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I’ve always thought the idea of coworking was rather intuitive: Put like-minded people in the same space, and you’re bound to see ideas fly. (Humans have, after all, always had the instinct to share and collaborate.)
Interestingly, it wasn’t until 1999 that the term “coworking” was actually coined. Game designer and theorist Bernie DeKoven used it to describe computer-supported collaborative work – a pretty specific realm, given today’s standards.
Just fourteen years later, any type of business – a law or accounting firm, design agency, editorial hub – can be a coworking space. Why? Because human motivations change little, but opportunities change a lot.
By nature, we want to share, network, and collaborate, but, until recently, the costs and risks were too high. Access to likeminded professionals (and markets for their goods and services to thrive as independent agents) was too difficult.
That’s where businesses like Desks Near Me come in.
In the new collaborative consumption economy, access to something that fits your needs in the moment – for example, a workspace – is more powerful and resourceful than actually owning it. The immediate fulfillment holds more value: You only use and pay for what you need, eliminating waste and bolstering productivity.
The Desks Near Me platform was designed in this spirit, aiming, in essence, to help people do what they’ve always wanted to do: connect, create, and expand their professional reach. Everything our team does is rooted in the belief that collaborative consumption is changing the business landscape and will continue to do so.
We’re not alone in our belief. Recently, Desks Near Me participated in a Forrester Research study conducted by Jennifer Belissent, Ph.D, which explored the current state of workplace diversity. The resulting research, presented in the article Enable the Workplaces of the Future, Now!, found that “workers themselves are changing, which influences the way they work as well as their workplace preferences.”
Not only that, but the influence coworking has on connecting and encouraging innovation amongst like-minded individuals is undeniable.
According to Belissent, “expanding your network will lead to greater knowledge and increase your chances of serendipitous innovation. And, that’s one of the biggest arguments for coworking spaces — both on-site and off.”
Here’s a peek at some key findings from the study. I’m eager for what lies ahead – I think you will be, too!