Sharing is caring for start-ups

Long the domain of tiny technology start-ups, more and more small and medium businesses are turning to shared workspaces to cut costs and drive collaboration, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal.

With shared workspaces, business owners lease desk space by the month, removing costs like purchasing furniture and setting up the internet, as well as the risk of signing a long-term lease. 

Providers offer everything from closed-door offices to hotdesk-like arrangements where workers take any available desk when they turn up in the morning. 

Any number of companies could be in the space at any one time, leading to the second advantage, networking - collaboration.

Some providers even manage the companies that use their space to ensure a wide range of sectors are represented, so that if a worker needs to speak to a lawyer or accountant, for example, there will most likely be one nearby.

Some investors are even taking to hanging out in the shared spaces to keep an eye on who is doing what.

One Auckland-based shared workspace, Generator, has gathered 19 businesses under its roof since its launch in March. Clients include a PR - event management company, two recruitment companies, two publishers, a few consultancy businesses, and several investment - capital management firms.

Have you tried sharing your workspace? Post your comments below.

Image source here.