Boosting female entrepreneurs

The modern world has welcomed a shared economy with open arms. Coworking spaces, as a significant part of this trend, are on the rise around the globe and have already gained a reputation as alternative workspace solutions to the traditional offices. Today, there are close to 582 million entrepreneurs worldwide. Many of these people are working on a freelance basis, present their innovative ideas in startups, create teams of like-minded professionals to reach a common business goal, etc.

Shared office units are tremendous workspace resources for self-employed people, digital nomads, SMEs, contractors, and so on. 

 

With a total amount of coworking members set to reach the number of 5,1 million people by the end of 2022, in comparison to 1,74 million in 2017, it is not difficult to predict that the coworking landscape is going to face significant transformations too. Despite numerous controversies, coworking spaces that either cater exclusively to the needs of women or at least are women-centric, have gained a lot of attention and followers along the way.

 

According to “2018 State of Women-Owned Businesses Report” presented by Forbes, the number of women entrepreneurs has increased by 3000% since 1972. Women are favouring entrepreneurship for two main reasons:

  • to stay more flexible in working schedules. Combining career and home responsibilities foster the need for an alternative way of conducting business activities. Women who are bosses, usually stay in more control of their future and get their careers advanced more quickly.
  • to follow their commercial interests. A woman is thrilled and satisfied with her career if the job that she performs inspires her and makes her grow professionally.

 

The fact that the percentage of businesses, launched by women grows consistently has led the attack to the creation of female-focused coworking suites in various cities of the world. Such venues foster a supportive environment for female professionals, making them more productive through collaboration with people they can identify with. Ladies have long operated in the business world created by men. Up to now, many of them still feel extraneous in different spheres. Since the entrepreneurship can be a rather lonely way, coworking venues for women provide the possibility to join a warm and welcoming community of specialists to put the creative energy into.

 

The most renowned female coworking offices | Focus on Europe

 

The main purpose of each coworking office for women regardless of its location is to serve the needs of this target audience to the fullest. Being aesthetically consistent, female-centred collaborative suites feature such perks as lactation and nursing rooms for new mothers, complimentary coffee, tea, cookies, etc., conference spaces, private booths for individual work, showers, dressing rooms, workout areas, and so on. Traditionally, at the phase of a foundation, each coworking space for women was a community rather than a place. This feature continues to form the core purpose of the women-based shared offices. In order to boost friendly relations between the coworkers, the landlords organise a range of events. Yoga classes, interesting lectures from influential businesswomen, training programmes, workshops, masterclasses, and other activities cultivate and champion activism during the after-working time.

 

Female-centred shared office spaces are more plentiful in the USA, as far as this country was the pioneer in this movement, and the first office of this type named HeraHub opened its doors for women in San Diego, California, in 2011. The other recognisable venues that cater to the needs of women entrepreneurs in America are evolveHer, The Coven, The Wing, etc.

 

Europe is on if taking into account the popularity of specially designed coworking options for women. Blooms, the shared office opened in London was initially designed for women but nowadays is not exclusively a female-centric suite. Hera Hub has one more office in a Swedish strategic location – Uppsala.

 

Coworking real estate in Germany has established itself as a decent office submarket. Being still at the early stage of development, it is expanding considerably fast, offering multiple opportunities to both – office suppliers and potential occupiers. 

 

The first community and coworking space for females was opened in Berlin, and it was a CoWomen club. This beautifully-designed office gives you a space to work alongside driven women, get inspired and motivated to achieve big goals. Tenants who have already tried to work in this venue feel supported not only as entrepreneurs but also as personalities. They feel empowered and comfortable with each and every detail of the office, and consider it their energising vibe. The other popular women’s coworkings in Germany are Wonder, Femininjas(shared office for specialists operating in digital spheres), COWOKI, etc. 

 

Take a closer look at the other European economic hubs and discover venues that offer coworking facilities for women in Austria, France, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and so on. Many landlords who already own and successfully manage female-based shared offices have plans to expand their branches to a variety of other locations all around Europe.

 

Why choose a coworking office over a home one?

 

Building a business is never an easy thing, and it is even more difficult when you don’t have a spot to settle it. “Working from home” can sometimes be a good option, yet at the same time, it is a tough place to focus on important tasks. There are many reasons why shared offices can become better workspace solutions than home ones, but the main profit of such suites is that you don’t work in isolation.

 

Many women nowadays are interested in joining the coworking environment that is not dominated by men. Surveys state that women who perform tasks in the female environment are more successful in the long-run. Being surrounded by the other creative, ambitious, hard-working women, you can become more self-disciplined, motivated and organised. Coworking spaces for women aren’t anything new. Yet, currently, they are having a huge moment. Helping ladies to take care of children and embody professional ambitions, female-centred coworking offices all around the world allow their tenants balance between the career and the personal life without any sacrifice.