We look at why so many businesses are moving to the global flexible workspace community, WeWork.
For WeWork, an office space gives you somewhere to find your tribe and create your life’s work (we second that!) First launched in 2010, they’ve made a name for themselves by developing spaces across the world that live up to new, flexible ways of working. To say they’re popular is an understatement, as their community has catapulted to over 400,000 strong (and growing.) including teams from the likes of IBM, Airbnb, Microsoft and Amazon.
There are lots of great coworking options out there, but what’s so special about WeWork?
There are WeWork locations all over the world ✈️
One day you’re working on a pitch in Hong Kong, the next, you’re sipping celebratory macchiatos and sending details to your new client from your hot desk in Milan (congrats on the win, by the way). WeWork now have over 800 open-and-coming-soon locations in 123 cities around the world (including 55 in London), which helps to completely remove the ‘quiet coffee shops in [city x] that are good for coworking’ queries from your Google search history. Not only that, they’ve specifically chosen locations in these 123 cities that are close to transport links, bustling business communities and cool bars and restaurants, so you’re always part of the buzz, no matter where you go.
For digital nomads, businesses with global clients and even remote teams, it turns the ‘travel as you work’ dream into a reality.
WeWork have a wide range of flexible spaces and memberships
Traditional leases typically require businesses to commit to an office for 5-10 years, whereas flexible office space gives businesses the ability to be, well, flexible. WeWork members can scale up from a single hot desk to a private office or an entire custom-built suite—meaning your workspace grows with your business.
From our study, Flex in the City, our research shows that flexible workspace will make up 11% of office stock by 2023 and there’s no sign of it slowing down.
“Flexible office space appeals to businesses because of the choice, flexibility, and access to key locations it offers. Once written off as a fad, it has now become more important than ever, creating the biggest revolution in real estate for over a century. In the past five years, HubbleHQ has built London’s largest dataset on the flexible office market and we are proud to share our insights to help businesses anywhere on their journey from idea to IPO, to find an office quickly, easily, at the best price – and love where they work.” — Tushar Agarwal & Tom Watson, CEO & CTO of HubbleHQ
WeWork create beautiful workspaces
Humans are impacted by their surroundings, that’s just how we work—like plants, but with more emotions. Every WeWork space still has that distinct WeWork look, even with variations across locations and even floor to floor (thanks to the keen eyes of their design team.) That’s what makes their spaces so special.
At first glance, the spaces are beautiful, but it’s more than wall-deep. There have been studies that prove the impact that workspaces have on the happiness, productivity and health of team members, which in turn, builds a foundation for them to do better work, create balanced lives and actually want to stick around in your business. With each and every location, WeWork adapt and improve on what has come before (and with over 800 under their belt, you could say they’re wizards at this stuff.)
“You feel like you’re actually helping people love coming to work every day.” — Jeremiah Britton, Designer at WeWork
WeWork is all-inclusive
When you build an office of your own from scratch, it means sourcing the furniture, organising WiFi, electricity, water—you name it. With WeWork, they do all the groundwork for you, giving you a space that’s ready for you to move in like that clicks fingers (they’ll even fill the coffee machine for you.) A WeWork membership takes care of the everyday utilities and tasks that come with running a space, all within one monthly payment.
There’s just something about the WeWork community
You’re not just signing up for a desk with WeWork, you also get an all-access pass to their legendary events and benefits. Each location has its own designated team of community managers who help you to connect, learn and grow through networking events, lunch & learns and wellness activities.
“There seems to be something happening all the time – whether it’s a happy hour, pitch contest, a lunch-and-learn (where a sponsor bring lunch and tells you about their product or service). And very often there’s something plainly fun like a scavenger hunt which is a great way to loosen everyone up. I’ve visited a lot of other co-working spaces and they just lack the soul that WeWork has” — Pierre Wooldridge, All Make Believe
WeWork is full of opportunities to connect and collaborate
When you become a WeWork member, you join thousands of other people who have the potential to open doors for you and your business. You also get to join the WeWork member network app to connect with other WeWorkers (?) across the world and find your next client. Apps aside, every WeWork location is bursting with inspiring creatives and entrepreneurs who are just a short walk from your desk and there are plenty of networking opportunities that are organised on a regular basis to get out there and work your magic.
Ready to find a WeWork near you? Find your space in over 50 WeWork London locations with a click of the button below, or discover some similar coworking spaces you might not have heard of.
