Would you encourage your team to network, learn new things and be the best version of themselves? Our guess is YES. Although this is what most employers want to offer their employees, they are often located in traditional offices in traditional office buildings where, frankly, innovation (and in turn – growth) is a hard nut to crack. Being in the same office, interacting with the same people, sitting at the same desk for days, weeks, months, years on end isn’t exactly a setting where creativity thrives. We hate to break it to you, but you are not exactly empowering new thoughts and growth.

Research reveals that change of scenery, meeting new people and acquiring new knowledge is fueling creativity and innovation – and in turn, growth. Yes, we are talking about coworking spaces and communities, and yes, we are in truth biased on this topic. But that doesn’t mean the research is wrong. So, what is it with coworking spaces that makes them such catalysts for great work?

1. Synergies and cross company collaboration

According to Harvard Business Review, members of coworking spaces feel as if their work is more meaningful than in traditional office structures, because (amongst other things) they are surrounded by other companies and coworkers that create unique synergies where one wants to help and cooperate with one another. These synergies are what coworking spaces are all about. Synergies create relationships, which in turn creates communities that feels like home – a safe, yet professional space in which you find likeminded people, as well as people nothing like yourself.

2.Ease of networking

Many don’t know exactly how to navigate the networking arena, but only seeing and talking to the same people from your own company every day sure doesn’t help. When sharing a more flexible way of working with people from outside your own company, talking to new people becomes a natural part of your day that will turn strangers into friends, or even business partners. These relationships can turn out to be the catalyst of great things you would never dream of in a traditional secluded office space.

3.Flexible spaces and hours

The past two years we have been forced into new ways of working, be that working from home or learning to like working at odd times. Meaning you might not need all that space in you traditional secluded office anymore. Coworking spaces often offer a selection of memberships to suit your needs, as well as offering common spaces where all members are welcome to work. They also offer shorter contracts and notices because they believe that you deserve as much flexibility as possible to develop and grow. And you know, a little change of scenery never hurt creative thinking! Neither did working at odd hours – which is what’s so convenient with the 24/7 access coworking spaces often offer.

4.Coworking is a feeling

Although some would argue that coworking is not for them, it probably could be. Coworking spaces removes the square meter and space focus and brings to life something much more valuable: An environment to thrive in. Even though you might need an office of your own, you would still be welcome to roam around the (what sometimes feels like infinite) coworking space as you please – and that’s where the synergies and magic happens!

5.Knowledge is power

Most coworking spaces play an active role in engaging the members to take part in the unique ecosystem surrounding them – often referred to as “Communities”. They host informative events for their members to learn something valuable, share their own stories – or simply get to know one another. These events are essential for the community to feel like a community. In a lot of ways, coworking spaces are like campuses or clusters where you have at least one thing in common with the other members: You want to thrive, learn, and grow on both a professional and personal level.

To summarize: Coworking spaces, namely Epicenter, exist to bring both human, and business interaction to life in an ecosystem designed to help our members succeed.