Coworking figures continue to grow every year and more and more maxicentros are opening their doors in our country. The more spaces, the greater the competitiveness. But can small spaces compete with these giants? Does it mean the end of traditional coworkings?
During the last months almost all the news of the Spanish coworking industry have focused on the entry of large multinationals, such as Spaces or WeWork, who are looking for a place in Spain. But also, other large consulting groups in the Real Estate sector , such as Colonial or Merlin , who are investing large sums of money to get a piece of the cake. This situation has put on alert the traditional coworking who fear having to close their doors to the escape of users to these maxi work centers. Should small spaces worry? Our answer is NO. And then we will explain the reasons.
It is normal to be alarmed at such a level of competitiveness, but the reality is that what is happening is completely normal. Every time a new industry is born and starts to emerge, large firms and investors arrive that convert a niche into a mass market. And in the case of coworking it was not going to be otherwise. The important thing in these cases is to understand that they are not competition. That is, a small workspace cannot compete with one of the size of WeWork, and if it is your goal, it is a big mistake and you may pay for it with its closure. It is not possible to compare, the resources are not the same and the public they are addressing either. So you have to change the chip and take this as an opportunity to strengthen other types of users who still prefer small coworking over large.
Coworkers true to their spaces
The users who frequent the maxi work spaces shared with those who go to the smallest coworkings have nothing to do with it. The former seek spaces with a wide range of services and in which to make many contacts with large companies. On the contrary, the latter give priority to a more personalized service and to be part of a community, seeking to find a “family” from which to learn and support themselves for the development of their professional projects. All these characteristics cannot be found in large spaces where everything becomes much more impersonal. Who are these spaces that we call maxi coworkings good for? For groups of companies that are looking for a workplace with all the comforts and that allow them to meet potential partners.
Returning to what I said at the beginning of the article, this situation has already been experienced in other sectors such as haute couture and luxury, in which the traditional essence has been distorted giving way to a mass market. In these cases two things have happened, that some brands have decided to create large groups and lose the traditional concept or, however, other firms have opted for exclusivity and personalized service away from these large groups. There is public for both, and this is what happens in the coworking industry.
You have to stop being alarmed and take this opportunity to build strong centers with a loyal audience. Some of our proposals are: Create new dynamics within coworking that help you build loyalty to your audience or focus on a niche market instead of trying to cover all types of coworkers.
And remember, being smaller doesn't make you weaker, you just have to learn to use your weapons better.
