WHAT IS COWORKING?
10 Differences Between a Traditional Office and a Coworking Office
In recent years, the concepts of coworking and traditional offices have clashed. Companies have to assess which model suits them best, and the confusing offer makes this decision increasingly difficult. We compare according to criteria of services, costs, amenities, and general needs of companies and draw 10 differences to help you choose which option is best for your company.
1/10 PRICE
Traditional offices that are rented per square meter are delivered empty, which creates a strong initial investment cost. The company has to invest in the arrangement of its office, has to install services and often pay a maintenance fee. On the contrary, in the private offices of coworking spaces, the spaces are already ready, services and furniture are included, and being shared, they carry a lower total cost.
2/10 CONTRACT
In general, coworking space contracts are very flexible, ranging from 3 months to 1 year. A smaller security deposit is left, no legal policy is paid, and it is not necessary to have a guarantor. Traditional office contracts are longer, due to the same investment made by the company, they are longer-term decisions.
3/10 FURNITURE
Office furniture such as chairs, desks, routers, printers, wiring, lamps, etc. are included in coworking offices. They are delivered with the rent of the space and do not constitute an additional expense. In a traditional office, these furniture and tools have to be purchased, they are a considerable expense, partly deductible, the only advantage is that the furniture belongs to the company. The disadvantage is that they do not allow adapting to all spaces and you may want to move to a smaller or larger space in the middle of the year and all or most of the furniture will have to be renovated.
4/10 AMENITIES AND GENERAL EXPENSES
The great advantage offered by a coworking office in terms of amenities is that all services are really included and paid in a single invoice. The invoice that is paid monthly includes the workspace with its furniture, electricity, water, internet, telephone, meeting room, cafeteria, coffee and tea services, furnished common areas, office supplies in general, security, maintenance, reception and cleaning service. In a traditional office all these services are paid separately by the company, which is obliged to pay for long periods.this is just a glimpse—visit superclone.io
5/10 DESIGN
The issue of design is more subtle and depends on the image that each company seeks to have. The traditional office offers the advantage of being able to create the entire design by the company, as the company requires, obviously with the cost impact of designing a space.
In a coworking space, the company can choose from the existing offer the space that best suits its image: it can be a floor with a view, an industrial style, or on the contrary a very decorated space, with plants, designer furniture, etc. There is a very diverse offer, and the maintenance, as the design of the office is the responsibility of the coworking, so the company saves time and money.
6/10 FLEXIBILITY
Flexibility goes hand in hand with the contract signed by the company. Hiring a private office in coworking always means greater flexibility. The contracts with the coworking space are shorter and more flexible, the company does not have to contract additional services to be able to operate, which allows it to have a better adaptation capacity. Thus, if you find in the middle of the contract the need to grow or decrease your office space, it can easily be negotiated in a coworking, contrary to a traditional office space.
7/10 CREATIVE ENVIRONMENT
As we mentioned, in a coworking space there are people who are dedicated to thinking, creating and maintaining a creative work environment, in general they are spaces that companies choose because they have design and it would be very expensive to have an exclusive property of that quality. For a lower cost, they enjoy a space that, without sharing, would be more expensive to have.
8/10 NETWORKING
In traditional offices, most of the contact that the members of a team have is with their collaborators, this variable changes with coworking, since several projects coexist in a single space. This proximity can be very beneficial, to be able to approach other entrepreneurs, learn from the experience of others, share knowledge, create new business partners or clients, etc. Of course, if what you are looking for is privacy, it is also something totally possible, everything depends on the approach that your company requires.
9/10 SEVERAL LOCATIONS
Finding the right coworking provider, you can use not only the facilities of a single center, but of several. At
10/10 PRODUCTIVITY
Several studies show that a key way to increase the productivity of your employees is based on their workspace. Coworking spaces are designed to pamper and stimulate the creativity of our users. Imagine their day to day:
Traditional office: Look for parking (with charge) -> comply with a certain standard of dress (individual costs) -> perform a check for entry and identify yourself with credentials throughout your stay -> have a single space to work without the possibility of areas that motivate you -> be exposed all day to somber colors and to live only with those who have next to you -> … and so the hours pass.
Coworking: Arrive by bicycle or public transport -> drink coffee or tea and fruit to start the morning -> change work area between desk, terraces, recreation areas, etc. -> network with other companies -> be able to take your pet! -> have an event in the middle of the day where they give you pizza! -> upload a photo to your networks showing off the design of your offices -> productivity boost.
So now that you know some of the differences. What type of office is best for your company? Traditional office or coworking?
Author: Ana Blanquet
Ana is a partner of INHOUSE WORK. She has more than 10 years of experience in hospitality businesses. Working not only in corporate offices, such as coworking, she has also ventured into the coliving market and is an expert in customer service and organizational development. You can find her at ana.blanquet@inhousework.mx
