When, in November 2015, I defined coworking in this way, I think I contributed to solve one of the problems of the sector: the lack of specificity about what coworking is and what it is not. A lack of specificity that has caused any initiative to self-qualify as coworking and, therefore, distort the concept.
Coworking is, on the one hand, a shared work space, like any other flexible work solution, but its differential factor is the incorporation of a team that adds value to this community. This contribution of value can occur in many different ways: the objective of this contribution of value should be that all the people who are in it grow at a professional level.
Doing good coworking means putting coworkers in the center of the equation, it means understanding that our success goes through theirs and that our function does not suppose (only) to offer a working space in conditions, but it is about creating an ecosystem where different businesses can take root and flourish more quickly, with greater force and with a little less effort. We do this because we believe that it is our obligation to manage a coworking. We can do it because it comes from the heart. We do it not to be simply a commodity, but a fundamental asset for the people who are part of our community.
The future
The future of coworking offers two very different visions that respond to different needs: one as a solution for freelancers and small businesses to which these spaces offer an added value that goes beyond providing them with a space to work. These spaces must work in depth on their value proposition and seek alliances with third parties to produce true ecosystems of creation. In order to have an impact and continue to be tools of transformation, they must grow in size and value proposition.
On the other hand, a real estate coworking will continue to evolve at the pace that companies evolve, offering flexible space, reducing operational and financial costs, reducing complexity to become providers of integral real estate solutions, while enhancing cross-selling and upselling to maximize their benefits.