The pandemic has catapulted this to be a hot topic and we can understand why. Tech start-ups are entrepreneurial: they are new businesses evolving and adapting to the needs of their consumers and collaborative workspace design does exactly the same thing. By 2018, there were 30.2 million Startups or small businesses operating in the U.S. and this figure is only growing. As is the serviced office industry. Coincendence? We think not! In fact, the I.T. Industry has the biggest number of coworkers accounting for 22% of coworking space. This is unsurprising considering the key benefits collaborative workspace design affords technology startups - read on to learn the main six.
1. Collaborative office space offer all-inclusive and secure IT packages in their offerings.
A Report published by Global Property Consultants, Cluttons found that pre-pandemic, 81% of Commercial office tenants attributed better business performance to workspace connectivity. Serviced offices combat the cybersecurity hindrances homeworking has wrought by offering technology startups office space that is fit for purpose. Sufficient bandwidth, firewalls, VPNs (virtual private networks), public and even private clouds can all be negotiated as a part of your deal in coworking spaces. Wifi and video-conferencing facilities are also included!
2. Collaborative workspace design features (more often than not) Networking & Event space.
Start-ups are entrepreneurial: connecting with people, mingling, and pitching are all integral to their success. Collaborative office space provides them with essential opportunities to meet like-minded businesses and do what they do best. The benefits of Networking & Event Space are numerous for technology startups, they allow them to:
- Pre Qualify clients
- Meet potential Mentors & build working relationships
- Meet & onboard Investors
-Grow and shape a business community
- Understand competitors, neighbouring market individuals and practise brand differentiation
We have a heap of serviced office providers who have gone above and beyond to offer their coworking tenants inspirational Networking & Events programmes in their collaborative workspaces - Finsbury Square, for example, host regular cultural and wellbeing events in their Auditorium.
3. You can upsize easily.
Where conventional leases mean you sign an agreement and are bound to that (usually for a minimum time period of 5 years), collaborative workspaces offer flexible terms which allows for rapid expansion. The Technology Start-Up sector has grown by a whopping 78% in the U.S. alone since 2013 - and they show no sign of slowing down. The 'pay-as-you-grow' models that the serviced office industry presents its startup clients with is just another way in which the industry is demonstrating businesses' increasingly requirement for flexibility when it comes to your workplace.
4. Collaborative workspaces offer flexible terms of contract.
Cutting the costs of traditional leases is a big hurdle that all Start-ups face. For one thing companies want to ensure that if they are paying for office space, they want it to the workspace design to serve their company optimally. A study by Telecommunications provider Onecom’s found that of 1000 managers across all industry sectors, a whopping 77% agreed that embracing collaborative workspace design had significant advantages over traditional office space and would be a top priority for them moving forwards.
Finance Consultancy, Cloud, point out that tech start-ups face the hurdle of being new: they do not have an extended credit history to allow them to sign conventional leases and hand over large deposits. Collaborative workspace is designed to offer flexible solutions: featuring breakout spaces with a variety of areas including:
- bleacher benches
- private pods
- hot-desking
- kitchen areas
- bookable meeting rooms
- Half-moon spaces
Take hot-desking, for example: hot-desking means people who share a work area, with no fixed-seat assigned. No set desks. Anybody can turn up, plug-in and work, coming and going as they please. To read more about how coworking offices optimise space, you can check out this post.
6. Collaborative workspaces embrace agile working: crucial to employeeing and retaining the top talent in 2021.
Where the pandemic has meant the way we work and how we want to work has changed, more consideration must be given to employees’ mental health and their work-life balance. Tech startups can benefit hugely from the agile working coworking offices embrace because it affords them 2 key things:
- Agile working boosts wellness which boosts staff productivity. 
Workplace publications have identified the need for agile working as a top trend that is sure to continue and crucial to embrace if businesses are to retain the best talent looking forwards. Chris Moriarty, Director of Insight and Engagement at The Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management (IWFM) explains:
"It is likely that employees will look for contracts that involve agile working policies - and businesses must ensure they are adapting to this trend in order to attract and retain talent."
Take half-moon spaces, for example, that allow those in the office to plug in and dial in colleagues working remotely so that projects can be completed no matter where you’re working from.
- Agile working meets the changing expectations of the new generations in your workforce.
Milennials and Gen Zers value independent, flexible working: they want to be trusted to work remotely coupled with the Mentorship and interaction that collaborative workspace design facilitates. How you choose to arrange this with your team and make the most of collaborative workspaces all depends on your Corporate Communication - more on this found here. Economist, Directorate for Science, Technology and Innovation, OECD, Flavio Calvino, points out that start-ups are key drivers of economic growth and that young firms account for 20% of employment. Newbies need to learn face-to-face from mentoring and interacting with their CEO’s. The time to learn cannot be done over zoom and working remotely full time allows no space for Generation Zers to prove their chops in the world of work and business. Tech start-ups will benefit hugely from collaborative workspace design for the simple fact that it allows them the best of both worlds: to get to know and train their keen newbies, but also to offer them flexible working opportunities that employees are increasingly expecting to be offered.
Where does Flexioffices come into this?
At Flexioffices, we have always known that the office is more than just four walls and a desk.
There are benefits of collaborative workspace designs for tech start-ups aplenty- from the inclusive and secure tech readymade packages serviced offices offer, to the networking and adaptable collaborative work zones they provide. Pair this with flexible terms of contract, flexible working really is a no-brainer. We have been helping businesses adapt to the changing world of work for 20+ years. We've helped people find serviced offices that are adapting to offer you new and innovative solutions so you can get back to doing what you do best. To find a flexible working solution that works for you, get in touch with us.
