The State of Co-Working for 417-Landers in 2018

Co-working began as a way to address workspace challenges for independent workers. Now, freelancers, startups and even big corporations are turning to co-working for innovation and creativity, temporary and as-needed office space, business expansions, remote workers and more. Trend-watchers in 417-land say the climbing desire for contingent work and contingent workers, coupled with the demand for more workplace flexibility, are the catalysts sparking the recent boom.

Trend No. 1: Co-working spaces are focusing on culture—just like traditional offices.
Building a sense of community in co-working spaces has become the secret sauce of the industry. Community is what differentiates the co-worker from the coffee-shop dweller, and it’s proving essential to attracting and retaining members across the board. This is true too for The eFactory, which helps intentionally connect solopreneurs, startups and businesses through complimentary resources. “We offer a lot of programming in-house that you get to attend for free as a member,” Program Coordinator Paige Oxendine says. “We also offer complimentary coffee from The Coffee Ethic all day, we create a variety of communal spaces to eat lunch and take breaks in, and we configure Slack so that members have easy access to each other. When you encourage entrepreneurs to come together and connect, networking and referrals happen organically. Our members enjoy coming to work every day because of community.”

Trend No. 2: Legacy companies are relying on co-working spaces.
These days, co-working meets a wide variety of needs, even for big business. Corporations are strategically moving employees into these spaces all across the nation. They recognize that exposing their staff to new ideas and creative work environments creates more value for their businesses. Larry and Jeff Paulette, partners of Springfield-based Campaignium, have relied on co-working spaces to grow their digital marketing business in Colorado. “For us, co-working was a financially responsible decision that reduced our expansion risk,” Larry says. “But more than that, renting space at WeWork allowed Campaignium to quickly assimilate into a like-minded community in a new market. Now, we’re better positioned to capture business opportunities, and we’re more accessible to our growing base of Denver clients.” (Editor’s note: Although freelancer Rebekah Olson now works at Campaignium, she was not employed at the company while reporting or writing this article.)

Trend No. 3: Flexibility can spur innovation. 
“Businesses are transitioning quicker and making deals happen faster than ever before,” says Cast Executive Director Meagan Dollens. “For companies and employees who are always on the go, there’s a need for [a mix of] open offices, collaborative work atmospheres and private meeting spaces to get work done quickly and efficiently.” A simple change of scenery can reset motivation for a lot of people. When individuals are allowed to work when and where they please, innovation happens. In fact, according to global research by Deskmag and Deskwanted in 2017, two thirds of contingent workers say they feel more creative in co-working spaces. It makes sense. “When all of these great business minds and creative people are housed under one roof—regardless of what they’re working on—you’re bound to connect with someone who will help you in some way,” Dollens says. Like The eFactory, Cast organizes events for members so they can mix and mingle.