According to recent research, four out of five people who have worked from home during COVID-19 want to continue to do so.

And while we here at Phlex have been home-workers for a long time and can attest to how fantastic it is, there is a downside long-term. And so for us, there is a halfway house. Local Coworking spaces.

When you live in a [fantastic] city like Portsmouth,  although densely populated, it is the 21st largest city in the UK, and as such we are not first on the list for the We Works and the Uncommon coworking spaces to come and set up shop. Instead, we have maybe 1 or 2 locations where you go and hot desk or co-work. Or the local coffee shop [pre-COVID of course].

There are a lot of places you can rent a small office, but that isn’t always suitable. I mean it is more expensive, and you are still sitting in an office by yourself. And who wants to do that? It kind of defeats the purpose of leaving the house? 

And if a city the size of Portsmouth doesn’t warrant multiple coworking spaces, then what about the market towns and more rural areas. The need for community workspaces doesn’t go away, but arguably it does make it more challenging to create a viable business from a pure coworking space. Which is why we started Phlex. To facilitate the setup and booking of local coworking spaces.

Why do we need local coworking? 

Aside from reports of increased productivity when in a coworking space [no Netflix to distract you right?], one of the reasons that people go to coworking spaces is because they feel like part of a community. 

COVID forced us all to work from home. But this also created some positives such as reconnecting us with our families and local communities, as well as cutting our nations CO2 emissions. But trying to work from home comes with problems such as a lack of motivation, productivity and isolation. We believe there is a better way to work. Co-working locally.

Local coworking spaces can be set up in hospitality businesses, whether that be in existing pubs, restaurants, hotels, and service facilities. So office workers can continue to work close to home – saving money, time and the planet. And small local businesses can gain a new source of income to help them thrive again. It’s a win-win right?

Here are six reasons why local coworking is the next big thing and how Phlex is helping to power that workspace revolution:

1. Good for your pocket: A survey by Creditfix.co.uk said 72 per cent of Britons are feeling positive about life after the pandemic with regards to their finances, with the average person saving £495 per month during the lockdown.
2. Good for your health: Time saved not doing the daily commute can be reinvested in getting out and about exercising. And because local coworking spaces are just that – local – you can walk or bike your way to work instead of the long commute. We have started swimming in The Solent every morning and we would not be giving that up for a daily commute.
3. Good for community: Instead of being a stranger in your own neighbourhood, you start to spend more time in the place you live, and as a result, start to feel more comfortable in the community. Not only that, but you can feel proud of the fact that you are supporting the local community.
4. Good for the local economy: Many of the hospitality businesses have been hard hit by COVID-19, and many have spare capacity in the day – why not utilise that space for working in and reaping the benefits of coffee and lunch.
5. Good for our pets – we all know that Dogs have loved everyone being at home [cats maybe not so much]. So what are they going to do when everyone goes back to work? With local coworking spaces – many of them are dog friendly!
6. Good for the planet: COVID-19 gave our planet a break from the tons of toxins and CO2 we all produced commuting to workplaces miles from home. Working local with Phlex keeps your transport emissions down, helping you to reduce your personal impact on the environment.
   

    

If you know a hospitality business or community space that would be perfect for setting up a Phlex coworking hub locally then head on over and nominate them now. 

Or if you are thinking about setting up a coworking space then check out our blog for some tips.