Come Celebrate International Coworking Day on August 9
Wednesday, August 9, is the 28th anniversary of International Coworking Day, and MySpaceDowntown, a popular Panama City coworking space, invites you to use the day to come in and try coworking for yourself!
Try Us Out for Free!
Everyone is invited to try our coworking space, for free, on August 9 in celebration of International Coworking Day. We're at 97 Oak Ave., Panama City, (833) 977-7223, and look forward to meeting you.
A modest history, but now a phenomenon!
Coworking—or having workers from different companies and those who are self-employed share a space—began in Berlin in 1995, when a bunch of hackers got together to compare computer programming ideas. Ten years later, the idea spread to the U.S., specifically in New York, with the dedication of the city’s first coworking space.
Today, coworking spaces are frequented by freelancers, remote workers, vacationers needing to do some work, and even business owners who rent long-term space. Some 1.8 million people in the U.S. cowork every day in 6,200 coworking spaces across the country (with a total of 19,400 worldwide). While the U.S. leads in coworking, second place goes to India, which has 10% of worldwide coworking sites.
During COVID, the workforce had to become more fluid. Many workers suddenly were required to work remotely, and many found that they actually enjoyed it. Since then, coworking spaces have grown 55%. Coworking is here to stay!
Who are these coworkers?
Today’s coworkers represent a broad swath of the working population:
20% of coworkers work in IT
42% are freelancers (but 58% have traditional jobs)
80% have college degrees
What is the appeal? Remote workers appreciate a space that offers a break from work-from-home isolation and a shorter commute than to the office. Most coworkers say they like the atmosphere of coworking spaces and the flexibility. You can work alone or you can network. You can work at a shared desk area (called a “hot desk”), a dedicated desk (that is yours each day) or a private office. The sites offer perks like wi-fi, coffee, a kitchen and often free parking. At many coworking sites, you can rent a conference room.
What’s next in coworking?
The big three companies in coworking are WeWork, Impact Hub and Spaces. But thousands of independent coworking spaces like MySpaceDowntown also thrive, and the future looks bright.
All trends point to a growth in coworking sites where today and tomorrow’s independent-minded workers can work remotely at least part of the time:
Worker independence. A recent Korn Ferry study on the future of work trends found that today’s worker is focused on career development. Workers think they will have to change jobs every two years to advance. Their loyalty is to their careers, not to a particular employer. With this perspective, they are equally comfortable working in remote workplaces as being onsite.
Less stress. McLean & Company’s HR trends report suggests high burnout rates ahead for workers of all types, leading to job changes and a growing desire by workers to work remotely at least part of the time to reduce the stress of office commutes and politics.
A human-centric approach. U.S. employers already are having trouble filling job openings. NTTData sees this as fundamental and irreversible: “As organizations navigate the shifting landscape prompted by talent scarcity, the need for the rapid advancement of skills, fluctuating work models and new social contracts, leaders have quickly realized they need to step up employee value propositions or lose the war on talent.” Workers, their study says, expect a human-centric approach, where the worker gets what they want: enhanced training, health and wellness benefits, financial incentives and flexible work options.
Come celebrate International Coworking Day with us!
You don’t have to wait until August 9 to try out our space and see for yourself how much you will enjoy coworking. You can reserve a space online or just drop in and we’ll accommodate you. Workers of all types instantly feel at home (see our Google reviews), love the atmosphere and enjoy our many perks.