The rise of co-working and its benefits for an office fit out in London

The number of 'micro' businesses and freelancers is on the rise. In the last year alone, the number of tech companies in the UK increased by over 1,500; a growth of 14 percent. London had by far the highest number of new firms; out of the 11,864 new tech start-ups that were registered at Companies House, 4,752 were based in the capital. Through this, there has been a demand created for small,flexible office spaces throughout the country.

To meet this need, the idea of co-working has started to have a major influence upon the design of office fit out in London – but what exactly is co-working and how can it be of benefit to a business?

The importance of office fit out in London

With London being perhaps THE most competitive place in the world to do business, it doesn't take much imagination to wonder why it's important for a local company to be able to give its employees the best possible environment in which to work.

As people spend upwards of 7 hours a day at work, the feelings they experience has a huge bearing on their daily lives. Work can affect on their mood and general health. Often, the environment they experience at work is a major factor in them being committed to the business or leads them to search for something else.

So if a business can get their office fit out in London right, they will be creating the best possible environment for their employees to flourish. For many, that best possible environment is a co-working space.

So, what is co-working?

Co-working is a design style that sees the barriers between people and departments taken down, so everyone can work side-by-side. It's intended to encourage interaction between workers, promoting collaboration and building communities that would not otherwise exist. Such spaces create an inclusive working environment, making it a great place to exist in every day – these experiences can only help to boost in-work happiness and one's commitment to a company.

Aside from these benefits, co-working can provide an added financial boost too. For a business who is happy with the location of their office fit out in London and the rent they pay for it, co-working can help them to re-imagine the way they use their space. This will give them the opportunity to introduce new areas (such as meeting rooms, breakout areas, private working areas, etc)in order to give their employees and clients an enhanced experience of the company.

For new or smaller businesses, establishing themselves may prove difficult, what with high rents and long leases being common. Finding a location that can suit both the budget and spatial requirements of a business can be hard; not so with a co-working facility. Instead of having to rent space, the business rents the exact amount of space and number of desks they need; no having to 'make do' with a space that is too small or too large. Armed with such flexibility, a start-up can concentrate their budgets in other areas, building towards growth and success.

In-work benefits of co-working for a business

Now that we've established what co-working is, here are some daily benefits that co-working has for a business and its employees:

Raises productivity. The heart of co-working is collaboration. It provides employees with a great opportunity to get together to work on projects, as they learn and share ideas. Fundamentally,increased collaboration and rapport should lead to a higher quality of work being produced at a much more fluid (faster) rate.

Creates a community. With their daily demeanour being heavily influenced by what they experience at work, the last thing any business wants is for their employees to feel disconnected with their jobs; low moods are a productivity killer (as well as affecting a person's health). Therefore, it can be said that a business has a responsibility to create a workspace that is welcoming,comfortable, collaborative and flexible enough to suit everyone's particular requirements. With flexibility being the main attribute of a co-working space,this makes it perfect to create an in-work community that everyone will look forward to coming to every day.

Attracts new talents. As competition in the area to attract new employees is as fierce as attracting new clients, an office fit out in London is increasingly becoming the yardstick that the younger end of the workforce use to judge a business by. Generation Z (and to some extent, Millennials), value openness, flexibility and collaboration; all of which can be achieved by a co-working design.

Caters for a range of working styles. Aside from the collaboration aspect of co-working spaces, flexibility can be exploited to create a workspace that caters for all manner of different working styles. There may be a time when someone needs to work in solitude; this can be achieved by the inclusion of private rooms, or simply by throwing up some screens and having a comfy sofa. Many people may prefer to work from home and pop into the office when needs be; co-working offices are perfect for this. The lack of assigned desks will allow for people to enter the office whenever they need to; helping them to balance their working and home lives more effectively.The results of this can only be of benefit to the business.

If you've been intrigued by co-working office design and wish to learn more, why not consider getting in touch with our expert office fitters?

Bespoke, Flexible Office Design By Oaktree Interiors

Having been creating bespoke work environments for the last three decades, the team here at Oaktree Interiors have established a leading office design business based on the drive to constantly keep pace with the latest trends and innovations.

This is why we can offer you a dedicated client-focused service that is designed to understand everything that you and your employees need, what your business wants to achieve and how you want to appear to your clients.

If you would like to learn more about how we can help you to improve your office fit out in London, we would be pleased to hear from you. Do not hesitate to give us a call on 034521 86955 or send any e-mail enquiries to hello@oaktreeoffice.com and we'll be in touch

The Rise Of Co-Working And Its Benefits For An Office Fit Out In London

The importance of office fit out in London

So, what is co-working?

In-work benefits of co-working for a business

Bespoke, Flexible Office Design By Oaktree Interiors

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