Excerpt from The National Observer By Mark Mensheha – September 16, 2020
How has the pandemic reshaped your business? A group of executives in Washington, D.C., answered that question recently. Find out how their decision-making and experiences compare to what you’ve been through in 2020 by reading what they had to say.
Coworking companies
Students attend online classes at a coworking site in Littleton, Colorado.
Coworking spaces become classrooms
As schools resume their fall sessions, some students in Colorado are headed not to the classroom, but to the office. Coworking companies across the Denver area are opening their doors to students who are navigating the new world of remote learning. The companies are pitching their spaces as safe, quiet escapes where children can focus on schoolwork away from the confines of home.
Some parents who already are coworking members are able to bring in their kids free of charge. Other families are forming learning pods, renting private offices at coworking spaces for their children to study together. Additionally, college students who are avoiding campus can study at a coworking space instead, and companies ranging from giants like WeWork to smaller local players are hoping to fill the growing need.
“The goal was really to provide service for parents and students,” John Borst, founder of coworking operation Modworks, told the Denver Business Journal. “Obviously, it’s a great opportunity to educate individuals on coworking and get parents into the space that might not have used a service like this before.”
—
With virtual learning, limited bandwidth, and entire families now working/learning from home, coworking seems to be a perfect solution to a daunting issue for many. I guess the question is one of value versus convenience…but what if coworking is both?
What if the value of an affordable space outweighs the convenience of not having to leave the house? We’ve also gotten a lot of feedback where business owners need a reason to leave the house – to feel “normal” again. Although we may never fully return to the pre-Covid “normal,” that sense of consistency and routine is what soloprenuers, students, and freelancers alike may be missing most right now.
