Want to be updated with the latest and newest trends in eco business, retail or hip leisure business ideas? Sign up for the email alerts from springwise.com! Springwise. Its global network of 8000 spotters scan the globe for smart new business ideas, delivering instant inspiration to entrepreneurial minds.
Over the past months I was particulary interested in what Springwise spotters describe as “being spaces for mobile warriors”. A “Being Space” is a third-room phenomenon : ie. commercial living-room-like settings, where catering and entertainment aren't the main attraction, but are there to facilitate small office/living room activities like watching a movie, reading a book, meeting friends and colleagues, or doing your administration.
About 38 percent of the working population in the United States—are mobile workers, defined as those who spend at least 20 percent of their time away from their primary workplace. These employees in the field, independent contractors, freelancers and minipreneurs all need a flexible base for doing business.
Some examples of being spaces.
And let’s start in Belgium. Cook&Book. A book shop annex restaurant annex wine shop. A place where you can lunch between your favourite books. A pity that after 8 months the book store- restaurant still isn’t present on the internet. When you click cookandbook.be you get the message: “soon online”
The Hoxton Hotel opened its doors in September 2006 in a hip neighbourhood in London's East End. Besides the usual meeting spaces for guests, the Hoxton also offers private offices for non-guests. Perfect for getting work done between meetings in London. Each office features a desk, free wireless internet, a phone and a private bathroom. Offering work space to non-guests is a smart sideline for hotels, who should be able to incorporate them with existing (underutilized) business centres without too much trouble.
The Coffee Office is built for business – meeting spaces, workstations, conference rooms and café are combined into a centre for mobile professionals. Based in Windsor, Ontario, The Coffee Office was founded to offer business professionals everything they need to stay productive outside a traditional office. A café section is open to everyone, and like the rest of the building, offers free high-speed wireless internet and plenty of power points. The rest of the space is reserved for TCO members, who have access to private workstations and conference rooms.
Also South African Habitaz offers flexible office space.
A novel twist added by Habitaz is the pre-paid office card. While most of Habitaz' lease plans are per month, their pre-paid GreenCard allows customers to rent space and facilities by the hour, minute or megabyte. A card costs ZAR 1,000 (USD 145 / EUR 115), and gives holders access to all of the facilities at Habitaz, each of which are charged by use. Facilities include open plan workspace that's open 24/7, with free parking and 'bottomless Ethiopian coffee' (ZAR 22/hour), admin support and secretarial services (ZAR 19.74/15 minutes), phone calls, delivery services.
Everything is charged to the card, with real-time online billing to keep track of costs. When the card runs out of 'GreenBucks', it can be topped up for another ZAR 1,000.
Habitaz is developing a network of furnished business centres, shared work spaces and meeting rooms in South Africa and all major business hubs in the rest of Africa. Perfect solution for travelling business people, virtual offices, and start-ups.
Sources: springwise.com, own research
