7 questions to ask before moving from traditional office space to a coworking space

7 questions to ask before moving from traditional office space to a coworking space

More entrepreneurs are choosing to work from coworking spaces than in the past. This is mainly because these spaces can offer many benefits to employees, including a more relaxed work environment with the freedom to collaborate and be inspired by individuals outside of your own business.

Even with companies now embracing the  ‘new normal’ and opening up their businesses and remote work becoming a reality, we will probably see growth in the uptake of coworking spaces post COVID 19.

However, as you move to a  coworking space, there are a lot of factors to consider when choosing a coworking space that affects not just your business’s ability to work and grow, but also the job satisfaction and overall happiness of your team.

If you are moving your company from a private office to a coworking space, answering these key questions will help you find a new workplace that is right for your business.

How much space do you need and how much is your budget?

This two go hand in hand and probably this should be your first question. Flexi and Fixed Desks in a coworking space in Nairobi range between USD 100 and USD 300 monthly and if your team is big and you would opt for a private office within the space, most spaces also offer that. However, even as you look out for the prices also consider the value that you get.

Find a coworking space with enough room for all your employees to work. Most employees expect to have between 150 and 250 square feet of space each in their work area. If it gets much cosier than this, productivity can be affected, it can impact employee job satisfaction due to the lack of privacy and personal space.

Take your business’s growth into account when deciding how much space you need. If you’re planning on building a larger team over the next few years, make sure you will have enough room for the extra employees.

Additionally, you will need enough area not just for each employee to work separately, but also space for work together in groups and collaborate without disturbing other team members. Many coworking spaces offer meeting rooms and other areas designed for group work.

A group discussion going on in one of our meeting rooms at our Kilimani Office Space. The meeting rooms allow teams to hold meetings and work together in groups and collaborate without disturbing other team members or coworkers.

It can be useful to have a variety of group working spaces available, from informal seating areas for group discussions to rooms equipped for presentations. Make sure your new workspace can support the technology you need.

Who makes up the community?

In choosing everything from furniture to which events to hold, coworking hubs are tailored to different types of professionals.

For example, some spaces are tailored to cater for later-stage companies, some are more sector-specific, some are home to uber-creative freelancers/small teams and so on.

One of the great advantages of a coworking space is that you get a group of colleagues who have skills that you don’t have such easy access to when you’re working out of your home office. You will be mingling with your neighbours daily, so have a think about your company culture and aesthetic.

What are the perks?

From Gym facilities, showers, on-site cafeteria or food court, well-equipped break rooms, outdoor areas for work or relaxation, a great coworking space is more than just a place to work, it goes beyond the additional perks you will have access to.

These extras can increase employee satisfaction and make your workspace a more enjoyable place to be, and facilities like a shared cafeteria or gym provide opportunities for team members to bond on breaks and outside of work.

Choosing a coworking space with attractive extras can also be a major point in your company’s favour when it comes to recruitment. With more and more people seeking a healthy work-life balance, the ability to easily get a healthy meal on work breaks or hit the gym straight after a shift can be very appealing.

Our Members at our Kilimani Office Space taking a Yoga Class after a long day of working hard.

Even something as simple as a workspace with showers like Nairobi Garage Karen can be a big draw for some workers — for example, people who want to cycle to work or even take morning jogs.

Finding a coworking space with extra amenities is especially important in locations where your workers cannot easily go anywhere else on their breaks. As a member of Nairobi Garage, you get more than an office space, you get the benefit of our value-added services giving your business the edge to stay ahead. Check out the amazing perks we offer here

Will my membership get me into other locations?

If you are a fan of switching things up now and then, you will be happy to know that some coworking communities offer day passes to different locations across. For example, at Nairobi Garage, depending on the package you choose, you are always given the flexibility to work from any other location that you prefer a few days of the week.

This makes it easy for you to hold an early morning meeting at our Karen Space, Meet-up with your team our Kilimani Office Space and probably finish -up on your reports away from your team distraction at our Spring Valley Office Space.

Also, if you travel frequently, find out if the coworking space has locations in other cities or if they have relationships with other coworking spaces in other cities that can offer you a discount.

How long is the lease or membership period?

It is clear by now that coworking spaces are more cost-effective than traditional offices and committing to a longer-term usually works out at a cheaper overall cost. This can lead to some issues, however, particularly for a growing business.

On one hand, only signing up for enough space to accommodate your current workforce could limit your ability to take on more staff. On the other hand, committing to a long term in a coworking space that leaves you room to grow means you will initially be paying for space you don’t need. If your business doesn’t grow as fast as you predicted, this could leave you stuck making payments for space you are not using.

The good news is that some coworking spaces always give you the liberty to upgrade or downgrade your membership as you scale your business, hence providing packages to suit your business despite the level you are in.

As you look into joining a coworking space, consider what options you will have for upgrading your membership to increase the space available to your team, especially when looking at contracts that last for several years.

How will you communicate?

Communication is key to everything. Your new coworking space should enable easy communication with both employees and clients. This means that in addition to private spaces where you can have confidential conversations, network access and mobile phone signals throughout the building should be a priority. This includes having quiet spaces where you can make video calls, and meeting rooms with video conferencing capability are ideal.

Your coworking space should also have a central communication platform, where you can get space updates and also a central place where you can also where you can connect with other members. For instance, Nairobi Garage uses SLACK as its central communication platform for members. is subdivided in different channels allowing members to stay up to date with the space happenings.

Does space offer a free trial?

Well, most companies are still trying to understand the whole coworking concept. It is okay to ask for a trial period. However, most coworking spaces offer a trial period for new potential members. While the standard is a one-day free pass, you shouldn’t be afraid to ask for more. Many coworking operators have seats to spare and are willing to offer you more than what their official website says to try it out. Some coworking spaces will offer up to a week to help new potential members feel more secure with the idea of coworking.

By now I am sure you know the benefits of joining a coworking space, but you need to pick the right space to capitalize on those benefits. Think about your business’s current and future needs, as well as how your new workplace will affect the daily lives of your team. We are sure that answering these questions before joining a new workplace will enable your business to become more productive.