Part of our personality at Procol is that of conceptual sponge. Our collective eyes and ears are always open, ready to receive and appraise new ideas, and consider their worth for our clients. It was with our spongy hats on that we came across an article profiling the world’s best co-working spaces. Here’s what we learned…

If you’re thinking, “But I don’t operate a co-working space….” our response is that actually, with respect, yes you do! Perhaps not in the formal sense of renting desk space to freelancers, start-ups and small teams, but most companies are made up of individuals and teams with very similar requirements: space to work productively, space to meet and discuss, and space to socialise, eat and drink.

And the key lesson is that all businesses need to make their offices somewhere people really want to be.

The growth co-working space – now a multi-billion-dollar global phenomenon – has been driven partly in the rise of the so-called ‘digital nomad’ (laptop-equipped individuals working for themselves) but partly by such people wanting to work not on their kitchen table, but somewhere with a sense of structure and community. Co-working spaces deliver that in spades, and your office space should do that too.

The best co-working spaces are designed to reflect the culture and personality of the people they want to attract and – importantly – keep. Co-working spaces inevitably have a relatively high churn of occupancy (compared to a regular business) but providing an environment and facilities that people like and value helps to build the and bond community. In turn, this minimises the need to be constantly attracting new people. Almost every business can learn from this.

A professional working enviroment such as these globally great co-working spaces will attract, support and motivate your employees, enhancing productivity, boosting your profile and reducing recruitment costs.

Read more about Procol’s philosophy of creating professional working envionments, and how these differ from the norm. You can also learn more by getting in touch!