A couple of days ago, I saw an interesting statistic above the headline in the Times of India¹. It said coworking spaces in Bangalore now account for 32 percent of all the spaces in the country, more than Mumbai, Gurgaon, Pune, Hyderabad and Delhi.

More striking is the total square footage leased by these coworking providers – 8 million square feet across the country by 2019.

Data from a Colliers International report² published last year says that major coworking operators leased only 1.2 million square feet in 2016, but it’s expected to grow to 8-9 million square feet by 2020.

Another Knight Frank report³ provides more details of the coworking revolution that’s in the making now.

Since 2010, the number of coworking spaces worldwide has grown by an amazing 3,050 percent, from 600 in 2010 to 18,900 now. The number of seats has grown from 21,000 to 1.7 million during this same period.

In India, you have around 200 companies running 400 shared office spaces across the country.

It’s a far cry from 2004, when Evoma opened as the first coworking space in Bengaluru. That first project of ours came about as an attempt to fill a need for flexible office space required by people who needed to commute long distances to reach their own offices.

Now we offer coworking spaces in each of our four business centers in Bangalore, mainly because the market demands it, and our own members also take up additional flexible space as needed.

“Evoma is flexible when it comes to planning our recruitment. In addition to our serviced office, we are also making use of Evoma’s coworking space in Whitefield.” – Abhisarika Das, KLOC

Also see (Economic Times feature): How entrepreneur Ashok Vohra uses talent & technology to empower poor women.

It’s about more than just providing a seat, be it coworking or a serviced office. “It’ll be more to do with synergizing the SME community, and providing them with actually what they need to do – which is how they need to maintain, sustain and grow their business,” said Mr. Vohra.

That’s why we are now about to launch services exclusively for Evoma members, including all our coworking space users.

A startup or small business that wants flexible office space without any upfront investment will be able to avail of our affordable coworking spaces in Bangalore.

Looking for coworking space in Bangalore? Fill up the form below.

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We already have coworking spaces where you can get an office address, reception, meeting rooms, call forwarding and other virtual office services.

Evoma will now start offering mentorship and business growth services that will be provided by authorized partners. Members will get assistance for business growth in the form of mentorship, and optional business support services such as accounting and finance, HR, business registration and complaince, digital marketing, and sales growth.

References:

1. Times of India – Bengaluru has the most co-working spaces.

2. Knight Frank – Co-working demand set to triple in the next 3 years, says Knight Frank.

3. Colliers International – Coworking operators likely to grow up to 8 to 9 mn sq ft by 2020.

Apart from the location, the success of serviced offices also depends on the facilities, features and community. But coworking spaces are a different breed, since there’s no commitment required.

You’d think that it would be harder to keep cowork desks occupied, but that’s not so. We market both serviced offices and coworking space in Bangalore, at different locations across the city.

The occupancy in the coworking space was a bit low to start with, but has steadily risen to around 30% of regular customers and the rest in walk-ins and daily online bookings.

The serviced offices, on the other hand, are much harder to fill. There’s a lot of inventory at a couple of locations that are out of the way, and marketing it is proving to be a much harder nut to crack. So let’s look at that part – why is coworking easier to market than serviced offices or commercial office space?

Factors in favor of cowork marketing 

1. Affordability

It’s not so cool anymore to launch your startup business from your parents’ garage. But if you don’t have the funding to set up a proper office, you can still get all the benefits of your own office in a coworking space – minus the costs. No deposits, no long-term lockdowns. You just walk in, pay by the hour or day, and walk out without any commitments for the next day.

At the end of the month, it works out to be hugely cost effective. For growing startups, a coworking space is an easy and fast way to scale. We have one new coworking space that is located in the same business center that also offers serviced office space.

Many of the startups that were previously located in the building are now taking up coworking space in addition to their existing offices to support expansion and growth. Without the cowork space, they probably would not have taken up another office cubicle, or even moved to a bigger one.

2. It’s trendy

Office space providers have to understand that startups and freelancers don’t come to them for the space. They take up space for all the other reasons that will make their business successful – footfall, customers located nearby, talent availability, a community, networking opportunities, mentorship, etc.

It’s easy to see how all this becomes far easier in a coworking space, as compared to the closed walls of commercial spaces where you don’t get to meet anyone. The new breed of startups and freelancers understands this very well, and they prefer to take advantage of this by coworking.

3. No geographic limitations

When you launch a startup or your own consultancy service, you have an office in one specific location. As the business grows and you get to the next stage, you have to relook the space and location.

It’s a big decision at that time to relocate, since it involves costs and potential for business disruption. But there are no such challenges if you’re a coworking startup. Your office is where you are – it could be another area at the other end of your own city, or it could be any other city in the world.

4. Community

Continuing from the point above, you can be anywhere in the world, and you can access a coworking space that’s connected in some way to the one back home that you use regularly. It’s not about six degrees of separation, but the fact that the coworking community is so vast and so well connected that you can easily get a referral to a coworking space from someone you know.

In fact, there are service providers and coworking search portals that allow you to get a membership that gives you access to workspace at coworking spaces across the world.

Commercial office cubicles just can’t compete with this kind of freedom and flexibility. That’s why the future of office space is tilting fast towards coworking. You will still have large companies with their own executive suites and cubicles for staffers, but that’s going to be less in vogue as time goes by.

Business travelers, startup founders, freelancers and other digital nomads who are too busy to kick back and relax, who are always on the road and traveling to different cities, can keep a few things handy that will instantly make their cowork space a home away from home.

In this post, we want to share the future of coworking on the road, at an airport lounge, in a tent in the wild, or when you’re working out of one of our business centers. Make coworking a whole lot more fun with these travel accessories that are made for geeks and nerds, and designed by geeks.

1. Amabrush – Brushes your teeth automatically in 10 seconds

No time to brush your teeth on the road? Just insert Amabrush, push a button and wait for 10 seconds. Perfectly cleaned teeth in just 10 seconds.

Price: Under production

Website: http://www.amabrush.com/

2. Zendure Passport global travel adapter

No matter where you are, this adapter enables you to plug in and use the power points. Features include country buttons, four USB ports, and auto-resetting fuse to recover from overloads without replacement. Works in more than 150 countries, and covers USA/UK/EUROPE/AUS/CA/JP plugs.

Price: $49

Website: https://zendure.com/

3. Omni Pillow

Three in one travel pillow that you can wrap around your neck, under your head, on your arm and more. When not in use, it can be packed and stored easily, and takes up space no more than a mango.

Price: $53

Website: https://banale.com/

4. No Bugs Clothing

Antibacterial insect repellent clothing (socks, hoodies, cargo pants, bed net, sleeves) that can keep mosquitoes, ticks, ants, flies and more away from you. EPA registered to last through 70 launderings. Gives you life-long insect protection.

Price: $49

Website: http://www.nobugsclothing.com/

5. FREITAG Zippelin – An inflatable travel bag

No rods, no heavy suitcase, no bulky plastic. Just an 85-litre bag with a bike tube inside that you fill up with air and let out when not in use. Roll it up like a backpack and store in any corner. FREITAG makes use of truck tarpaulins to create each bag as a recycled individual product (R.I.P.) that is water-proof and sturdy enough to withstand all kinds of abuse and weather.

Price: Under production

Website: https://www.freitag.ch/en

6. Smart Jacket for travel

Wearable clothing has been around for a long time, but Hallam’s Smart Jacket with 29 functions is actually useful for real travelers. It includes a phone charger, earphone cable, music playing pocket, battery pocket, GPS tracking, Selfie, push notifications, safety LED flicker and more. Comes in three styles – a hoodie, varsity jacket, or a wool jacket.

Price: $99

Website: https://www.hallampnewyork.us/

7. Nowpresso – An automated travel espresso machine

This is a cordless and portable battery operated Espresso Machine. Push a button for an espresso on the go. Works with Nespresso and SS capsules, and boils water using the in-built battery.

Price: $170

Website: http://www.nowpresso.com/

In this post, I’m going to cover the list of reasons why a lot of Bangalore startups say that they’re not ready to cowork.

1. Lack of privacy.

The single biggest concern that our coworking sales team gets from startup founders is that they fear the lack of privacy may be detrimental to their business. That is indeed true for many cowork spaces in the city, where you have no good options for business meetings with your staff, clients, potential customers and others.

Solution: You won’t have this problem at the Evoma coworking space in Whitefield. It’s located in our business centre, and there are already hundreds of startups making use of the shared office spaces.

All of them, including the coworkers, have access to the meeting rooms, board rooms and other facilities as and when needed.

2. No branding options.

The difficulty in branding their space was yet another major concern for many of the potential leads that our sales team followed up on. You can’t customise and brand your office space to match your company’s marketing strategy, designs and graphics. You can’t hang signboards, banners, hoardings and other signage that directs your customers to your space.

Solution: Get a virtual address to go with your coworking space. It won’t solve the lack of branding inside an office (which you don’t have), but you can make use of the address in your marketing and branding materials, both online and offline.

3. No walk-in customers.

While this problem may not be applicable for all startups, getting walk-in customers is no doubt beneficial for every business. Startups with a product to sell can increase sales by coming up with a marketing plan to promote walk-ins. But it’s not going to work if you don’t have a shop or office space to showcase and store your inventory, and customers can’t walk in to take a look.

Solution: Keep product samples with you, and hold the rest in warehousing. Encourage walk-in customers to come to your coworking space, and look at your samples.

If they like it, they can buy it in person or online. Either way, you have the product shipped to their address.

4. Harder to hire talent.

The best asset you have as a startup is your talent – the skills that you, your cofounders and all your employees have. It’s a lot easier to recruit and hire new talent if you can call them to your office for interviews and impress them with the workspace. But it’s harder, especially for a new startup founder, to create this positive first impression while sitting at a cowork desk.

Solution: Use our meeting rooms whenever you want to conduct an interview or meet with a potential new hire. The luxurious and professional setting will make the candidates consider the opportunity seriously, and you’ll find yourself competing for the best talent with the top companies in your industry.

5. Data security concerns.

This may be an issue for startups that deal with their clients’ sensitive data. For example, a new fintech startup founder working out of a coworking space may find it difficult to get large banks and financial services companies onboard as clients. They want to see that their data is locked and guarded safely inside an office with adequate safeguards and security measures.

Solution: Move everything to the cloud. If your solution’s data is entirely stored in an ultra-secure data centre, and all you do is access it from your laptop or smartphone using your own Wi-Fi, then it hardly matters where you’re located. You can work from home, while on the commute, at your cowork space, at your client’s location, and wherever else you happen to be.

A lot of the workspace management for each of our centers has been automated in parts. But we’re now looking at a complete workspace management solution that can increase efficiencies and reduce the effort involved.    

So the time is ripe for a review of workspace solutions for space providers. The most common features to look for include:

• Invoicing system. Automated invoice generation, payment reminders, and collection. Seamless integration into your current invoicing system.
• Online bookings. Allows members to check availability and book your resources online.
• Location and device independent. Manage your space from anywhere. Accessible across web, mobiles, and tabs.
• Analytics. Management reports on space usage, occupancy, invoicing, payments, member behaviour, revenue, etc. that help you better understand and optimise your space.

Based on this feature list, the below mentioned are the top 10 workspace solutions for space providers that we have shortlisted.

1.Nexudus.

White label software to manage your workspace with over 1,600 accounts to their credit so far.

• Get a fully functional, open sourced, white-label website with your account.
• Supports different pricing structures and renewal intervals.
• Community building. Allows creating a directory for members to communicate their profile, product, and service.
• Managing your email account. Each and every email from and to the members is properly recorded for easy retrieval.
• Network Integration. By integrating your network with Nexudus, you can automatically check-in your members and know when and for how long they are in the space and automatically invoice different services.

2. Cobot.

Another top-notch white label workspace management software that has a presence in over 30 countries and serves spaces with over 60,000 members. An all in one tool to manage your space effortlessly and efficiently.

• Personalise Cobot using their white label package.
• A single dashboard for activities. Be on top of every aspect of your space, whether it is on-boarding new members or assigning plans.
• With individual member dashboard, you can assess their profile, review space usage, view invoicing, booking, etc.
• A single customised platform connecting your members where they can publish their profile and search and view profiles of other members in the space.
• Automatic check-in of members when they connect to Wi-Fi or when they swipe in.
• Availability of over a dozen add-ons.
• Easily sync and export your data to the numerous third party applications for an efficient and smooth workflow.

3. Coworkify.

In their own words, Coworkify is a workspace management software following in the ways of an important Zen tenet, simplicity; the core aspect around which Coworkify is designed.

• Supports multiple locations and multiple languages.
• Members can sign up on the front-end website and register themselves.
• Email invitation to prospective members directly from your admin screen. The new members can sign up through the unique link set in the email.
• Send invoice via email at a determined date and time.
• Allows guest invoicing without creating a membership account.
• Secure communication between your browser and Coworkify through encrypted secure socket layer (SSL).
• Software hosting servers located at multiple points for a faster response time.

4. ShareDesk Optix.

Optix is a technology platform for coworking space management that upgrades your present workplace environment into an effective and productive one. Has a simple integrated dashboard and comes with a mobile-first experience.

• Synchronised calendars to allow members to view real-time space availability.
• Optix’s CRM and member support allows you to remain in constant touch with your members, view their activities, and their history.
• Integrate all your important apps to the single Optix dashboard. Allows for over 500 integrations.

5. CoWork.io.

A white label tool that enables you to build a technology platform which can be fully integrated into your website.

• CoWork.io’s cross-selling features allow you to prop up additional services like catering, photocopying, consulting, etc. to members and prospective members when they are booking space online.
• Their REST APIs enable you to integrate your connected objects to CoWork.io.
• CoWork is integrated with a marketplace to allow members in your space to sell their services and products to other members using your platform.
• CoWork.io, in partnership with business intelligence “BIME SaaS solutions,” allows you to access advanced performance indicators and interactive dashboards integrated directly into CoWork.io.
• The integration of solution “Kisi” into this tool allows a member to automatically receive the digital access key on his smartphone to the space he has booked.

6. HappyDesk.

HappyDesk is a highly spoken enterprise management software for coworking space providers. Some of the special features offered by this platform are:

• Electronic proposal: On demand secure digital transfer with a digital signature.
• Marketplace integration for lead generation, nurturing and conversion.
• Secured physical space access.WiFi and voice platform restricts access.
• Controlled access to WiFi and network. The WiFi engages the moment space is booked.

7. Dovetail.

Dovetail is a relatively new member management software for coworking spaces. The big advantage is that it is free till the time Dovetail collects feedback and launches their paid version with additional features.

• Dovetail, at present, supports members on-boarding, billing and payments, some analytics and multi-location spaces.

• Everything is free for now with no restriction on member or admin numbers.
• Their paid version, when rolled out, will bill you a flat monthly charge and wouldn’t be linked to the community size.
• Dovetail uses secure 256-bit SSL encryption and Linode SSD servers for data safety.

8. Skedda.

Skedda is a cloud-based solution to simplify everyday booking complexities and manage your workspace.

• Skedda booking calendar feature provides you with a complete overview of your space usage. The drag and drop functionality allows you to easily move booking around and make adjustments as needed.
• Supports integration with Google Calendar and other iCal compatible apps to power up your space planning.
• Their user management feature lets you classify your members into groups for custom pricing, discounts, booking behaviour, etc.

9. Office R&D.

A coworking and shared workspace platform for member management, invoicing, space booking, occupancy, etc.

• Lets you streamline your accounting process with their Xero and QuickBooks Online integrations.
• Connects your members through Kisi and Salto integrations to door access and security system.
• WiFi control and management through Medusa / McCloud.

10. Occupie from Essensys.

Occupie from Essensys is a workspace management solution that delivers a seamless membership experience through a single interface for automating provisioning, administration and accounting, and networking and support.

• Lead management and marketing automation system: Ensures you can generate, capture, nurture and convert leads from your own website.
• Self-service platform: Timely promoting of relevant offers through trigger-based notifications encourages members to opt for these offers.
• Their social platform provides a robust entrepreneurial environment by allowing members within a space to interact, collaborate and network among themselves.
• 24 X 7 network monitoring and online support to ensure performance and availability and a dedicated backup solution to safeguard against downtime risks.

The Indian growth story is happening, and happening big.

Whether it is FDI inflow or GDP or the number of new businesses being launched every year, all the benchmarks are pointing towards huge economic growth for India in this decade.

Startups, MSMEs and the big enterprise giants are all betting big on India and stepping up their recruitment and expansion plans.

With around 15 million freelancers (second only to the US) and 4 new startups being launched every single day, India is a very fertile ground for coworking spaces to bloom.

It’s not just about sharing physical workspace, but also about fostering creativity, ideas and synergies that might not happen at all in walled office cubicles.

The statistics clearly show that coworking spaces, globally as well as in India, are growing fast to keep pace with the startup boom.

• Number of global coworking spaces expected to increase from 11,100 now to 26,078 by 2020. That’s a 23.80% compounded annual growth rate.

• Number of coworkers likewise expected to grow from the present 976,000 to 3.8 million in 2020 – a 41% compounded annual growth rate. (source – smallbusiness.com)

Deskmag survey reports show that 67% of all coworking owners want to expand their spaces this year. Also, 40% reported planning one additional location, and 86% of respondents anticipate getting more members this year.

Coworking Growth in Asia

The rapid pace of growth in Asia is fast closing the gap with mature coworking markets like the USA, UK and Europe. A full 73% of Asian spaces are cooking up expansion plans this year, compared to  much-lower global average of 66%.

The number of new spaces coming up in Asia likewise is a huge 22% higher than the global tally.

Growth in Coworking Spaces in India

First of all, the market in India is still in a nascent stage, barely 3 years old. The number of operating coworking spaces in India is apparently less than the ones that are operating in the city of London. (source – SocialWorkplaces.com)

But the thing is that the coworking spaces India has and the country’s startups share a unique synergetic relationship. Coworking spaces in India concentrate heavily on startups, more so than any other segment.

According to the latest Coworking India Survey study published by SocialWorkplaces.com, a full 50% of respondents said that over and above being a coworking space, they also provide Incubation / Acceleration and TechHub services.

The Evoma coworking space in Bangalore is a good example of how this works. We’re located in the Evoma Business Center at #88, Borewell Road, in Whitefield, opp. Whitefield Post Office, Bangalore.

Our coworkers get incubation support not just at the Borewell Road business center, but also through the mentors, services and support provided by hundreds of startups, SMEs and enterprise clients who are located at the various Evoma business centers in Bangalore.

It’s like a business club – you’re Evoma, I’m Evoma. Let me help you out.

Want to be a part of the Evoma club? Call 08041903000 or email inquiries@evoma.com.

There’s also a cultural / demographic angle to it. The new breed of startup founders, who are overwhelmingly young millennials, prefer coworking space over working from their home, garage, basement or office space.

Consider the stats below:

• 78% of co-workers are under the age of 40 (source – Digitalistmag)
• 72% of Indian founders are less than 35 years old (source – Timesofindia)

We can therefore conclude that the Indian startup boom is paving the way for the growing trend and numbers of the coworking spaces India’s major metros have.

Even Google Trends confirms that interest in “coworking spaces” has seen a steep rise in India since around mid-2015.

Not to mention the appeal of low startup costs, lower overheads, classy high-end locations, free WiFi and all the digital work tools they need, and other such advantages.

Young tech startups are moving to the coworking spaces India has in droves, driven by their need to accommodate larger teams and expansion plans.

Coworking might have started off as a fad or lifestyle choice for cool nerds. But now it’s gone pretty much mainstream as office space for startups, SMEs and enterprise branch offices who want to be a part of the startup movement.

Want to part of a startup movement? Come cowork at Evoma for a day – Free. Call 08041903000 or email inquiries@evoma.com.

Free Coworking Space for a Day in Bangalore. Only at Evoma, on Borewell Road in Whitefield. Call now – 08041903000

But don’t just take my word on it. Let the numbers speak:

The number of freelancers grew by a whopping 400% in the last 10 years. (source – The Balance);

By 2020, 50% of the US workforce will be freelancers. One out of every two workers will be freelancing in some capacity. (source – Forbes)

But in order for this growth to happen, the sector will have to attract and involve people who really can see and act on the opportunities and advantages for growth as a freelancer.

There’s not much need to highlight the advantages you have as a freelancer: Unlimited income potential, choosing your own work hours, a good work-life balance, being your own boss, to name a few.

But it does have its disadvantages too, and what most freelancers in places like Bangalore have been doing until is to simply ignore these obstacles or unpleasant aspects of freelancing. But you don’t necessarily have to, because coworking spaces in Bangalore can give you the best of both worlds – freelancing and a corporate job.

So my intention is to show you how to overcome the disadvantages of freelancing by choosing to become a freelance coworker (or is it coworking freelancer?).

Freelance Disadvantage No.1: Impersonal

A survey by email marketing platform Constant Contact concluded that 48% of people believe a meeting to be a more effective driver of business, well above websites and email marketing. But freelancers don’t get much opportunity for face to face conduct. Most of your business is done online and/or on the phone.

Social media, email and video chats are great for meeting new people, for long distance communication, and to keep in touch. But in the end, it is good old fashioned face to face meetings that help seal the deal, nurture trust and build strong long-term relationships and partnerships.

The Coworking Space solution: We provide you with the physical space needed to conduct these valuable meetings. Unlike having your own brick and mortar office in a commercial office building, you don’t have to worry about deposits and rental, furnishings, utilities, insurance, maintenance and upkeep, etc.

Freelance Disadvantage No.2: Isolation

Working from home can be nerve-wracking at times for a freelancer. There is no exchange of thoughts, no interactions, no gossiping, brainstorming and, last but not the least, no healthy banter between colleagues.

The Coworking Space solution: Coworking gives you a reason to get out of the four walls of your home. It presents you with a change of environment without taking away any of your freelancing independence. You will still be able to clock in and out at will. But you to get meet people every day, enjoy some water-cooler chit chat, bond over a coffee and chill out in the evenings after work over a drink. It brings a freshness to your thinking, to your overall outlook, and helps put a spring in your step.

Being in a coworking environment also lets you discover new avenues and leads that might result in new business in unexpected ways. It’s definitely something you can consider as more than a fringe benefit.

You can associate and network with your coworkers, and it’s very likely that you’ll learn a lot from them about freelancing, coworking and business success that you would never have otherwise learnt about if you worked from home. Association with exemplary high-performing coworkers will act as a positive influence on you and help grow your business much faster.

Freelance Disadvantage No.3: Distractions

Working from home poses all kinds of distractions. It could be anything from your attention seeking dog to children, family, personal calls, chatty neighbours, your television, and if you happen to be a foodie, then your refrigerator. It’s virtually impossible to ignore it if you’re in the midst of all this daily chaos at home.

The Coworking Space solution:. Provides you with a work atmosphere which is a hybrid blend of office work environment and the informality of work-from-home. You don’t have to face the rigid office rules, and you aren’t bothered by any of the distractions from home.

Freelance Disadvantage No.4: No Steady Pay

For freelancers, the biggest problem is that it’s either feast or famine. You either have too much work or none at all. There’s no steady pay at the end of the month. There are exceptions who don’t face these ups and downs, but most freelancers will know what I’m talking about.

The Coworking Space solution: All your coworkers are potential clients, and they will additionally refer you to people and businesses in their network. So anytime you need more work, just talk to the people around you at your cowork space.

Freelance Disadvantage No.5: No Schedule and Work Hours

Have you sat in front of your laptop the whole night? Have you sleep-walked through the next day? Have you missed your early morning jog or  evening gym session so you could complete an urgent assignment? If you have done this and expect to do it again, then you’re a freelancer.

The Coworking Space solution: Choosing coworking space allows you to keep flexible timings, but within the time frame of working hours. You can in theory sit and work in our space until 4 am, but we won’t let you sleep on the couch for free. So most of our freelancers and startups will either work through the night, or they will work all day long and then go home at a reasonable hour. Either way, it brings back an element of normalcy to your life. At the very least, you will have a proper schedule for work.

Conclusion: The purpose of this article was to show you how a coworking space, especially in Bangalore, a city which pioneered the concept of coworking in India, can help you tackle the disadvantages of freelancing. If you want to test this idea of freelance coworking, then come spend the day at Evoma – free.

Free Coworking Space for a Day in Bangalore. Only at Evoma, on Borewell Road in Whitefield. Call now – 08041903000

The productivity and energy they bring to bear is far higher than office workers doing the same thing. Looking at all these busy coworkers had us wondering – What’s the magic potion that makes coworkers more successful?

There’s hard data to prove this – the annual Deskmag surveys show that cowork startups are 4 times more successful.

Why are startups more successful at Evoma? Call now – 080 41903000 to join the Evoma community.   

So we decided to look for studies that explain the success of coworkers and coworking. They prove beyond a shadow of doubt that coworkers are a highly productive lot, and also explain why.

Univ. of Michigan Study – Why People Thrive in Coworking Spaces

Researchers from the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business found that the average levels of thriving of coworkers was six, on a scale of 7. That’s at least 1 point more than employees in regular offices.

The results of a regression analysis of their survey of hundreds of coworkers and coworking spaces was published by HBR. Here’s what they list as the reasons why coworkers are more successful:

1. People in coworking spaces see their work as meaningful.
2. They have more job control
3. They feel part of a community

In the study summary, the researchers note the importance of the work environment and experience. But they also add that what matters the most in terms of impact on levels of thriving is that coworkers have substantial autonomy and they can be themselves at work.    

Fort Ord Reuse Authority Coworking Success Study

This study was a part of the effort to make productive reuse of a shuttered government facility in California. The researchers looked at 9 coworking spaces in California, and part of the study scope was to understand what makes a coworking space successful.

The study found the following coworking success characteristics that were common to these spaces:

1. Community – 96% of coworkers chose community as the most important aspect of coworking.
2. Community Management – The main component that facilitates successful coworking spaces.
3. Coworking software – One hallmark of successful coworking spaces was the use of software to efficiently manage operations.
4. Marketing – Most successful coworking spaces began their marketing and word of mouth campaigns months before opening.

Agora Berlin Coworking Case Study

The Agora Collective coworking space in Berlin was actually a metal tools factory before it became a housing scheme, and then gradually turned into a full-fledged coworking space as the space owners took over more and more of the housing space.   

A study of its growth showed that a big reason for Agora’s success was the fact that they combined coworking with art, food and community events. The coworking space building also houses a program for artists in residence, and their cafe was used to host cooking events for the community.

They also hosted workshops and other community events within their space. All this lead to greater acceptance and awareness of the business among people in the area, and has led to the business becoming more successful and the recipient of an EU funding award for its integrative approach.

Spend the day free with the Evoma coworking community. Call now to book this free offer: 080-41903000

That’s why we’re trying to be the coworking space Bangalore startups need for scaling fast, by adding more flexible package plans, features and facilities. Allow me to explain how highly flexible coworking options can help startups grow fast while saving on the costs.

No Scaling Barriers For Coworking Space Bangalore Startups

The location, size and type of business space you choose has a big impact not just on your immediate success, but also on long-term growth.

Why Cowork at Evoma?

1. Hi-tech space in Bangalore’s top location

2. No startup office costs

3. No scaling costs for growth

See more benefits of coworking at Evoma. Better still, try it free for a day. Call (080 – 41903000) to book this free offer.

For example, a new startup that rents a small shop in the suburbs for a year may shell out Rs. 1 lakh as deposit and pay Rs. 10,000 as monthly rental. You have locked Rs. 2.2 lakh for a year, and you can’t pick up your stuff and move elsewhere halfway through.

Furthermore, your typical bootstrapped startup will still not have the funding needed to get a bigger place in a better location at the end of the year, so you continue for another year and you’re locked in again. The end result is that you can’t grow fast, even though your business may have the potential to grow, and you’re working very hard, going around all over Bangalore every day, to reach customers and sign them up.

You know it would be so much easier if you had a nice big office with a reception and conference room to meet and impress clients close to the industrial areas and high tech hubs in Bangalore such as Whitefield and EPIP Zone. But you’re on the outside looking in, and wondering how many years you have to struggle in the wilderness before you generate enough revenue to afford that nice office.

Why Bangalore Startups Need Scalable Coworking Space

Even without this added focus on scalability, coworking is still a pretty flexible option. This post on coworking costs clearly shows that you can save more than 40% on the aforementioned Rs. 10,000 per month rental in Bangalore even if you work all day long, 5 days/week in a coworking space.

But that’s just the small tip of the cost savings possible. The real savings in office rental costs come when you start using our coworking facilities only as and when needeed.

For example, here’s the typical schedule of a new startup:

Monday – Morning desk work; afternoon visit to client.

Tuesday – All day desk work.

Wednesday – All day desk work.

Thursday – All day desk work.

Friday – Morning desk work; afternoon visit to client.

So, you need a full-day pass for three days, and desk space for four hours on Mondays and Fridays. This is no doubt less expensive than 5 full-day passes. But the schedule above won’t work once your startup takes off and you start getting leads and clients. Maybe you have a couple of employees, and a few dozen clients. You’re not on your desk that much now, but now you need meeting space and board rooms.

So this would be your new schedule:

Monday – Morning meetings with staff; afternoon visits to clients.

Tuesday – Morning desk work; afternoon meeting with client.

Wednesday – All day online desk work.

Thursday – Morning desk work; afternoon meeting with client.

Friday – Morning meetings with staff; afternoon visits to clients

So now if you need less desk space and more time in the meeting room, that’s fine by us. The Evoma coworking space will charge you for 4 meetings, 1 full-day pass, and 8 hours of desk space.

This essentially means that you can manage your startup growth and scale instantly without having to relocate to a bigger space, disrupt your business, and add a significant amount to your overheads.

Also, consider what happens if there’s a business slowdown. You lose clients, you don’t have that much work, and you’re still paying huge office costs because you scaled up when the future looked bright. But if you’re in a coworking space, you can simply go back to your old schedule of using desks as needed, and wait for the right time to expand again. No worries about how to meet costs and overheads without sufficient revenues.

In summary, coworking space is a safe and affordable option for Bangalore startups who want to grow fast without any investment in office space.

Free Offer – Cowork at Evoma for a day.

Call (080 – 41903000) to book this free offer.

But when it comes to coworking, there’s a lot more that you have to consider apart from location. So I’m sharing with you here the the six key desired features to look for when it comes to coworking space for startups.

Coworking Space for Startups Desired Features #1 – Affordable

As per a Knight Frank study, Bangalore startups can save between 72-76% of their office rental and operational costs by choosing to cowork. In fact, we recently published a post on how a coworking hub reduces office rent and costs – it shows that even if you take a full day pass to cowork 5 days/week, you still only spend Rs. 6,000 per month compared to over Rs. 22,500 for a month of office space rental.

Coworking Space for Startups Desired Features #2 – Fast Free WiFi

People are fed up of being forced to choose between free but slow Jio vs expensive data charges on other networks. Why can’t we have free, reliable and super-fast WiFi? Yes, you can – if you are in the Evoma coworking space in Bangalore. Note that it remains free and fast only if everyone follows the coworking etiquette of not hogging the WiFi.

Coworking Space for Startups Desired Features #3 – Privacy

The grass is always greener on the other side. If you are locked up in an office cubicle, you want to be outside having fun. But if you are coworking, you may start missing the privacy you had in your own private office. Now you can enjoy the benefits of coworking, and also make use of the quiet zones and privacy in the Evoma meeting and conference rooms, library, business garden, and even the telephone booths.

Coworking Space for Startups Desired Features #4 – Food & Drinks

Let’s face the facts – the only way you can get an app developer or progammer to work through the night is by providing coffee and tea on tap. You also need to ensure there’s a cafeteria or restaurant nearby that’s open 24/7 and ready to feed your workers any time they need to refuel or take a break. That’s why Evoma has an in-house rooftop cafe, so you don’t have to go out to eat and drink.

Coworking Space for Startups Desired Features #5 – Virtual Office Services

One of the things you take for granted in your own rented office space is the address and mail. But if you’re working out of a coworking space, what happens when you’re not there? Suppose you call a client for a meeting, and you’re late? What address are you going to put on your business cards, letterheads, website contact address, and other such things? How about if you want to receive mail from your bank, correspondence from your clients, or a package by courier?

All these issues are taken care of if your coworking space offers virtual office services. That’s why Evoma offers it’s coworkers the option to make use of our virtual office package that includes a great business address in Bangalore, mail forwarding, reception desk to take calls, and more.

Coworking Space for Startups Desired Features #6 – Energetic Vibe

One of the main reasons why people come to our shared office spaces is because they feel that energetic vibe running through the place. You have young working professionals and highly successful entrepreneurs all around you. It gives you that energy and creative inspiration needed to be an innovator yourself.

If you want to feel this energetic vibe at the Evoma coworking space in Bangalore, come and try it free for a day. Contact us now.