Looking for office space? You can share it now!

Smart office decor, comfy furniture, pantry service, free Wi-Fi, printer services all of these demand a lot of investment that you might find difficult to put into your start-up. But does that mean you can't arrange for a nice work ing space? Absolutely not! Coworking space provid ed by a number of web sites is the coolest new trend for the young profes sionals and start-ups in the city . With more than 25 ven tures providing coworking spaces in Kolkata, this trend is swiftly picking up. Now, you can choose your place, lock in your budget and pay as per your convenience.

PICKING UP FAST IN KOLKATA

The concept of renting such spaces is nothing new in cities like Mumbai, Bengaluru or Hyderabad, where a lot of IT firms are located. While in top metros like Delhi and Mumbai, the number of coworking spaces has reached a couple of hundred, in Kolkata, the number was far less till last year.

“We launched our website, Workspot.in, in 2015. Initially, it was really tough to get clients. We have seven coworking spaces listed with us. We have seen this trend picking up in Kolkata in the last year. While in 2015 we would get seven or eight clients each month, these days the number is up to around 200 -which is superb,“ said Shashank Jain, founder of Workspot.in.

Himanshu Bhatia, cofounder of Coworkyard.com, said, “We have our website functional in nine cities. It was not that easy to get a foothold in the Kolkata market. We currently have two private spaces, one in Salt Lake and the other in Park Street. Eighty per cent of our clients are young entrepreneurs or members of start-ups.“

While the old players in the business talk about how the trend has become a hit among Kolkatans, Ayesha Singh, marketing head of Nwook, a new entrant in the business, shared her thoughts with us.“We have had over 150 unique users over the last one and a half months, compris ing students, tutors, professors, freelancers and entrepreneurs. We could see how people wanted better working spaces at good prices. It is not always possible for young professionals to afford an office space of their own. Our state government is also encouraging entrepreneurship. I guess this is also one of the reasons why we got an amazing response as soon as we launched our venture,“ she said.

EASY ON THE POCKET

The USP of these spaces is the low rates charged from an individual or a group.“Our workspaces are pretty affordable as the rent starts from `30 per hour per seat.So, suppose someone has a big project to finish, they can contact us and book a seat for just `30!“ said Ayesha. Aishwariya Chakraborty , a JNU graduate, who is preparing for the banking services industry and also working as a freelance writer, told us, “I live in a joint family near Sealdah. I left home almost 5 years ago and now coming back to a crowded home is an awkward feeling because you get habituated of living alone in hostels. So, when I joined a firm as a freelance writer I couldn't finish a single article in peace, thanks to my little cousins.So, once late at night I came across an advertisement that offered shared workspaces and I thought `Hola! It's a great idea'. So, now my weekdays are pretty sorted. After finishing my work, I sit back at this space for an hour extra and study . I pay no more than `4,000 a month for this.“

Ankit Jain and Rubia Sethi started an apparel website recently for which they needed a place to work together in total concentration -but restaurants with Wi-Fi didn't help. “You know how these cafes are... You have to keep ordering food and beverages and there is no guarantee that the Wi-Fi will work properly throughout. Also, there are a lot of distractions like people celebrating birthdays or watching cricket matches. So we had to find a permanent solution. These co-working spaces are just awesome and perfect for any start-up,“ said Rubia.

Ankit added, “We often conduct meetings with our dealers, tailors and craftsmen, so, during that time we can actually book more seats according to our needs. We are getting an AC workplace serving us beverages and other refreshments.You can make or break your own set-up as per your need and convenience and pay as per your capacity.“

SHARING THE AMENITIES

These co-working spaces are located in places that are wel connected to other parts of the city . Also most of these places have in-house pantries and printers available. Some of these places also serve free beverages.

Amanpreet Singh, who runs a merchandising business from a co-working space in Park Circus said, “My office space is just like any other comfortable corporate office. I has all the amenities from a water filter to AC, pantry to common printing machines. You use it with co-workers jus like you would do in an office. It is just that these co-work ers are not your colleagues. Working from a co-working space gives you a sense of professionalism.“

MORE THAN `JUST WORK'

These places, which are mostly privately owned or owned by the business partners of the above mentioned websites, are also being used as a hub for young profession als where one meets the other and can outsource their work.

“We conduct a number of job and internship fairs at our co-working space where employers get to meet freelancers and the freelancers can also do networking. Such contacts are helpful for both parties,“ said Shashank Jain.

Riddhi Doshi, a client of Nwook.com, added on a ligh note, “The best part about these places is that you make friends and you have absolutely no competition with them So, they do their work, you do yours and maintain a cordia and healthy relationship. Due to no professional rivalry most of the men and women sharing the workspace turn out to be really helpful.“