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Three new concepts from major corporations

Since the 1920’s, State Farm has been offering automobile, home, and life insurance in an effort to protect people when the unexpected happens. The fact that they have been around so long is testament to their ability to adapt to the changing business and technological climates in the U.S. And recently, it seems they are adapting once again. After recognizing current trends, State Farm has begun experimenting with their own entry into the coworking market, called Next Door.

In Chicago, IL they have created a cafe concept that combines the accessibility and collaborative environment of a coworking space, with a kind of modern community center. At Next Door, you could work on your freelance projects, take classes on social entrepreneurship or how to write a business plan, and even meet with a financial coach to help plan for your retirement. Although you have to pay for the coffee yourself, they provide the space, the workshops and the coaching all for free. It’s a pretty amazing concept for freelancers looking to get some work done in a beautiful environment and have some expert financial advice at the ready.

In Canada, ING Direct, best known for its bright orange color scheme, is a popular online bank with no brick and mortar branches. In recent years they have opened five cafes across the country that allow the curious and the customer alike, to sip coffee, access free wi-fi and work on their laptops in a modern space. Although, the American portion of the company was sold to Capital One 360, and they continue to operate eight cafes in the United States, in cities such as Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York.

In both countries, these spaces act as a real-world interface between the customers and the bank itself in a no-pressure situation. While you can hold meetings or collaborate with other mobile workers in the cafe, they also have representatives on hand to answer any questions you may have about earning, saving or financial planning. By providing casual workspaces, both ING Direct and Capital One 360, have put a human face on their company while encouraging a natural interaction between the local community and the businesses they utilize. And this can only help encourage collaboration between the two.

Based in Chicago, Workspring has been established by the furniture company, Steelcase. Based on the company's studies, in regards to work behavior and environments, Workspring considers the needs of the modern employee and the different methods used to enhance their work environment and networking skills. The idea behind the corporate coworking implemented at Workspring, “takes cues from a ‘collaborative consumption’ model”, and aims to focus on the employee's wellbeing. While the first space in River North focused more on private offices, the new location, which opened in February within Chicago's Loop, is able to host more than 100 people. To do so, they provide two open workspaces, many meeting areas of different sizes and some private offices.

But what if a cooperation wants to rent out the entire space for over 100 employees? "Then we might build a new Workspring for them", says a Workspring manager. However, the number of employees from the same comapny, who are allowed to use the space, is limited. Workspring's concept of "corporate coworking" aims to avoid having people from same company always working together, and encourages them to branch out. The locations are designed in a way so that they look more formal than the usual coworking space, but also more open than a typical corporate office. 

Following the philosophy of coworking, which draws inspiration from the surrounding environment, Workspring sees potential in the city’s forward-thinking and creative energy, and has made steps to become part of the community. For example, designers and researchers from the coworking space collaborated with Stanford University, on a project, which focused on  “tailoring interactions between people and their work”.

Implications for both coworking and corporations

The burgeoning area that sees the mingling of coworking ideas and the utilization of corporate space is poised to become the new normal. Opposite ends of the workplace spectrum are taking cues from one another and moving the market toward more choice and increased efficiency that makes sense for all involved. “They started with very different points but they are converging on some fundamental concepts,” says Gilbreath. As the awareness and popularity of coworking grows, large companies are sensing a need to enter the space. “[Corporations are] coming at it from a standpoint, first and foremost, that we need to rationalize the way we are using buildings because it’s way to expensive environmentally and economically. They are moving toward sharing.”

While these tectonic shifts are happening at the corporate level, they are also being felt, albeit in more subtle ways, in the traditional coworking sector. Freelancers and other consumers of coworking spaces are clamoring for new opportunities and are being offered more diverse choices than ever before.

As more people seek new and stimulating places to work, the types of space, amenities, and location will only increase with demand. And this is where the two sides see opportunities. Gilbreath continues, “they’re coming together in the same place which is, wow, shared workspaces, space available on demand, driving utilization up, creating more opportunities for interaction, that’s all goodness. It makes sense whether it’s within the four walls of the company or it’s outside in the public world in a coworking space.”

What next?

As technology progresses and further liberates mobile workers from the shackles of a permanent office, the concept of the workspace will continue to evolve. The future is set to involve two compatible trends. Workers will seek out and have access to coworking environments that suit them as individuals, and at the same time, corporations will offer choices that are good for their balance sheet as well as the happiness of their employees.

Gilbreath explains, “I think you’re gonna see the blurring of the lines of workplace. Whether you’re a freelancer or a corporate employee, workplace is wherever I am. It’s not just explicitly my company’s office, it’s wherever I am as a consumer. Coworking as a principle just means a vibrant environment where space sharing is part of the concept. And there’s rich interaction when people want it and there’s privacy when they need it. And I think you’ll see...those principles will invade workplaces, wherever they exist. In a hotel, or a private company, or a coworking space.” When workers start to become consumers in the marketplace of space, and corporations begin to offer more choices, everybody wins. 

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