The coworking trend has been around for several years, and yes, while it has transformed the modern office, it does have its drawbacks. Well, for one, because of its open floor plan, privacy is virtually unheard of unless renting one of the more expensive dedicated desks. Also, the temptation to flit around the office while stopping to engage every professional working at their desk is ever present.
However, even with its disadvantages, the modern coworking space still offers professionals more advantages. For one, its cost-savings advantages are numerous. Additionally, the coworking space has hidden benefits for New Zealanders, including promoting productivity.
Continue reading below to learn more about making co-working spaces more productive and how these office solutions can benefit your business.
Take Advantage Of Office Organisation
One of the key benefits of the coworking space is that the office organisation promotes the types of social interaction that can be gateways to business. Typically, most coworking spaces contain hot desks, dedicated desks and private offices, in addition to a lounge area. Because there are no walls, professionals have plenty of chances to engage with others in the area.
In fact, small talk can be the foundation by which many partnerships develop. Whether you get to know your neighbours at your hot desk or spend time networking during your breaks, the office’s set up allows for you to engage the environment in a way that is less formal than typical networking events. More importantly, by spending time engaging other professionals in your environment, you actually prime the pump of other potentially lucrative opportunities.
Jump At The Opportunity To Collaborate
You are already in an office setting that pretty much will set the stage to meet people. Plus, in a standard coworking space, you have the chance to work with professionals from diverse industries. By getting to know your coworkers, you can, in essence, exchange information and possibly set up a collaborative project that could possibly be extremely lucrative.
Participate In Your Coworking Community
While known for its strict business structure, New Zealanders let your hair down and enjoy the community that makes up your co-working space. Because many co-working spaces are founded on this idea of establishing community to support enterprise, you are in a place where being involved in the community that makes up the space can raise your business’s profile, whether this means attending and hosting events. Again, these vital social contact points can help in creating public relational opportunities for your business.
Take Advantage Of Conferences And Programs
One of the great draws of working in a coworking space is the fact that these organisations focus on supporting innovation and industry. The coworking space, in fact, is very popular with startups and other small businesses looking for support to help them get their venture off the ground. Within some of the better spaces, professionals can take advantage of incubator and accelerator programs that show them how to build their business, and more importantly, impart to best practices.
Find Mentors Within This Small Community
Mentors can really colour your entire start-up experience. By virtue of the fact that they are seasoned professionals with years of experience, a mentor can be the connection to that next great contact, be someone you can sound off to, or be just an all-around great friend. Often, mentors also have feelers in the community, so they can also serve as wonderful resources as well.
Maximising Opportunity In The Coworking Space
Co-working is the opportunity for you to be social, to be productive, and to learn how to parlay all that goodness that makes your business head and shoulders above the rest. Whether talking up your ideas at the hot desk, mix and mingling at events or collaborating with your new crew, professionals can be productive. For the co-working professional, there are numerous ways to tap into the space’s natural social environment to get work done.
