Co-working in NZ is booming
Day by day people are becoming more interested in co-working spaces. It is a common fact that when we hear the word “co-working”, the first people that come to mind are entrepreneurs, freelancers, and digital nomads. However, these areas are a growing trend, not just for freelancers but for a range of small businesses.
Co-working was first introduced by iconic programmer Brad Neuberg, who launched his co-working space in San Francisco to replace less productive home offices of “small businesses”. In New Zealand, co-working became a real trend in the 2010s. According to Lorne Somerville, a leasing specialist at Barfoot and Thompson commercial, “The co-working spaces provided in New Zealand total 13,900 m² in 2016, and is expected to increase extensively this year”. He was not wrong as by the end of April 2018, co-working spaces expanded into around 20 operators and almost 30,000 m² of space. In New Zealand, the demand for co-working offices currently surpasses those such as Smales Farm, Generator, BizDojo, Thinkspace, and Regus.
Many freelancers working from home sometimes find it difficult to work due to interference from children, noisy activities taking place within the surrounding. The availability of co-working spaces can overcome these home-workplace frustrations and act as a creativity boost.
For example, Virginia Adams is a digital marketer who has been handling her freelance projects from home. Virginia thinks she is never able to complete tasks at the right time but soon realizes that her husband and children have been distracting her while she was working. “When I chose to register to an office in Auckland, I became more productive and attentive at my tasks. I can now submit my work before the deadline,” says Virginia.
Co-working offices tend to unite the entrepreneurs so they can operate and interact as a community. They share WiFi, servers, boardrooms, cafe, and toilets under the same roof. This soon extends to sharing ideas, advice and even business contacts.
Inevitably, this trend has strengthened the connection between the people using the co-working spaces and helped them to expand their networks. You never know who you are going to meet in these co-working hubs. If you are a freelancer working from home, do not hesitate, it is time to join the trend!
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This article was published in the Zealancer-News 61.