It’s been a year since the coronavirus pandemic began. Over this chaotic year, the entire world has come to a halt. Lockdowns across the world have forced businesses to rethink their operations. Leveraging technology businesses have found a sense of continuity. As a result, some of the biggest companies in tech are now closing their physical offices. It’s a clear indication that in a post-COVID world, the way we work will be very different. In such a world, flexibility will be key for businesses and their employees. This desire for flexibility has seen many companies exploring the idea of co-working spaces.
“Dedicated office spaces often come with multi-year lease agreements and contracts that are difficult to exit. This is not the case with a co-working space. Membership agreements are incredibly flexible and allow companies to leave whenever they want,” explains CoFounder of WORX, Azahn Munas. He adds, “This is an incredibly unique opportunity, especially in today’s environment and something we’ve seen companies value greatly.”
Despite the challenges presented by the pandemic, WORX has seen continued growth. In just 4 months of operation, the co-working space has hit 100% occupancy. A clear indicator that companies are seeking greater flexibility. Not only does a co-working space offer greater flexibility with agreements but also space offerings ranging from individual hot desks to dedicated offices. This allows businesses to better adapt to the impact of lockdowns, which Azahn describes as, “One of the biggest challenges posed by COVID-19 to businesses.”
Further, in a coworking space, companies are no longer responsible for maintenance. In the current context, the operators of the coworking space will take the necessary steps towards improving hygiene standards, taking away the burden from businesses and allowing them to focus on their operations. “We’ve changed some of our core member experiences to prioritize the health and safety of the community. We’ve also taken steps to limit seating capacity to enforce social distancing. Such measures are necessary to ensure our spaces are safe for our community,” said Azahn describing how WORX has had to adapt.
While offering the much sought after flexibility by businesses in these times, an added benefit of coworking spaces are the diverse communities found inside. Offering a snapshot of the WORX community, Azahn said, “The community at WORX is an extremely varied and diverse one. What initially began as a hub for tech startups and digital nomads has now grown significantly to include creative professionals such as photographers, designers and artists as well as recruiters and event planners. So it’s a very eclectic mix of people.”
Azahn goes onto state that this diverse community is the foundation that makes co-working spaces, “The perfect place to network, collaborate and create. Not only is it an inclusive and safe place to work, but it’s also super easy and flexible! Our spaces are furnished and we provide all the tools and services our members will need to succeed. In other words, we like to focus on the little things, so they can accomplish big things.”
With WORX having hit 100% occupancy in 4 months of operation, the company is already working towards opening another coworking space in early 2021 that will focus on small to medium-sized private offices in the heart of Colombo. But for those eager to explore the idea of coworking, WORX opened its new hot-desking lounge at its co-working space in Colombo 05. A socially distanced space, it allows anyone to walk in and start working on a laptop.
Moving forward, it’s clear that remote working is here to stay. In a post COVID world, employees will want greater flexibility. In turn, to meet these needs, businesses will be forced to explore new ways of working. Seeing these trends, Azahn confidently states, “Coworking spaces will play a tremendous role in the new age of remote working.” If you’re interested in grabbing a desk at WORX’s new location, get in touch with them here before space runs out.