Flexible Office Spaces// Why This is a Smart Business Decision in 2022

Flexible Office Spaces // Why This is a Smart Business Decision in 2022

Like everything else, workspaces are evolving over time. Although this concept is nothing new, the current situation is contributing to the increased number of companies using this way to organize themselves.

Indeed, if we look at the increase in the number of people teleworking in general, but especially following the lockdown situation experienced at the beginning of 2020, we can certainly understand the desire of some companies to change their work organization.

Therefore, this evolution is developing in parallel with the needs of current workers, who do not necessarily have the same expectations as their predecessors.

There are several ways to develop a flexible workspace for your employees. As we begin the new year and lay out a few plans for our businesses, here is why your company should make a smart business move and consider flexible work space with a key focus on coworking.

Corporates are enjoying the myriad advantages already

One of the key predictions made for 2022 is that we will see more corporations embrace coworking or hybrid workstyle. This is after the pandemic left us no choice & with more variants coming up every now and then embracing remote or hybrid work models is the sure way to go this year.

Over the period, corporations have seen the essence of these models in terms of saving costs when it comes to acquiring office space. Plus, coworking offers short- and long-term leases, always appealing to the one paying rent. 

Due to a more flexible work-life balance that comes with coworking, many companies have also witnessed increased employee satisfaction, which—not surprisingly—has led to greater productivity. 

This is one big happy feedback loop for the coworking market. If you find yourself in a hybrid or remote situation for longer than intended, consider coworking at Nairobi Garage as a solution.

A Sense of Community

At the heart of any coworking space lies the community. The community is the heartbeat of coworking and by joining one you get to leverage on it on different levels and occasions.

You have tens of different companies and maybe a hundred freelancers all in one place and they all specialize in different things and all have different stories. 

Joining one this year means you can suddenly have a pool of people you can contact when you have a business question they may be able to help you with or you are looking to hire someone and a member recruiting company can help you. 

Some of our members that form our Nairobi Garage // Kilimani community.

Maybe you need someone to test your idea or product, and for that there is no better place than a coworking space. There are countless things a community like this can help you with and things you can learn. 

Sometimes maybe you just need to wind down, chill and have a beer with someone and have a good talk. But the simplest way to explain why a community like this would have added value for you is just by saying that you will see your window of opportunities widen ten-fold compared to what it was before.

Networking Events for Like-minded individuals

Just like any coworking & as mentioned earlier, community has been at the heart of Nairobi Garage ever since we opened our doors. Since then, we’ve watched our members go from strangers to friends to business partners more times than we can count, and every time is as rewarding as the last. 

One unique way we’ve built community amongst our members is through our events. Events form an integral part of the Nairobi Garage culture. We have a number of events such as the Workshops, MEET and After Office Hours.

Our Workshops,  are designed for professionals that need to develop their skills and build their capacity to succeed in todays dynamic business environment while After Office Hours is a monthly event, where members of Nairobi Garage and innovators from around Nairobi.

MEET Events on the other hand creates an opportunity for business innovation enthusiasts to get acquainted with cutting-edge products and services, and the entrepreneurs and leaders that make a difference.

If you want to keep up with trending businesses and enjoy a laid back networking session, MEET is the place for you. Hosted once per month in either of our locations, keep a look out for MEET sessions.

Last year we held a Funding 101 event that also saw investors come and share insights around funding, and broke down the jargons surrounding the VC World.

Apart from that we have more member centric events such as Member Nights, which is a chance for members to network and get to know each other.

Saves time and money

Using the shared office system helps to reduce fixed costs, as utilities and other common expenses are usually included in the rental price.

This makes it easier to manage your budget because you know in advance what costs will be involved. This type of rental is known to be more affordable than traditional ones.

You can also avoid expenses related to materials, as coworking offices are usually equipped with the necessary equipment for office workers. 

The management of the infrastructure is taken care of by people who manage the coworking space, so you will have more time to devote to other, more important tasks. 

Most coworking areas are staffed with a person in charge of the reception. This means one less person you have to hire for your company to run smoothly.

Proximity enhances Productivity

When household distractions are stripped away and replaced with the more controlled environment of a coworking office, productivity naturally increases. 

It’s also highly motivating to be surrounded by those doing committed work every day, whether it’s related to your field or not. 

We will base this to an  Harvard University Research which showed that 10 percent of an average worker’s performance spills over to his or her neighboring coworker. 

This means that regardless of where you inherently fall on the subjective scale of productivity, just being in proximity to another worker is enough to drive your performance up by 10 percent. 

So, just having an office across the hall from another member, or sitting at a Flex Desk with others nearby, can improve your productivity without you so much as noticing.

The Harvard researchers also estimated that strategic seating could bring in $1 million in annual profit for an organization of 2,000 workers from this small bump in productivity alone. We can’t guarantee a million-dollar edge, but we can promise you bottomless tea and coffee through out the day and access to all our locations.

At the end of the day, there are many great things happening in coworking spaces and many of them are not even planned. They are what make joining one a worthwhile thought.

For the Flexible Options

Whether you are an individual or you are looking for a space for your company, you will appreciate the many options you have in terms of setting up your membership, which will best reflect what you and your company need. 

Maybe things are straightforward and you just need an office for 5 people. But maybe you need an office for 5 people and some hot desks for not-so-regular employees. 

Or maybe you need your team to rotate in the office because that’s just how you work. You can flexibly establish the way your team operates.