Corpoworking - what are the conditions for success?
Oct 12, 2022
Corporworking feasibility / Are my premises "Coworkeable"?
The optimization of free space within companies is becoming increasingly important. Many companies have realized that Flex-office is also an opportunity to reduce real estate costs by hosting other companies, in a flexible mode (service provision contract) that allows short notice.
Corpoworking", i.e. Coworking integrated within an existing company (unlike a 100% dedicated Coworking space where there is no "host" company), is also an opportunity to enrich one's ecosystem and cross-fertilize new skills, often a source of partnerships.
The key success factors for running a successful Corpoworking service are based on a number of different factors.
First of all, it's a good idea to keep offices as compartmentalized as possible. Open-plan offices, while more cost-effective per square meter, take longer to fill, and require a degree of discipline that the host company is not designed to maintain. Unless you're already equipped with a phonebox, the downside of open-space is that people on the phone disturb the neighbors. In that case, disaster is guaranteed. That's why closed offices are a priority.
As far as confidentiality is concerned, it's obvious that a "secret-defense" company won't be able to welcome other companies. But far from going to extremes, we need to be willing to open up our professional ecosystem a little. Certain regulated professions, such as lawyers, will only be able to accept lawyers. In short, professional motivation should not be the only factor in a Corpoworking operation, unless you have a completely dedicated space with separate access. Otherwise, you can expect to exchange ideas around the coffee machine, just as you would with any other colleague.
Last but not least, you need to be welcoming and friendly. Meeting new professionals must be seen more as an opportunity than as a means of supplementing income, otherwise the alchemy won't work. It's friendliness that generates income, not income that has to involve friendliness.