FAQ

Coworking is a business office concept that combines the independence of working on your own with the more structured setting of a traditional office environment. Born in San Francisco in 2005, coworking is the brainchild of software engineer Brad Neuberg who was going through a rough financial patch and was trying to figure out what he wanted to do. Neuberg’s idea came about because he was looking to balance the feeling of freedom and independence when working by himself with the feeling of community and structure only attainable when working with others. His plan developed and the idea took off.

Coworking has gained popularity due to the inherent benefits of working in a group setting. It meets the needs of entrepreneurs, freelancers, tech startups, and other remote workers across countless industries who are looking to balance their workspaces with their home lives. A real benefit of Venture X coworking spaces is elimination of the distractions of working at home (i.e., dog barking, kids crying, TV playing in the background, etc.). In addition to working around like-minded professionals,

Shared office spaces are modeled on the concept of two or more businesses or individuals working in the same physical location at the same time. Synonymous with coworking spaces, shared office spaces started to gain popularity when a number of entrepreneurs, tech startups, small independent businesses and freelance professionals desired places to work that were separate from their home spaces. In the early 2000s, with commercial real estate lease prices rising rapidly in reputable neighborhoods, small businesses, startups, and freelance professionals welcomed the idea of working around other like-minded professionals.

Traditional office spaces lacked the community element that formed an integral part of what software engineer, Brad Neuberg coined as “coworking” for his San Francisco Coworking Company, in 2005. Neuberg’s idea of combining the freedom of working independently, as an entrepreneur, small business owner, or freelancer with the community feel of traditional office settings.

In addition to saving a considerable amount of money not needing to set up an office, with all of the technology, business machinery, and amenities required to do business, day-to-day.

Coworking has been a game-changer for not just small- and medium-sized businesses but all businesses over the last decade.  Now, due in a large part to the benefits coworking offers over traditional office settings, co-working is even more popular. Beyond improved productivity ratings, the increased happiness members report, the social networking aspect, and the potential for collaboration coworking spaces embody, coworking spaces offer flexible monthly contracts that allow your business to easily scale up or down, depending on your needs. Also, these flexible monthly contracts can save businesses a great deal of money because there is no need to commit to lengthy commercial office leases that lock your business into a space that can’t grow with your business. Coworking spaces also enhance your business by providing it with a prestigious address in a good neighborhood, that would otherwise be prohibitively expensive for most growing businesses to support.

Along with the savings associated with expanding your business, coworking spaces offer businesses turnkey office solutions that allow businesses to start working immediately, forgoing the expense and the time consumed by initially setting up and then maintaining your own office. Coworking space benefits include having everything you need to grow your business each day, at your fingertips, instead of incurring significant expenses by installing and maintaining office equipment, state-of-the-art technology, and super fast Internet in their own commercial space. Another perk associated with coworking revolves around the fact that the amenities businesses need during a workday are provided by the coworking space, such as coffee, tea, and filtered water. Coworking spaces also provide cleaning services, as well.

Connected to a pool of talent, coworking spaces accelerate the hiring process for expanding businesses and also provide a wealth of independent contractors for services your company needs, such as marketing, website development, photography, legal services, and much more. An important intangible benefit of coworking spaces centers on connecting to the local business community at large in creating more exposure for your brand and building relationships that motivate members to realize their business goals.

Coworking spaces are safe places to work. Many coworking spaces have security cameras installed in common areas and require a valid keycard to enter the space after hours. During regular business hours, Community Staff are typically in the common area to greet members and guests. Private office spaces within coworking spaces have a key so they can be locked as an added measure of precaution. Some coworking spaces are located within buildings that offer the added measure of security of a paid security guard on staff and some locations also offer storage lockers for their members. Most coworking systems have implemented some form of an alarm system to monitor motion sensors and the like.

In light of COVID-19, the question of safety at coworking spaces takes on a new light. Coworking spaces that follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines are deemed safe. With shared desk spaces arranged according to social distancing rules, at least 6 feet apart, and several private offices in the offing, coworking spaces with plenty of room for members to move around are considered safe, along with members and guests wearing face masks and washing their hands frequently. Many spaces have installed hand sanitizing stations in locations within the space and touchless entry for doors to common areas, elevators, and conference rooms.

Coworking spaces, such as Venture X, are sanitizing heavily trafficked hard surfaces several times a day in addition to requiring members to wear face coverings when in community spaces. Wearing face coverings in private offices when working alone is left up to the discretion of the coworking members. Venture X has eliminated frequently touched items like reusable coffee mugs, glassware, and utensils, opting for disposable drinkware and utensils.

Venture X has helped accommodate companies that want their employees to come back to work in person but whose employees still have safety concerns by offering private office spaces for individuals or teams, to keep employees together but not in a crowded space.