Especially in the wake of the pandemic, the popularity of remote work has skyrocketed. Whether people work under a hybrid schedule or completely remotely, the flexibility of the modern workday is at its peak. In fact, studies are showing that by 2025, nearly 33 million Americans will work remotely.Despite these facts, less than 50% of coworking spaces are profitable, leading to the conclusion that traditional coworking models are no longer cutting it.
The main issues lie in that traditional coworking models and spaces are expensive, lonely, and boring. First, in existing coworking spaces, individuals may have to pay anywhere between $200 and $700 per desk. These costs are astronomical on the individual. For businesses, owners of coworking spaces may find themselves locked into high risk real estate deals, which is risky in today’s climate of remote work. Additionally, nearly 70% of people who are currently using coworking spaces claim that they have no friends or companions within the space, defeating the purpose of the space altogether. Finally, many coworking systems are boring. They offer low differentiation and little vertical integration, leaving not much to do in the space besides work. All of these shortcomings have led to detrimental fluctuations in membership, with only 7% of people preferring coworking spaces to traditional offices.
Fortunately, there is a new coworking model taking the place of our traditional methods, aiming to foster community and collaboration within the regular workday. This new model will target the current struggles of the average worker and will offer more benefits to both the individual and the businesses that own the spaces.
Enter a new community coworking space, one that is affordable, inclusive, and community-focused that prioritizes both social and professional experiences. Unlike traditional coworking, community-based coworking operates on a highly sustainable model from a real estate standpoint. These new spaces will leverage underutilized spaces in pre existing areas like hotels, bars, and restaurants. This means that these spaces will incur $0 in real estate expenses and greatly reduce risk, which solves one of the fatal flaws of the traditional coworking business model. Additionally, these improved spaces create niche communities, are inherently social, and are cultivating meaningful partnerships to help raise funds and expand their reach. Finally, compared to traditional coworking expenses, these new spaces are less expensive, with some monthly memberships starting at just $30 but offering exponentially greater benefits to the average worker.
Community coworking is the way to go in order to level up and improve the state of remote work across the country. Those who partake in these groups will create real connections, enjoy the luxury of flexible membership, and will become a part of a community larger than themselves. There is no limit to the type of worker that can enjoy these spaces. Anyone from entrepreneurs, to podcasters, to marketers to comedians will find their niche here. Different diverse groups of people such as people of color or members of the LGBTQ+ community can also find their people in these spaces, taking the culture of work and community not only a step further, but a step in the right direction.
Source: Tavern Community