking Center Operator Thriving in a City with 9 WeWorks

    I’m An Independent Coworking Center Operator Thriving In A City With 9 WeWorks

    Data Tracking Software Gives Coworking Operators Competitive Advantage

    Data Tracking Software Gives Coworking Operators Competitive Advantage

    The Story Behind WeWork’s Failed Locations

    The Story Behind WeWork’s Failed Locations

    What Is An “Open” Coworking Space? 

    What is an “Open” Coworking Space?

    The Pandemic’s Lasting Impact on the Future of Coworking

    The Pandemic’s Lasting Impact on the Future of Coworking

    What Does “Community” Mean In Coworking?

    What Does “Community” Mean In Coworking? Your Answer Matters

    Is WeWork Going Bust?

    Is WeWork Going Bust?

  • Workforce
    Rethinking Retirement Plans — Is Phased Retirement The Future?

    Rethinking Retirement Plans — Is Phased Retirement The Future?

    Is Marc Benioff of Salesforce Right That You Can't Integrate Junior Staff Remotely?

    Is Marc Benioff of Salesforce Right That You Can’t Integrate Junior Staff Remotely?

    4 Monumental Ways Banning Noncompete Clauses Will Transform The Future Of Work

    4 Monumental Ways Banning Noncompete Clauses Will Transform The Future Of Work

    What To Do If You’ve Been Quietly Promoted

    What To Do If You’ve Been Quietly Promoted

    Nurture Skills To Retain Employees

    Nurture Skills To Retain Employees

    The Four Horsemen of the Mandated Return to Office

    The Four Horsemen of the Mandated Return to Office

    Indeed & Glassdoor Economists Predict Continued Hiring Challenges

    Indeed & Glassdoor Economists Predict Continued Hiring Challenges

    Will Remote Work Be A Mandated Right In The Future Of Work?

    Will Remote Work Be A Mandated Right In The Future Of Work?

    Why It’s Time to Retire the Term Hybrid Work

    Why It’s Time to Retire the Term “Hybrid Work”

  • Podcast
  • Subscribe
No Result
View All Result
Allwork.Space
No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Business
  • Tech
  • Marketing
  • Design
  • Work-life
  • CRE
  • Coworking
  • Workforce
  • Podcasts
  • Subscribe
ORND office Image Leaderboard
Home Business

Bringing Coworking To A Norwegian Mountain Town: A Q&A With Torill Bye Wilhelmsen

by Cat Johnson
July 17, 2019
in Business
Reading Time: 8 mins read
A A
New QA

An early pioneer of the Norwegian coworking movement, Torill Bye Wilhelmsen is still working to educate local communities about the value of coworking.

Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare to Network
Find a remote job with Flexjobs

In 2015, after a year spent researching and recruiting members, Torill Bye Wilhelmsen opened a coworking space in rural Norway.

An early pioneer of the Norwegian coworking movement, Wilhelmsen now says that coworking across the country has “exploded”.

Allwork.Space spoke with Wilhelmsen about the challenges of starting and growing a rural coworking space.


Rural coworking is on the rise, with a growing number of spaces around the world now bringing coworking to small towns. 

Within the workspace industry, rural coworking spaces face different challenges than those in mid-size towns and large cities, including educating local communities about what coworking is, and bringing broadband access to people who may not otherwise have it.

In 2015, Torill Bye Wilhelmsen opened Fjellflyt, a coworking space in rural Norway designed to help people from rural and urban areas launch and run sustainable businesses. An underlying focus for Wilhelmsen and the Fjellflyt community is to support each other in creating lives and work they are passionate about.

Allwork.Space spoke with Wilhelmsen about what rural coworking looks like in a Norwegian mountain town, her work with people whose family businesses go back generations, and the challenges of getting local municipalities to recognize the value and potential impact of coworking. Here are the highlights of our conversation.

Allwork.Space: Can we start with some background about Fjellflyt?

Torill Bye Wilhelmsen: We were one of the early Norwegian spaces. We opened in March of 2015. That was quite early when it comes to coworking in Norway, so I guess we’re behind as a country. There weren’t many rural coworking spaces in Norway at all a few years ago.

We chose a niche of creative businesses. We have actors, we have animators, we have a copywriter, several graphical designers, some programmers, an illustrator, we have someone doing project management for museums, one mountain lodge business and a farmer doing ecological, small-scale farming.

Our town is only 3,500 people, so there are not a lot of entrepreneurs to recruit from. But we have really strong traditions here for mountain tourism, farming and crafting. 

We are surrounded by six national parks. This is called the National Park Region of Norway. It’s the most alpine mountains we have, so my municipality and the neighboring municipality have 2,000 meter mountains, but we’re in the valley so it’s very lush green during the spring — and perfect conditions for small-scale farming. We have entrepreneurs, but they don’t identify as entrepreneurs. We wanted to create something for people who used the digital tools available to us.

Allwork.Space: So you saw a need for coworking in your community. Will you tell me about that? What was the inspiration for the space?

It comes from working with entrepreneurs working all over Norway. My business also runs courses for people who want to run their own business, no matter where they live. I saw the need for this community online, where you can meet people, but I really think you have to pair an online community with a community in your local area or region. That’s why I decided that the next step was to give something back to the local community.

It was also quite a selfish decision. I wanted a place where I could also get that support from other entrepreneurs. I built a home office in my garage — my husband also owns his own business — so we have a really nice home office. Going from the home office to the coworking space, we’ve increased the revenue, the well-being and taken a step up with our businesses.

We just recruit people who are working in home offices. We haven’t stolen one single person from the more traditional coworking space, which isn’t a coworking space, it’s offices.




Advertisement

Allwork.Space: One of the important aspects of rural coworking, in general, is giving people access to broadband. Is that also an issue in Norway?

Actually, that was a huge issue. At the home office, we didn’t get the fiber connection. We had so many quarrels with the broadband supplier who said we were getting fast speeds, but we never got the speed they promised. Now we have good WiFi and a good connection if you want to plug in. That internet connection is part of the success of the space.

Allwork.Space: How did you go about finding and connecting with people who were working from home?

That was interesting because we didn’t have a large network, so we had to track people down. We spent a year trying to find enough people before we opened. It was our friends, and our friends’ friends. 

One thing that’s quite special about our space is that we’ve recruited a lot of people that have moved here. We have six different businesses in the time we’ve been opened who have moved here, and it’s brought 15 people to the local community and even more people are coming in the next month.

We haven’t really managed to get a lot of customers or coworkers from the local community — it’s mostly people who have moved here. It’s like when we were students studying abroad, and all the other people studying abroad from other places tied together. It’s kind of like that.

Allwork.Space: You’re still working to connect with the people who already live there?

Yes, in different ways. It’s a different mentality when it comes to the belief that someone can be an entrepreneur, or start their own business. Even if a lot of local people are really entrepreneurial, as farmers and craftsmen. They do entrepreneurial things like run shops and they have family businesses in the mountains; they guide, and run lodges and hotels, but they don’t consider themselves entrepreneurs. Some of them have been running family businesses for generations.

Allwork.Space: Are people moving in from the larger cities or from the surrounding, smaller towns?

They’re moving from larger cities. That’s the scenario the local municipality and region is working towards, so I wish they were a little more open to working with our team on that particular feat.

Allwork.Space: Is Oslo the nearest city to you?

We’re four hours from Oslo. The whole National Park Region, which is six municipalities, doesn’t come to more than 18,000-19,000 people. It’s quite a large area. If you drive from one end to the other, it’s two hours. So it’s really sparsely populated. The largest town that’s known is Lillehammer, which is two hours away, then two more hours to Oslo.

Allwork.Space: You mentioned that coworking in Norway is still relatively new — that in 2015, you were one of the pioneering spaces. What is coworking in Norway like now?

Now it’s thriving. It’s kind of exploded. I feel like it’s a bit like the wild west. Tons of spaces are opening. They call themselves a coworking space, but when you look more closely, it’s not a coworking space, it’s just a shared office. 

We also have people opening coworking spaces and calling them a hub. In Norway, a hub means that you have to have a governmental organization helping entrepreneurs in some way. But they are more like coworking spaces. They’re privately run, they have some startups, they have some smaller businesses and they may have some consultants come in. But they’re not a hub. I think the confusion is quite widespread when it comes to the knowledge about the coworking movement and the different types of spaces.

I got so many questions when we first opened about why we couldn’t just move into the old dairy in town, which has been refurbished as a shared office space. Everyone wondered why we didn’t just move in there. They said that, if I moved in there, I wouldn’t have to share a desk with people — I could have my own office. 

But we wanted a coworking space. We want to connect without walls. We’re really active in different ways. We have a coworking visa and I’ve been an ambassador for something called the Nordic Startup Awards. They also rate coworking spaces and we were rated one of the best coworking spaces in the Nordic countries.

Allwork.Space: There’s an interesting distinction and, even in our industry, the difference between coworking and shared workspace is not always clear. I’d love to hear your thoughts on the difference between the two.

Our main aim when we opened was to create the community. That’s why we worked for a year before we opened. We invited people for dinner in our home, we’ve had wine and cheese evenings, we’ve gone on trips together, we’ve taken our families on outdoor adventures, we make dinner in the evenings, the adults have gone on mountain biking or kayaking trips, or other social activities.

We’re also quite interested in each others’ businesses — business strategy, current projects. We want to know what people are working on and how we can help each other. We did a lot of projects together in the beginning. That was a benefit for some of the newer members, that they could get customers right out of the gate just by becoming part of the coworking space.

Allwork.Space: What are you working on right now, and what challenges are you working with?

Right now, we’re going international, so there are several challenges. The biggest challenge locally is to educate the local community and especially the local and regional government about the world of coworking and rural work, and the opportunities that lie there for our region.

We’re a really popular tourism region, so many activities. And the quality of life is so high here. A lot of people work in regular businesses and they don’t change their jobs very often, so the workforce is really stable and healthy. It’s something that more people could benefit from. People are really happy here, and the costs of living are low, and the possibilities if you like to be outdoors are tremendous.

People come here to relax and go on adventures and do amazing things. We could also be a really attractive region for remote workers and people in that space. But when we have meetings with the local government and region, they say, “We hear what you are talking about and we find it fascinating.”

Allwork.Space: Then that’s it. They don’t take it any further?

Yes. The education piece is really important to me, so we can welcome more people to coworking and connect with that world.

Allwork.Space: That’s a common challenge. You can’t just focus on the community aspect when you’re dealing with municipalities. You have to talk about economic impact and attracting more people to the area. A lot of spaces are trying to figure out how to collect data around that.

I’m thinking about writing something for the bigger newspapers in Norway about the rise of coworking and remote working, because I just don’t get people here in the region listening to me. They just don’t have the knowledge. One of the questions they have when I meet with them is that, if people can be remote and take their work with them, why would they want to be here? They think people would rather leave the area.

Allwork.Space: You’re also working on a coworking-focused event in Norway in September?

We’re starting a festival in the mountains. It was called Coworking Heaven, but Norwegians were like, “What the heck is coworking?” so we renamed it Slow Business Adventure. It’s for people who value their lifestyle and business development — people who don’t want to sacrifice their health to run a business. They want to have a comfortable business and they want to have a life. We have people coming from all over the world for that. 

With the festival, we can use our beautiful area, with all the national parks, as a playground for entrepreneurs. It’s the only event I’ve found that’s focused on networking between like-minded entrepreneurs and coworkers, where the conference hall is outside.

Ease of use 1password
Tags: Coworking
Cat Johnson

Cat Johnson

Cat Johnson is a content strategist and creator focused on coworking and the shared workspace industry. Founder of Coworking Convos and the workspace Marketing Lab, Cat publishes the Coworking Out Loud Newsletter and hosts the Coworking Out Loud Podcast.

No Result
View All Result

How will work change in 2023?

Subscribe today to know what's changing tomorrow.

* indicates required
100% FREE. You can unsubscribe or manage your preferences at any time.
UltraSoft June
Yardi
FOWF - MR Ad Red
ORND Learn More
Later Social Media Ad

Listen to the experts themselves

News and Features

Business

Tech

Marketing

Design

Work-life

CRE

Coworking

Workforce

Daily Digest

Podcast

Resources

Marketplace

Events

Press Releases

FlexSpace, Coworking
and Office Space

Los Angeles

New York

Chicago

Washington, D.C.

Houston

Dallas

Miami

San Francisco

Atlanta

Philadelphia

Seattle

Austin

Company

About Us

Submit to Allwork.Space

Contact

Advertise

FlexSpace

Terms Of Use

FlexSpace FAQs

Privacy Policy

Connect with Allwork.Space

Twitter

Linkedin

Facebook

Instagram

YouTube

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Google Podcasts

©2022 Allwork.Space  l  Exploring the FUTURE OF WORK® since 2003.

No Result
View All Result
  • Daily Digest
  • Podcasts
  • Events
  • Resources
  • Marketplace
  • Business Directory
  • Subscribe
  • Advertise
  • Find Space
  • About Us
  • Submit to Allwork.Space

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