The concepts of coworking space and business centre overlap a bit nowadays as they have started to provide the services that historically the other one would have.
The concept of “coworking” has become very popular in the recent years. It is a short form for collaborative work and it refers, in general, to a space where different entrepreneurs, whether it’s a freelancer or a whole team, can be together with other professionals while performing their tasks.
Originally aimed at freelancers and very small companies, they were generally populated by nomad workers. This is a bit different now in the case of bigger coworking centres such as WeWork, which have started to target bigger enterprises, although for the smallest, local centres, the idea remains the same.
They offer desks in an open space which workers can then use randomly and a shared area with amenities that aim at encouraging exchanges amongst the users.
A business centre, on the other hand, is a place that provides office facilities and services such as fully equipped desks and meeting rooms, administration services such as calls or mail reception, documents translation, etc. depending on the clients’ needs, who will decide what to include in their plan.
PRIVACY AND NETWORKING
Business centres provide services more geared towards administrative matters, while coworking spaces appear to care more about the potential networks that could be established among the workers. This is not to say that networking isn’t possible in a business centre; with generally several companies and professionals per centre, it’s quite possible to come in touch with other enterprises. The biggest difference for that matter is that, in a business centre, you can still keep your privacy if desired, whereas in a traditional coworking space, this is notoriously more difficult.
DEVELOPMENT AND CONSOLIDATION OF THE BUSINESS
Business centres are a long established field that started in the 70s. They have always been able to respond to the needs of every type of enterprise and they continue to adapt to the emergence of new fields and forms of companies today. Coworking spaces, however, didn’t become relevant until some years ago (ca. 2010) and, although they have gained momentum fast, only the biggest ones have been able to adapt to the needs of traditional, big companies while still being considered as a coworking centre. Smaller ones continue to attract nomad workers overall.
ARRANGEMENT OF THE SPACE
The main characteristic of a coworking centre is the fact that the arrangement normally takes the shape of an open space, which is decorated to make it look cosy and comfortable. There are, in general, shared areas with, for example, food and drinks, or games, to encourage the residents to talk to each other and exchange business ideas. Sometimes, it’s possible to find meeting rooms or few private desks in a coworking centre, although those aren’t common. It’s important to know that, even for permanent residents in the coworking with a ‘membership’ (the monthly plan according to their contract), their desk isn’t necessarily the same all the time, which means that the users are never in the same spot. While this may suit some, it can be particularly disturbing for teams, although, as mentioned before, nowadays they have the option to book rooms for themselves in certain coworking spaces for a bit higher price.
In the case of a business centre, it’s possible to find meeting rooms with more or less capacity and individual and shared offices, normally with a fixed desk assigned to the person contracting the service, as well as waiting areas and a reception desk, which are, in most cases, non-existent in coworking spaces. A shared room or area is also available in most of them. However, the biggest difference is that the facilities of a business centre are normally fully equipped with all the necessary furniture and office material, like photocopiers or projectors, and a good internet connection. In the case of coworking spaces, only the internet, chairs and desks are included as office material.
PURPOSE OF A BUSINESS CENTRE AND OF A COWORKING SPACE
Both a business and a coworking centre are, in most cases, located in strategic areas of the city, which always projects a good image when appointing clients. However, the main attractive of a business centre is the domiciliation service offered, which enables the user to establish his registered address in the centre by means of a domiciliation contract; thus not revealing his private residence to anyone. This is indeed not the aim of a coworking centre, whose purpose is to provide collaborative working premises. Even though some coworking spaces have started to offer a domiciliation service, it’s still very rare.
CONCLUSION
Depending on the needs of your company, you may opt for a coworking space or a business centre. The pricing and is indeed similar considering the services included in each of them. However, the degree of privacy, while still offering networking possibilities, is considerably higher in a business centre, as well as the professional image of the enterprise. While some offers concerning office space rental overlap between them and they don’t seem to present any difference, the aim of these two types of centres is definitely not the same.