For coworking spaces in Greenville, which saw a surge in demand in the aftermath of the pandemic, the past year can be considered the beginning of a new normal.
Many are expanding beyond simply offering a place to work and instead creating spaces that improve worker wellness and health.
“The goal is to offer different variations of ways to make it more than just an office space,” said Connor Felder, sales manager with Venture X, a modern coworking space that operates out of Plush Mills at 141 Traction St. in Greenville.
For Venture X, those variations come out of community partnerships. On a regular basis, local gyms, workout groups and fitness centers offer free classes within the space. Each member is also granted access to deals and discounts for various fitness and health groups in the area. Venture X even partners with a nutritionist to better educate its members about healthy eating options and meal prep.
Other programs aim to boost overall morale, such as gourmet popcorn bars, boozy coffee meetups, catered food and “other little things that can brighten people’s days,” according to Felder.
But what separates the offerings of coworking spaces from the typical morale-boosting programs of any corporate office is the voluntary nature of it all, Felder said. No one has to worry about losing approval from a boss if they decide not to partake in some party or gathering.
“You get what you want out of it,” Felder said.
“It really does feel more organic than something that’s forced by some company initiative.”
Nationally, about a third of all workers (35%) with jobs that can be done remotely are now working from home all the time, according to a Pew Research Survey conducted earlier this year. Many other workers (41%) have settled into a hybrid model, splitting their working hours between the office and the home.
When it comes to health and wellness programs, the No. 1 reason companies have boosted such offerings internally is to lower the company’s healthcare costs, according to a report from Adventist HealthCare.
“Healthy employees are sick and injured less often,” the report stated, “leading to lower insurance costs for the company.”
The goal is simpler for coworking spaces, which don’t have to worry about the burden of health care costs.
“It makes us better,” said Shannon Wilbanks, managing partner with Endeavor, a coworking space located at 1 N. Main St. in downtown Greenville.
Local coworking spaces
Endeavor is unique in that it has its own onsite executive gym and fitness area. Its location in the heart of downtown also makes it prime for promoting itself as more akin to an old school social club than simply a coworking space.
“We have plenty of members who have terrific office space outside of downtown or in another county, but they need a place to land when they’re in downtown Greenville, so they use it like an old school New York Club,” Wilbanks said. “They go in, get some work done between meetings, host somebody for a presentation, maybe make some phone calls, and all the while they get that menu of options that we have on offer.”
Those efforts are hardly unique to Venture X or Endeavor. Other coworking spaces have also embraced the somewhat blurred identity that comes with the territory.
Social House, a coworking space along the Prisma Health Swamp Rabbit Trail near Unity Park, brands itself as just as much a “social lounge” as it is a coworking space, with a calendar of social events, large-screen TVs and pool tables.
The coworking space of Jud Hub, located at Judson Mill on Easley Bridge Road, considers itself a “social innovation center” that homes in on the networking potential of such arrangements, which includes connections to nonprofits, social entrepreneurs and mission-driven companies in addition to the traditional shared workstations and desk spaces.
For coworking spaces, finding a niche seems increasingly necessary to stand out and sustain engagement.
“At the end of the day, it’s simple,” Felder said. “If we can make this as good of an environment as possible, we all benefit.”
Numbers
There are approximately 18,700 coworking spaces around the globe. According to projections, there will be some 41,975 coworking spaces worldwide by the end of 2024.
42% of coworking space members around the world are freelancers.
Coworking office spaces are expected to grow at 13% per year.
Source: Gitnux 2023 Coworking Spaces Market Data Report
