In case you haven’t heard: coworking spaces are no longer the stomping grounds of solely freelancers, entrepreneurs, and independent workers.
Many business-to-business (B2B) company owners are realizing the benefits of coworking spaces,
(and so are their employees). If you’re a B2B business considering coworking, you’ve come to the
right place; read on for seven reasons why B2B companies should use coworking spaces.
Provide flexibility to your employees
One of the main reasons coworking spaces are beneficial for B2B companies is the flexibility
they provide to employees. You can offer fully remote or hybrid work schedules to your
employees while also giving them a designated and accessible place to gather as a team when needed.
Flexible schedules enable your employees to work from anywhere, and many modern workers
are rethinking where they want to live. So, instead of losing employees to relocations, you can
give them the option to continue their work remotely in coworking spaces, significantly reducing turnover.
While working from home has seen a major uptick in recent years, some days the distractions associated with home can outweigh the good. By utilizing a coworking space, you can give fully remote employees the option to work in an office a couple of times a week to support a better work-life balance, while still giving them the freedom of remote life (sounds like a win-win to us).
Bring the team together
Maintaining a sense of togetherness can be challenging when everyone is working in different
places. It can be hard to form real connections, build team camaraderie, and facilitate
genuine collaboration; not to mention, remote work can also result in employees feeling isolated, lonely, and unsupported. Coworking spaces can help reduce social isolation among your team and bring them closer together by providing a home base for everyone to gather a few times a week. Even people outside your organization that you work with on an as-needed basis, like freelancers or consultants, can attend meetings and feel welcome in your coworking space without losing a sense of professionalism.
Reduce your overhead
When you lease your own office space, you take responsibility for everything that happens to and
within it—including rent, utilities, equipment, and other business costs—and these expenses
can add up quickly.
When you utilize a coworking space, you can significantly reduce your overhead by paying for office space on an as-needed basis. You don’t have to worry about office maintenance or technology costs other than your personal devices; simply pay the fee to access the coworking space, and these things are taken care of for you (plus some pretty great amenities).
Maintain shipping and fulfillment needs
Many B2B businesses rely on consistent shipping and fulfillment processes to be successful.
In order to retain clients, there should be a seamless flow between stages of receiving products, storing them, packing and distributing them to clients, and managing returns.
Cowarehousing spaces, in particular, are a cost-efficient alternative to running an in-house
shipping and fulfillment operation. It provides you with not only the stability of a traditional
warehouse but also the flexibility and perks of a coworking space.
Be closer to your clients
Customer journeys aren’t the same for B2B businesses and business-to-consumer (B2C)
companies. Two key differences are how long it takes for potential clients to become actual
customers and the number of decision-makers involved in a purchase.
Because the customer journey for B2C businesses is typically much longer than B2B and usually
involves multiple decision-makers, you likely spend a lot of time with your clients before a
decision is made (AKA: lots of meetings). A coworking space allows you to always be close to your clients no matter where they’re located, as coworking spaces are opening in more and more cities (and some will allow you to access the whole network of locations). Forget hotel conference rooms; you’ll have a professional and refreshing environment to host client meetings that provide the most seamless experience possible.
Network with potential clients
Coworking provides a sense of community missing in many traditional offices. The unique coworking environment attracts a diverse group of people running their own businesses, freelancing, and working in varied industries—and community events, plus the nature of shared workspace, open up opportunities for conversations and connections.
Operating from a coworking space allows you to learn from and lean on other members for support—and as an added bonus, gives you access to a pool of potential clients. By getting to know other people in your coworking space, you may even find that you can solve a pain point in their business with your products or services.
You can also find potential clients by exploring the neighborhood your coworking spaces are in (often, these spaces are strategically located in bustling and successful areas). Networking with neighboring business owners opens up the opportunity to build relationships and earn their business in the future.
Host events
Lastly, coworking spaces are great for B2B businesses because they can often double as event
spaces—and one of the best ways to attract new clients is through in-person events.
Many coworking spaces allow you to host company events in conference rooms or designated
event spaces for product launches, meet and greets, client appreciation nights, and other events that not only bring potential clients to you but also help retain the ones you already have. This helps you to build a sense of community with other potential clients and strengthen existing relationships, without having to do the legwork of finding a great venue.
Wrapping it up
A great coworking space could be exactly what your B2B business needs to grow. Of course, be sure to do research on any coworking space you’re considering; there are a lot of options, so visit it in person a few times and test it out before deciding to make sure it’s the right one for your business and your team. Happy coworking!
