If you haven’t come across it before, Coworking Space is the buzz term that encompasses an office space filled with a diverse range of businesses, start-ups, freelancers, work-from-home professionals and digital nomads that require the use of an office on their travels.
Being an innovative lot, and seeing the great potential this could offer to the rural community, Strathard Business Hub was recently set up to breathe life into the idea.
Based in Aberfoyle, Strathard Business Hub is embracing this innovative work model with an office area featuring flexible work spaces that are perfect for home-based and mobile workers.
The shared facilities can cater for enterprises, small businesses and entrepreneurs in the area, allowing for affordable and bookable ‘hot desks’, meeting spaces and supplying the vital high speed broadband connection that so many rural businesses cannot access.
Strathard Business Hub are encouraging a diverse range of businesses into the space, and this will facilitate informal business collaboration and networking, and hopefully deliver a more sociable vibe for those more used to an isolated working environment.
With so many local commuters embracing the rural idyll, but spending two hours out of every day in the car journeying to and from the city, it is anticipated that some might seize the opportunity to spend more time working locally. With reliable broadband and flexible workspace, it offers a superb opportunity to increase productivity and find a happier work:life balance.
The flexibility around the desk spaces also makes the work space an asset to smaller local businesses that perhaps require a desk for just a few hours per week, and can only encourage tourism where visitors can stay connected to their own business.
Smaller start-up businesses have a space to meet clients, a registered address and the expertise of a diverse range of professionals and businesses to exchange ideas and services.
There is ample free car parking and bicycle racks available, so there is no angst in getting to the office.
The Harvard Business Review suggests that people actually thrive in a Coworking Space:
There seems to be something special about coworking spaces. As researchers who have, for years, studied how employees thrive, we were surprised to discover that people who belong to them report levels of thriving that approach an average of 6 on a 7-point scale. This is at least a point higher than the average for employees who do their jobs in regular offices, and something so unheard of that we had to look at the data again.
It checked out. So we were curious: What makes coworking spaces – defined as membership-based workspaces where diverse groups of freelancers, remote workers, and other independent professionals work together in a shared, communal setting – so effective? And are there lessons for more traditional offices? (Find out HERE)
The workspace will be open 24/7, allowing totally flexible working hours, with entry via a key fob system.
It is certainly a working space that Linked Magazine aims to utilise. We are sold on the whole concept of coworking, and further sold on the reality of a fantastic deli across the road, cafes, pubs and having the Queen Elizabeth Forest Park just outside the front door. Strathard Business Hub is definitely our kind of office.
(Please note the above pics of the office space are ‘pre launch’ and there is some work underway)
