Everything you should know about coworking offices

Coworking office – all you should know Flexible office space is one of the key changes that has been observed in the approach to offices since the open space type. Coworking offices are also gaining popularity in Poland. How do shared workspaces work? Who uses them? And why is it worth it?

Coworking – what is it?

Coworking is a new form of individual or group work in an office rented for this. It is mainly used by freelancers, remote workers, contractors and small business owners. For the first time, the term coworking was used in 1996 by Bernard DeKoven, who defined it as new work environments intended to eliminate hierarchical relationships characteristic of traditional organizations and to support cooperation.The first coworking space was established in 2005 in San Francisco. Its founder was the programmer, Brad Neuberg, who was looking for an alternative to the traditional work environment, which he thought did not stimulate productivity. Further offices began to be established not only in the United States but also in Western Europe, to finally reach Poland. According to the Deskmg report, in 2016, there were around 11,300 coworking offices in the world, employing 835,000 people. In 2018 (Global Coworking Survey), the number of coworking spaces exceeded 19 thousand, and the number of their users 1,7 million. Forecasts for the next years are optimistic. The interest in coworking results from the growing number of freelancers and remote employees.

Who is the coworking office for?

Web developers, graphic designers, copywriters, writers, architects, translators and marketing specialists are great at coworking spaces. What connects them all is the opportunity to work among other people. Coworking offers them the opportunity to rent a work desk, which is both cheap and convenient. This type of space is eagerly used by people who, due to the scale or nature of their business, cannot afford to rent the entire office. Coworking spaces are also a great alternative to working at home, which has become extremely popular in recent years. It is a chance to maintain your current habits – leave the apartment and return to it after finishing work. Separating professional and private life is extremely difficult at home. Renting a desk also works for people who have small children or share an apartment with other household members. In the coworking space, there are conditions stimulating efficient work. According to Office Nomads and Emergent Research, 84% of coworking spaces users feel more involved and motivated to work. It is worth noting that many coworking offices – including CitySpace, offer their clients the opportunity to register a company at cowork”s address and use it in contacts with the tax office, contractors or advertising materials. This significantly improves the company”s image and builds the trust of its potential customers.

Is coworking space financially profitable?

Compared to renting the entire office, which is a huge burden for entrepreneurs, coworking is simply cheap – its cost is several hundred Polish zlotys per month. Formalities and flexible contract terms are also reduced to a minimum. An additional plus is a fact that most coworking offices are located in well-connected parts of cities. Only a few can afford one”s own office in the center. Coworking spaces are much more than cheap desk rentals. Users can use, apart from separate work zones, necessary office equipment, equipped kitchenettes and fast and reliable internet. Each customer can also use the registration address free of charge. An additional option is renting a conference room for staff training, meeting with a contractor or recruiting a new employee. The atmosphere in coworking office makes it easier to establish contacts with representatives of many industries, which may result in new perspectives for the company”s development.

Where to look for coworking spaces?

Experts observing the coworking space market in Poland agree that in the coming years the size of this type of offices will increase. Although the idea of coworking is relatively young in our country, there are plenty of offices that will meet the expectations of the most demanding users. Warsaw is the leader in the field of work in shared spaces. About 70% of the total coworking space in Poland is located there. The number of coworking offices is also increasing in Wrocław, Katowice, Gdańsk and Kraków – also due to the growing CitySpace network. You will find us in 11 locations and 5 Polish regions.