Co.Unity and co-working spaces are growing in popularity. Today we are sharing our own personal experiences, based on feedback we receive from our members.

 

When we started our shared workspace in Hermanus, it was March 2020. Little did we know what stormy conditions lay ahead – the COVID pandemic and all the restrictions the pandemic brought. The solutions that were put forward were to isolate people with the aim to reduce infections and the speed at which infections were taking place. What this meant was that any business that was reliant on community gatherings was basically shut down, at least for the foreseeable future. As we all know, certain levels of restrictions have been in force ever since. 

 

Many people have said to us that we couldn’t have opened the business at a better time, with remote working becoming the norm and Zoom Towns becoming more popular. This, however, was not always the case. People become accustomed to working at home, and co-working workspaces are still a very new concept, especially in smaller towns like Hermanus. 

 

Biggest Benefits of Our Co-Working Spaces

 

With the above being said, we have noticed an increase in our membership and use of our facilities over the past 2 months. In this blog, I wanted to share some of the most popular reasons, as given to us by our members.

 

WFH Fatigue:

 

Working from home is great, but it has many distractions. At the end of the day, human beings like to feel a part of a community. Studies have also shown that the lines between work time and family/home time start to get blurred, and people working from home mentally feel they are always at work. This has led to a higher rate of burnout. Our members love the fact that they can get out of the house, and actually go to a destination that is specifically for work. While they are in the shared space, they get to interact with other people, and in some cases, friendships and new business partnerships are formed. Then, when they are at home, they can dedicate time to family and household chores. It is mentally more stimulating and creates a far better work/life balance.

 

Flexible Time and Price Options:

 

Once our members have decided that working from home is not always the answer, the next most important thing is how much time they are wanting to spend getting their work done and meeting like-minded people – what is this time going to cost? Our members really like the fact that using our space has no risk attached at all. We have quite a few people who book three mornings a week, coming through and paying on the day. They have committed to themselves that these mornings are their key times to get work done, much the same as a gym routine, except this is a work routine. We also have busy mothers who use our space just for an hour or two when they get a gap. All these options are on a Pay-Per-Use basis. The space does tend to fill up during periods of loadshedding, but what has been encouraging is many people that have used our services during loadshedding return when there is no loadshedding because they have had a great experience. So our no-risk offering has grown the appetite for our space. Who wouldn’t want A-Grade office space, whenever you need it, without having to sign long term contracts?

 

A-Grade Office Amenities:

 

Setting up in under a few minutes is what we are about. The users of our space love the fact that they get a space that is constantly clean (clean space = clean mind). There is “Always On” business fibre, uninterrupted power, temperature control, boardroom access and private offices for hire, making it a great place to conduct meetings. As an additional service, we have an onsite café fully equipped with baristas who will bring you coffee right to your desk. We are a business centre and providing business services is a top priority for us to give to our members. Price is what you pay, value is what you get. Our philosophy is to make sure our product features are as good as you would get in any business hub. The feedback from our members shows that we are doing a pretty good job.

 

Moving Forward…

 

Shared working environments will be a part of the work-space environment for some time to come. We believe that the trend is starting to become popular in smaller Zoom Towns, with locals using the space more often. This trend will continue as companies’ leases come to an end and downscaling on high risk, long term rentals will take place. Individuals still need good offices to separate work from home and co-working spaces provide all the services needed to get work done. 

 

Co.Unity is situated in the town of Hermanus, offering a range of co-working spaces to meet your budget and needs.