FLEXIBILITY IS ‘VALUE FOR MONEY’
A 35-year-old HR professional, who declined to be named, summed up his co-working experience as such: “I could work in a different environment for five days in a week. You can’t put a price on flexibility and ever-changing perspective.”
He has been using co-working spaces for about four years, at locations run by firms such as Spaces and WeWork.
WeWork, the leading flexible space provider in Singapore, operates in 14 locations across the central business district.
Another provider, The Executive Centre, offers global co-working passes, city passes, dedicated desks and flexible day offices for customers in Asia and Australia, said its Southeast Asia managing director Yvonne Lim.
Co-working app Workbuddy offers a subscription service that provides access to more than 45 spaces across Singapore.
This added choice and flexibility has been a boon for the Workbuddy community, which is largely made up of start-ups, entrepreneurs and small businesses.
“I have access to options should I ever have an appointment or errand at a particular location,” said Joanne, the marketing manager who uses Workbuddy.
The app currently offers a one-week free trial for new members. It also keeps memberships on flexible month-by-month rolling plans, rather than long-term contracts, said Workbuddy co-founder Gaurav Joshi.
Mr Achal Sondhi, vice-president of Asia-Pacific growth at energy firm Fluence, said his colleagues initially considered a shared work office or an established office to house a growing team, but found costs prohibitive given COVID-19 restrictions at the time.
“As Singapore opened up from restrictions, our team found benefit in the Workbuddy platform,” he told CNA.
His colleagues were able to find locations close to their homes, reducing commute time and allowing meetings to be held in different parts of town.
“Having flexible workspace seems to be more value for money versus a fixed location and under-utilising valuable real estate,” Mr Sondhi added.