When you hear the term “coworking member,” what type of professional comes to mind? When most people think of the ones occupying coworking spaces, they probably think of the freelancer, the consultant, the serial entrepreneur, the small business, the creative, or the startup– aka individuals or small teams. And this connotation has been mostly true until recently. But now, there’s a whole new demographic coming into the picture, and because of this, coworking spaces (like us!) are recognizing a really significant opportunity to show an unlikely group the glory of shared office environments.
Because of how coworking has continuously established itself as a perfectly viable option for any type of professional or company to get work done, a need for housing bigger teams is arising, and this need has the potential to reshape an industry that’s already growing faster than anyone ever expected.
In response to this new global trend, we at Common Desk are rolling out a workspace product that caters to teams with 15+ employees called Serviced Suite. “Serviced Suite” uses dedicated suites to connect larger teams to the infrastructure of coworking, and it does this through the use of design, technology, and hospitality services.
Four months after opening as the largest Common Desk location to date, Common Desk – Granite Park is now 100% occupied with a wide range of freelancers, startups, and small businesses. In addition to the expected smaller teams, we’ve seen a surprising number of fastly-growing tech companies and enterprise businesses interested in the flexible, turn-keyed amenities and relationships that can be found within a coworking space.
We believe that every company, no matter the size, deserves to experience the glory of coworking. So we decided to add Serviced Suites to our list of offerings to give larger teams the ability to benefit from the perks of coworking without the process being overcomplicated.
These dedicated suite spaces appeal to larger teams by offering a card-keyed accessible suite that comes fully-furnished with (drum roll, please): custom metal desks and filing cabinets, artistic glass whiteboards, phone booths outfitted with Bose speaker systems, banquets complete with 4k monitors and wireless screen sharing, and large private offices.
On top of the amenities that come within these suites, teams at Common Desk – Granite Park also benefit from all of the class A amenities at Granite Park, including conference rooms, a zen room, a fully-furnished workout facility, numerous open lounge spaces, the newly opened Boardwalk at Granite Park, and an on-demand shuttle that provides free rides to Legacy West and The Shops of Legacy.
We’re currently testing new technology like sensored mini-bar fridges and food trays in hopes to offer an easy way for teams to grab a quick drink or snack and keep working. Through all of these new Serviced Suite amenities, we’re simply aiming to service these companies with the same level of hospitality that they would expect to receive at a 5-star boutique hotel. Unlike other suites out there, Serviced Suites give teams access to dedicated Common Desk staff, who are committed to elevating expectations on experience and productivity at work.
Landlords typically service mid-sized teams by building spec suites that are turn-keyed for the tenant. Our new Serviced Suite program puts a spec suite offering on steroids with technology enabled in-suite amenities and the connected infrastructure of coworking. In addition, our staff is increasing concierge offerings to give companies an unmatched level of southern hospitality.
Nick Clark, CEO of Common Desk
An undisclosed fortune 500 company left a different coworking space in September to lease Common Desk’s first Serviced Suite, dropping their 45-person tech division into Common Desk – Granite Park. They planted roots in Plano to leverage the ability to hire quality talent for their fast growing team, and they were drawn to Common Desk – Granite Park because of the flexibility, turn-keyed offerings, staff, connectivity of the space, and Granite Park amenities. As they continue to hire young tech talent, they needed an office that could resonate with recent college graduates and other millennials, and fortunately we were just the space they were looking for.
Because of all of the above, we’re currently expanding our Granite Park coworking space to provide additional Serviced Suite buildouts, and these are expected to be complete by January of 2018.
The time for larger teams and companies to be able to enjoy coworking is finally here, and we as a company are ready and excited to begin welcoming an additional tier of professionals to our already diverse community of go-getters. Be on the lookout for more Suite updates soon, and if you know of a growing team that’s looking for an innovative suite and a badass community, send them our way!