Coworking - what it is in simple words. Coworking – a new type of office real estate

Good afternoon, dear readers. I try to follow new developments in the economy, especially if the business model is interesting. One of these business models is coworking spaces. This is a real treasure for owners of spacious premises where it is difficult to find a tenant. The only requirement is a good location. Now you’re probably thinking, “any fool would rent out a good location, no matter what the business.” If you think so, you’ve probably never tried to find a tenant for 100+ meters of open space somewhere on the 4th floor of a weak business center that has lost its former popularity. What is coworking?

Essentially, this is an anti-cafe for work. Visitors pay either for time or a fixed amount per month, for which they get a workplace among like-minded people (this is desirable). In fact, it is very beneficial for freelancers and remote workers. Everyone around is working, it’s hard to do nothing. In terms of money, it’s more profitable than renting a micro-office for yourself or with someone else.

Page navigation

Coworking - what is it? Definition, meaning, translation

Coworking (emphasis on the second “o”) is a fashionable scheme for organizing the work process, in which different, not always similar, types of activities take place in one work space. Coworking also refers to the space itself (office, cafe, library, etc.) where such work takes place.

The English word Coworking is translated precisely as “joint work.” The idea of coworking arose with the development of freelancing, one of the main disadvantages of which is the isolation of the working person and the lack of a team.

This is precisely the problem that coworking is designed to solve: a designer can sit in the same room with a programmer and a stock broker, and a business atmosphere arises that helps improve productivity and quality of work. And also, since coworking spaces often have a fee, their employees have additional motivation to work hard without wasting the money spent on renting a workplace.

From the site: https://chto-eto-takoe.ru/coworking

What is coworking in simple words and why pay money for it?

Do you know what coworking is and why it is needed? Recently, remote work has become increasingly popular.

Just imagine how great it is to make reports, edit texts or create advertising banners while sitting on a soft sofa at home. There is no need to get up at the ominous seven in the morning, stand in traffic jams or crowd in the subway, there is no need to sit in a stuffy office from ten in the morning to six in the evening.

And all you need for work is a laptop or computer and the Internet. Not a job, but a dream. However, in reality this is far from the case. In addition to the fact that you will not have sick leave and vacations, you will also lose the work atmosphere. Most household members will not be able to perceive your unusual format of work on a subconscious level.

Consequently, in such a relaxing environment, where you are constantly distracted by everything and everyone, your productivity will be extremely low. But there are no insoluble problems. If you want to work productively, but don’t have enough money for your own office, then rent your own workplace in one of the coworking centers!

Coworking - what is it?

Translated from English, “co-working” literally means “working together.” In simple terms, a coworking space is a community of free and independent people of various professions who come together in one room for the purpose of doing a specific job.

Web designers, programmers, copywriters, freelancers, entrepreneurs, as well as employees of small companies for which it is not profitable to rent an entire office, work side by side in one space. Thus, coworking is an innovation in the scheme of organizing work activities.

Coworking centers are equipped with everything necessary for full-time work. As a rule, in addition to the work space, they also include a relaxation area, a kitchen or vending machines with food and drinks, a meeting room and its own library. This creates an “office for rent”, a place in which you can rent for a day or for the whole year.

A little history

As you can see, the idea was successful and brought the founder worldwide fame. Since then, coworking has become increasingly popular, gradually spreading throughout the world, and it has finally reached Russia.

It is worth noting that in our country this area is developing much more slowly than abroad. The reasons for this lie in the complexity of the design. It is also difficult to find a space that simultaneously meets several important parameters:

The place should have a convenient location. It is advisable that this be the city center, since it is unlikely that anyone will want to go to a dubious residential area on the outskirts. In addition, it will be a big plus if the center is located within walking distance from public transport stops. Nowadays, loft spaces that were once industrial premises are often converted into coworking centers.
The layout of the room should be atypical. Do not copy company offices under any circumstances, as your task is to create a unique creative place where people will not only be comfortable working, but also simply have an interesting time.
Stable and fast Internet is a prerequisite, without which the center will not be able to function normally.

Despite the fact that opening a coworking space is accompanied by a lot of difficulties, this process is gradually gaining momentum in Russia. In 2008, the first co-working center “Tower” opened in Yekaterinburg. Later, such workspaces began to appear in all major cities.

It is noteworthy that the state also approved this idea and is trying to promote it to the masses. So, as part of the development of this project, a special program “Coworking 2.0” was created, and simultaneously with these actions, Sberbank developed a program to support youth coworking spaces.

At the moment, two directions for the development of coworking are predicted: it will either evolve towards office space, or it will acquire the status of a cultural center uniting creative people.

Types of coworking centers

There is no unified classification of such workspaces yet. However, they can be conditionally divided into the following groups:

The most common coworking spaces today are those designed for office and industrial activities. However, these spaces differ in size, level of technical equipment and provision of related services, so they are divided into:

Created by freelancers who come together to implement a joint project. They rent a small room, the fee for which is divided among all participants. The necessary equipment is brought from home.
A workplace organized by a specific entrepreneur. He bears all the costs of maintaining the premises; the client only has to pay for his stay in the office.
Centers established by a specific company to organize the work of freelancers. All expenses in this case are borne by the employer.
Creative co-working centers that bring together people of art are becoming increasingly popular.

What does educational coworking mean, its profitability

2. One of the promising areas is the development of children's workspaces that combine both educational and leisure functions.

In addition to coworking, there are many more similar establishments with a social orientation, for example, these include time cafes and clubs, anti-cafes.

And if in an ordinary cafe after some time they will start looking at you askance, since you are just sitting on your laptop and taking the place of a potential client, then in these new-style premises everything has been created for work or communication of people with a wide variety of hobbies and preferences.

Price list

Coworking prices are determined taking into account many factors:

region;
location;
available equipment;
rental period: the longer it is, the cheaper it costs the client one day of work in the center;
fixed or floating workstation.

Please note that the least expensive seats are “dynamic seats,” which means that a person comes with a personal laptop and takes up any available seat. The most expensive thing is to rent meeting rooms or separate rooms for business meetings. But you must admit that it is much more presentable to meet your future partner in a coworking space than at home.

Pros and cons of coworking spaces

Coworking, like any other innovation that penetrates everyday life, has a number of supporters and opponents. Let's consider what arguments "for" and "against" are given by both sides.

Let's hope that after reading this article, your doubts about coworking centers will be dispelled, and you will be eager to try this original approach to organizing your work activities. However, many of you are probably wondering: “How and where to find a coworking center in your city?”

The Internet will come to the rescue. Type the appropriate query in the search bar, and if a similar space has already been organized in your city, then you can easily find it on the pages of the World Wide Web.

Of course, today coworking is not as widespread in our country as we would like, so don’t be surprised if it doesn’t exist in your city yet. But, on the other hand, maybe this is a good opportunity to open your own center?

Now, having become acquainted with the concept of coworking, you have a certain idea about this unusual place. Do you want to constantly develop creatively and professionally, meet interesting people and discover something new day after day? Then coworking is what you need!

From the site: https://vse-dengy.ru/ekonomika/kovorking-prostyimi-slovami.html

In simple words

As business develops, the number of small, narrowly specialized organizations grows.

However, they buy or rent several premises for their office. To reduce costs and maintain budgets, some companies take risks and occupy the same premises for employees of different specializations. To minimize risk consequences, it is necessary to think carefully about the organization of work. The way out of this situation is coworking centers, which allow optimizing the work process of specialists.

Coworking in simple words

Let's look at what coworking is. Coworking literally translates as “to work together”, i.e. when people of different profiles work in the same building. In other words, everything that unites people is a room

Such an organization of work activity provides additional communication and exchange of experience. Often, an unusual work model is chosen by freelancers who find working at home monotonous.

Coworking space was created for the development of social initiatives, the formation of team projects and their implementation. In addition, social business projects and projects for the development of small and medium-sized businesses are being developed. There are clear rules on the premises. It is necessary to take care of furniture, not disturb the work atmosphere, and treat others politely.

Coworking centers

Coworking centers are office spaces consisting of several large rooms. A coworking center must have:

Modern office equipment
Comfortable office furniture
Negotiation room
High speed internet
Area for relaxation and eating

Benefits of coworking

Since coworking brings together visitors with different work profiles, there is a good opportunity to get good business contacts, find business partners and diversify your social circle;
Create a joint project;
Creative, flexible atmosphere;
Some coworking centers conduct training sessions that allow participants to improve their professional competencies;
The lack of guidance makes you feel comfortable;
Unlike working at home, where everyday life is all around, coworking centers are an imitation of an office with a working atmosphere that can increase work productivity;
Lack of distractions;
Those who are forced to receive clients at home can use the meeting rooms of the coworking center;
All necessary office equipment: office furniture, printers, computers, faxes, etc.;
If difficulties arise, you can ask for help;

Disadvantages of coworking

Any labor organization has its drawbacks. Analyzing what coworking means, we can note that getting to the workplace also takes time, in addition to this:

Cost of time and money to come to a coworking space;
If the center is far from your home, then during rush hour you may get stuck in traffic jams;
As the number of people increases, the noise also increases;
Some people cannot concentrate in the presence of strangers;
Payment for stay;

Who uses coworking

The article mentioned that freelancers or creative people become clients of coworking centers, but that’s not all. People come to the centers:

Sprogrammers;
Webmasters;
Business trainers;
Startups;
Entrepreneur;
Those people who do not depend on an office or workshop space.

Types of coworking centers

There are several types of coworking centers; below we present the most common ones:

For industrial and office activities. One of the most popular types of coworking spaces. Clients include representatives of various professions. Since people spend a significant part of their time in this center, in addition to the work space, there are also rooms for relaxation, negotiations and meals.

For creative visitors. Here you can find a minimum of office equipment and a maximum of boards, flipcharts, projectors, in general, everything that is necessary for creativity.

For Hand made. A heavenly place for connoisseurs of creating something with their own hands. In this case, the center focuses on graphics programs and 3D printers. In addition, they regularly conduct master classes.

For children. In Europe, children's coworking centers have already become the norm, but in Russia this type of coworking is only gaining momentum. You can find a large number of educational games for children, as well as communicate with other parents.

Profit from coworking centers

Rent of premises and workplace.
Conducting lectures and seminars.
Catering: refrigerators, coffee machines, sale of lunches.
With large companies, an increase in rental space.

Statistics confirm the profitability of coworking centers: payback is possible in less than 6 months.

From the site: http://moipersonal.ru/organizatsiya-truda/chto-takoe-kovorking

Review of 3 coworking franchises

In the modern world, there are more and more people in liberal professions. And their main common problem is the lack of comfortable working conditions.

At home, other family members, cohabitants, neighbors, pets, or even a refrigerator that is too loud and intrusive are disturbing. Rent a small workplace with the necessary office equipment in a pleasant room and access to a room for meetings and presentations at an affordable price - a real and modern solution for freelancers. And a promising business idea for entrepreneurs.

In essence, a coworking business is a profitable resale of real estate for all parties, the difference in price of which is the profit of the owner of the idea. The profitability of coworking spaces, according to current owners, can reach 60%. For an overview of the niche of coworking centers, read the material Coworking Franchise.

A coworking center franchise is actually a turnkey business, relevant for a city with a population of 50 thousand people or more, which includes location selection, design, furniture purchase, setting up advertising campaigns and staff training.

	Indagate Coworking	Deal of the century	Coworking center B-Point
Year of foundation	2008	2013	2009
Franchising	2014	-	-
Number of points	5	2	1
Own enterprises	There is	There is	There is
General investments	1,290,000 - 10,000,000 rub.	from 1,300,000 rub.	from 449,000 rub.
What are the investments spent on?	*depends on the franchise package	Rent, renovation, furniture, financial cushion before reaching operating profit	Full launch of a business, transfer of all materials
Lump sum payment	490,000 rub.	from 300,000 rub.	399,000 rub. *fee amount depends on the city
Royalty	3% of turnover	No	10% of net profit
Other payments	No	No	No
Support	Yes	Yes	Yes
Time to open	-	-	45 days
Payback	from 7 months	from 3 months	2-5 months
Net profit	-	from 150,000 rub.	100,000-500,000 rub.
Franchise package	Standard, Advanced, Turnkey	No	No
Square	from 150 sq.m.	from 200 sq.m.	from 150 sq.m.

*data is for August 2017, some numbers may have changed by the time you read this

Indagate Coworking

Indagate is a group of research companies in the field of marketing, sociology and business development, one of whose projects is a network of coworking centers.

The minimum franchise package includes assistance in choosing premises and selecting a concept, a website, software for client accounting and a business book from the franchisor.

The “Advanced” package provides additional opportunities for marketing research.

With the “Turnkey” package, partners are given a conceptual design project of the premises and the opportunity to prepare the coworking space for opening together with a team of managers from the company’s head office.

Deal of the century

The deal of the century since 2013 on the real estate market. Today there are 2 coworking centers, and you can open 3.

The minimum amount required to launch a workspace of 200 sq.m., according to the franchisor’s calculations, is 1,300,000 rubles, taking into account the lump-sum contribution. These funds will cover rent, renovation of premises and the purchase of furniture.

The Deal of the Century franchise package includes:

A package of documents for opening a legal entity, all document flow (agreements with tenants, with the landlord, with staff)
Selection of premises
Pre-sale of coworking spaces
Design project for renovation of premises
Selection of administrators and training
Regional website
CRM system for customer accounting
Telephone conversation scripts for administrators
Personal manager support

Coworking center B-Point

The co-working center B-Point belongs to the WantResult group of companies, which has several areas of activity under its wing - advertising business with VkTracker, real estate rental BPOINTS, its own media “First Unofficial”.

The lump-sum fee for opening a B-Point coworking center depends on the population in the city of opening and averages 300,000 rubles. The franchisor also adds that renovating the premises and generally starting a business requires 50,000 rubles. This is probably true, but we understand that the total final investment amount will be from 10 to 100 times higher.

What can a franchisee expect when purchasing a coworking center franchise?

Selection of premises
Business support, control and launch
Full marketing support, customer attraction technologies (website, customized advertising campaigns). The minimum number of applications that the franchisee promises to provide is 100
Business training and necessary documents (videos, chat, logo, templates, sales scripts, contract templates, etc.)
Recruitment
Tools for selling shares in a business

When choosing a coworking center franchise, you need to understand that this is a long-term project that, as a rule, reaches payback no earlier than in 10-12 months. Accordingly, it is difficult to say that franchise projects that have not yet completed a 1-year cycle have already proven their profitability.

It is worth paying attention to the experience of the franchisor company, the presence of a federal advertising campaign and assistance in promoting regional franchisees.

From the site: https://franchblog.ru/obzor-3-franshiz-kovorkingov/

How to open a coworking center

Today we decided to offer you a truly original project, namely, to tell you how to open a coworking center. The first organization of this kind arose quite recently, in 2005, but today there are more than 100 of them in Russia alone.

What is a coworking center

Such a place is also called an action zone where free freelancers work: designers, translators, copywriters, programmers and even aspiring entrepreneurs.

Now there are more and more such people, but each of them is faced with a choice: to work according to a clear schedule in the office or at home (in a cafe, library, etc. A coworking center is the golden mean between these two evils.

How to open a coworking center and what is needed for this?

Room

The most important thing is the location of the coworking center. If it is located somewhere on the outskirts, far from a transport stop, then most local freelancers will simply not be able to get there and, as a result, the business will not pay for itself.

This will not only help you save on electricity, but will also create a good atmosphere for the current team. By looking through photographs of existing projects, you will understand how to open a coworking center even on the territory of, say, a former clothing production workshop.

As for the design of the room, a youthful and original loft style will come in handy here. At least, most existing coworking centers are designed in this stylistic direction.

Workspace organization

It’s simply not possible to organize such a space once and for all. Over time, zoning, rules and furniture arrangement will necessarily change in accordance with the needs of the team.

However, it is very important here to monitor the habits of its employees and optimize the space based on them. The only thing that must be required is a large (one might even say huge) negotiating table. It is he who will perform a unifying function for the entire community.

Also don't forget about entertainment. There shouldn’t be many of them, but representatives of your team should remember that they are freelancers, that is, free people: if you wanted, you drank tea, if you wanted, you hit a punching bag. Come up with your own “tricks” to make your center truly unique.

Equipment

First of all, a coworking space should be comfortable, so the choice of furniture is very important: you can buy inexpensive sofas or order exclusive designer furniture.

But in addition to comfortable and original furniture, the space must be equipped with all the necessary equipment: from wi-fi modems to scanners, printers and so on. All this determines the feasibility of the center’s existence, because people come there, first of all, to work.

Team and promotion

Each coworking space is based on its specialists. Such a team may consist of an administrator, a designer responsible for the technical side of the project, a person who will be involved in promotion and an organizer. The more creative and energetic your team members are, the more successful things will be.

Finance and Events

From the site: http://ladyboss.com.ua/business-ideas/kak-otkryt-kovorking-centr/

So, it's decided. You leave the office for free and become a freelancer. The imagination paints rosy pictures: you wake up early in the morning, slowly brew coffee, prepare a light breakfast and sit down to work. Nothing and no one distracts. Negotiations with customers and colleagues via email or instant messengers. No sudden deadlines that irritate bosses. After lunch, a walk and back to work. In the evening, time for family and friends.

And now we will tell you what will really happen. The family wakes up with you in the morning, and in its absence the neighbors from above or the builders from the next apartment. Noise, din and any other factors distracting from work begin. Your morning coffee gets cold while you help feed and dress your baby. The afternoon walk is ruined by the fact that you were constantly distracted. And the evenings turn from “family” to purely “work”.

You have two ways to solve this problem:

Organize your work at home so that nothing can distract you. Arrangement of a personal office, sound-absorbing headphones, education of relatives and neighbors.
Is this possible?
- Certainly
- It's complicated?
- Incredible.
Find a work space outside the home. The first freelancers huddled in coffee shops and shared offices in business centers, but now it is much more convenient to use the services of coworking spaces. Now they are opening in all major cities.

Coworking spaces are spaces created just to make you feel comfortable working in them. This is not an office whose main purpose is to provide you with a workplace. The creators of such spaces strive to make their sites as convenient as possible for a person who runs his own business. For individuals there are tables and chairs, for teams there are rooms with boards and everything you need. For presentations and training, you can rent a meeting room or conference room. In our experience, work productivity in a coworking space is one and a half to two times higher than at home or even in an office.

War is war, but lunch is on schedule. In offices, everyone often eats at their desks or raids nearby cafes. It's inconvenient and wastes your time. Almost any coworking space includes an excellent kitchen where you can heat up or even cook food, as well as treat yourself to free tea, coffee and cookies.

For those who like complete immersion in work with short-term shutdowns for sleep, capsule hotels are set up in coworking spaces. There is no need to explain what this is, just look at the photograph.

In general, you can even live in coworking spaces. Many beginning freelancers feel this way about their new place of work, thereby running the risk of running into negativity from their colleagues. There are certain rules in coworking spaces that are highly advisable to follow:

1. Keep quiet

Your very important call, which can dramatically change your life and bring huge income, is completely unimportant to others. This is not an office where colleagues will listen with bated breath to your negotiations. And the people around you with headphones on are probably not listening to Heavy Metal at maximum volume.

So, if you have an important conversation, go out somewhere or occupy a meeting room. Respect your colleagues and they will respect you.

2. Do not occupy the meeting room for more than the planned time

If you need a meeting room and you realize that the meeting or Skype call is going beyond the originally scheduled time, then try to reschedule the conversation. You've almost certainly already been occupied by other people who have made appointments with the client.

3. The main thing is cleanliness

In coworking spaces, like in a hostel, you need to clean up after yourself everywhere and always. It is unacceptable to leave any garbage for later. We talked with the client, gave him coffee, signed an agreement, escorted him out... Then come back and clean up after yourself. Once you've had lunch, wash the dishes after yourself. And never store dirty lunchboxes in bags.

4. Take care of your appearance

Of course, no one requires you to wear a suit, but you should also avoid beach shorts and slippers. Coworking spaces are democratic, but you still shouldn’t test the patience of your colleagues.

5. Communicate without being distracting

One of the main advantages of coworking spaces for freelancers is the opportunity to communicate with colleagues. Show them your work, receive objective criticism, learn new things, and improve. But at the same time, it is worth remembering that the person you want to contact at the moment may be busy with his own project. Quite often, an indicator that a colleague should not be distracted right now is wearing headphones.

The market did not immediately come to ideal coworking spaces, as well as to the rules of behavior in them. The first spaces were opened in former factories or modeled after classic office Open Spaces. As a result, something was always missing. Little space, few meeting rooms, problems with shops and restaurants. After all, some coworking spaces were difficult to get to, and finding a parking space in Moscow is not an entirely trivial task.

Coworking 14: we ate more than one dog

“Coworking 14” is a combination of our own experience and the experience of our colleagues. We studied coworking projects throughout Russia and in ours we implemented everything that a freelancer or a small team could need. Our space is currently the largest in Moscow, the entire 14th floor of the AeroCity business center, which can accommodate 300 people. The location is very convenient, since not all of our clients and their guests have convenient access to the center of Moscow, where other coworking spaces are located. There are no problems with parking or traffic jams.

Coworking 14 is not just tables and chairs in a huge room. We managed to implement all types of spaces for work and leisure: open space, mini-offices, meeting rooms, conference rooms, sleepboxes and showers. We took into account that very often our clients do not have time to run to the store for groceries, and therefore there is a mini-market on the territory of the coworking space.

Of course, the main area of a coworking space is designed for freelancers sitting in a common space. But we took into account that very often they gather in teams based on areas of interest or simply because they know each other. For their convenience, we created “island zoning” using rounded podiums. Moreover, they are located not in the depths of the building, but near large windows.

We also took into account that many freelancers strive to exercise, but often do not have time for it. That's why we have an area with exercise equipment. Any of our clients can use them. Agree, it is not only convenient, but also economical. You don't have to pay for a gym membership, which costs the same as our standard offer.

In addition, our partner, hosting provider RUVDS, provides large discounts on modern cloud infrastructure to all coworking residents. Considering that developers are now very often engaged in freelancing, such opportunities will be very useful for the development of their startups.

At the same time, let’s talk about the cost of our services. Now there are 3 main tariffs S/M/L (600 rubles/day and from 12 to 15 thousand rubles per month), which give our residents the opportunity to take advantage of all the necessary services to successfully organize their business. Such prices are much more profitable than renting offices in business centers.

We always expect from our clients not only compliance with the rules of behavior in coworking spaces, but also feedback. What should be removed, what should be changed, what should be added? We also want to hear advice and objective criticism from readers. We promise that we will listen to everything and make our Coworking 14 ideal for work.

Do you know what coworking is and why it is needed? Recently, remote work has become increasingly popular. Just imagine how great it is to make reports, edit texts or create advertising banners while sitting on a soft sofa at home. There is no need to get up at the ominous seven in the morning, stand in traffic jams or crowd in the subway, there is no need to sit in a stuffy office from ten in the morning to six in the evening.

Coworking - what is it?

A little history

In 2005, a young American programmer, Brad Newberg, founded the first coworking space, which brought together several like-minded freelancers under its roof. The idea was to create a workspace that is between a regular office and a home. As you can see, the idea was successful and brought the founder worldwide fame. Since then, coworking has become increasingly popular, gradually spreading throughout the world, and it has finally reached Russia.

The place should have a convenient location. It is advisable that this be the city center, since it is unlikely that anyone will want to go to a dubious residential area on the outskirts. In addition, it will be a big plus if the center is located within walking distance from public transport stops. Nowadays, loft spaces that were once industrial premises are often converted into coworking centers.
The layout of the room should be atypical. Do not copy company offices under any circumstances, as your task is to create a unique creative place where people will not only be comfortable working, but also simply have an interesting time.
Stable and fast Internet is a prerequisite, without which the center will not be able to function normally.

At the moment, two directions for the development of coworking are predicted: it will either evolve towards office space, or it will acquire the status of a cultural center uniting creative people.

Types of coworking centers

There is no unified classification of such workspaces yet. However, they can be conditionally divided into the following groups:

The most common coworking spaces today are those designed for office and industrial activities. However, these spaces differ in size, level of technical equipment and provision of related services, so they are divided into:

Created by freelancers who come together to implement a joint project. They rent a small room, the fee for which is divided among all participants. The necessary equipment is brought from home.
A workplace organized by a specific entrepreneur. He bears all the costs of maintaining the premises; the client only has to pay for his stay in the office.
Centers established by a specific company to organize the work of freelancers. All expenses in this case are borne by the employer.
Creative co-working centers that bring together people of art are becoming increasingly popular.

2. One of the promising areas is the development of children's workspaces that combine both educational and leisure functions.

In addition to coworking, there are many more similar establishments with a social orientation, for example, these include time cafes and clubs, anti-cafes. And if in an ordinary cafe after some time they will start looking at you askance, since you are just sitting on your laptop and taking the place of a potential client, then in these new-style premises everything has been created for work or communication of people with a wide variety of hobbies and preferences.

However, the main difference between coworking centers and anti-cafes is that they are primarily positioned as a specialized place of work, while anti-cafes are more intended for friendly gatherings.

Price list

Coworking prices are determined taking into account many factors:

region;
location;
available equipment;
rental period: the longer it is, the cheaper it costs the client one day of work in the center;
fixed or floating workstation.

Average prices for renting coworking spaces, for example in Moscow, range from 5 to 15 thousand rubles per month. Payment is made per month, week, day or hour. There are even per-minute rentals.

Pros and cons of coworking spaces

Coworking, like any other innovation that penetrates everyday life, has a number of supporters and opponents. Let's consider what arguments "for" and "against" are given by both sides.

Recently, the number of small companies has been constantly increasing. They often occupy several rooms in modern office centers. If a team consisting of specialists from different fields has to work in the same room, then a well-thought-out way of organizing their work is required. One of the popular ones is coworking.

What is coworking?

Nowadays, many people know thatwhat is coworking(coworker) zone. Its translation is coworking. This word implies the English version of organizing the work of people who perform different jobs in a common room. This plan is characterized by the desire to create harmonious communities of residents.

Well-known examples include Philadelphia's Tribe Commons, iHub, Washington's Hera Hub, Paragraph, and Parisian coworking space La Ruche. The reasons for coworking are economic factors. This approach is applied as a knowledge product in the field of economics, which is complemented by non-profit initiatives.

Coworking centers

Individual rental of entire buildings is not economically viable. In this regard, coworking is increasingly being used to organize the work process, which is based on the mutual assistance of employees and the constant exchange of knowledge between people of different specialties.

Modern coworking centers– offices consisting of one to three large premises. They provide the required number of workplaces with a clear zoning of space into separate “corners” depending on the specialty of the organization’s employees.

Coworking space

Coworking spaceis a place where every willing freelancer has the opportunity to find a permanent location for work, and not just for one month. This area is fully equipped with all the necessary office equipment and all sorts of little things that help make work more efficient. The floor plan involves separating the work area from the meeting room, a relaxation room with a cafe and special areas for training. It requires specialists from several areas to work together.

Coworking as a business

Nowadays, fewer and fewer people are asking the question “coworking – what is it?”Coworking as a business-model, brings good profit. Coworking centers are not opened for a separate niche type of activity. With skillful management, one premises turns into a source of income for people working in different directions. You need to find a premises and sign a lease agreement with the owner. Investments of funds are small, so sponsorship is not mandatory. The main thing is to assemble a team of professionals who love what they do.

Pros and cons of coworking spaces

ABOUT pros and cons of coworkingwe can talk for a long time. The main advantages of the popular approach to organizing workspace include:

Convenience for receiving clients (the office looks solid);
Opportunity to save (for freelancers);
The coworking center maintains the efficiency and productivity of the work process at a high level;
For third-party organizers, a coworking zone is an opportunity to gather all employees in one place;
Tenant payments are a small amount;
A freelancer can work for a couple of months or a year or longer;
High business profits;
Timely payment for work;
Accounting services are provided;
Legal services;
Employees receive useful knowledge through trainings and seminars, the plan of which involves the joint exchange of necessary information that is optimal for the business model;
In such offices you will find a friend and ally.

Coworking is a free office space where you can rent a workplace or meeting room. A significant difference from an office is that people from different companies gather here, independent of each other on work issues.

Modern coworking spaces are equipped with everything necessary for work: office furniture, fast Internet, office equipment and much more. This format is convenient for freelancers and employees of small companies.

Coworking: the history of the space

The first free workspace opened in 2005 in San Francisco. Its founders wanted to create something between the working atmosphere of an office and the ease of a home environment. We took only advantages from each option: working in a coworking space means being immersed in your business, but at the same time not feeling the constraint of an office and constantly expanding your circle of acquaintances.

This format quickly attracted the attention of many: owners of small startups, musicians, designers and programmers began to live in coworking spaces. For many freelancers, such centers have become a solution - it is not always possible to work productively at home, and very few can afford to rent a separate office.

The first Russian coworking space opened in Yekaterinburg in 2008. Soon such centers appeared in all major cities, and in April 2016, the largest coworking space in the country, Workstation Plaza, opened.

Coworking: types and main characteristics

Conventionally, coworking spaces can be divided into several groups:

office coworking

The most common type, designed for office work. There is everything you need here: fast Internet, office equipment and meeting rooms. For a fee, you can use the services of an accountant or lawyer.

industrial coworking

This is a clearly specialized space, equipped specifically for the manufacture of any product. Coworking spaces focused on carpentry and furniture are very popular in Russia.

creative workshop

A place where representatives of creative professions gather. Such centers are more a way of organizing leisure time than a work area. Creative evenings, master classes, lectures, open readings and other events are held here.

street coworking

In terms of focus, it can be any of the formats mentioned above, but with the only caveat: the action takes place on the street. Most often, such coworking spaces are used for holding events.

Coworking as a business: how to organize a coworking area

Coworking is a relatively new, but at the same time quite popular format. The number of startups and freelancers is steadily growing, the demand for the services of such centers is increasing, which means opening your own workspace is a good idea.

What should you pay attention to first?

Think clearly about who will visit your coworking space. It is quite difficult to please all potential clients at once, so it is better to immediately decide which audience you are counting on.
Decide on a location. A coworking space must be within walking distance from the metro. The ideal option is the city center: the more convenient it is to get there, the more likely it is that the client will choose you.
Pay attention to the little things. Who are your visitors and what do they want? Think over the interior, list of services and necessary equipment.
Be ready for change. On average, it takes about 4 months for a coworking space to achieve operational payback, and about two years to reach profitability. During this time, a lot can change: the focus, programs, and sometimes the audience are sometimes formed during the work of the space.

A relatively new format of workspace is becoming increasingly popular in our country. There are four types of coworking spaces: office, industrial, creative and street. The comfort of such a workplace lies not only in efficiency, but also in the opportunity to acquire business connections, which is especially important for start-up companies.