Reasons to Choose Coworking Spaces for Startups

More and more entrepreneurs are choosing to work out of coworking spaces for startups.

In recent years, Spain has become a hotbed of entrepreneurship. According to data provided by the INE, in the first half of 2021, new business creation grew by 57.6% compared to 2020 and by 8 . 6% compared to 2019. This points to an upward trend in the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

The Spanish entrepreneurial ecosystem is directly changing the profile of coworking space users—one of the ideal places to interact with similar startups and exchange ideas.

In this regard, 42% of the participants in the survey published in the latest study, “Flexible Spaces in Spain 2021,” conducted by the consulting firm Cushman & Wakefield in collaboration with ProWorkSpaces, revealed that over the past year, a quarter of the companies that sought flexible spaces were startups and entrepreneurs.

According to Paula Ferrer, Head of People at Cobee, a company based in one of the coworking spaces at Aticco, the reasons why more and more startups are developing their projects in flexible workspaces lie in the fact that “you feel like you’re in a space for creation and innovation.”

The Benefits of Coworking for the Startups of the Future

These coworking spaces offer numerous advantages to new companies—startups that are just getting started and are in the midst of rapid growth. In celebration of Global Entrepreneurship Day on April 16, we’re highlighting the main benefits of coworking spaces through the experiences of various entrepreneurs who have chosen to establish their businesses in our spaces.

• Save costs and increase productivity:

  For years, coworking has been touted as an innovative way to have a workspace without the high cost of owning an office. In this regard, Ferran Estalella, co-founder of Freeverse, adds:

“At a coworking space, you just walk in and get right to work on your business, without having to worry about all the services and tasks involved in maintaining an office. That’s priceless. Plus, you benefit from a multicultural environment and atmosphere that’s very enriching.”

• The Flexibility of Coworking for Startups:

Compared to traditional offices, coworking spaces typically offer flexible plans that adapt to the growth of teams. In this regard, Paula Ferrer explains that they came to Aticco specifically Aticco that adaptability:

“At Cobee, we were in our own offices that had become too small for us, and we also had growth targets calling for more than a 100% increase in our team size within six months, so we needed a space that would give us flexibility.”

• Being part of a community:

Building a sense of community is something coworking spaces are very conscious of. That’s why they often organize breakfasts, sports activities, or creative events, which foster a sense of belonging among members. Pilar Moliné, founder of Becadvisor, explains it this way:

“What I’m looking for in a coworking space is a sense of community. Sometimes, when you’re starting a business, you hit roadblocks with simple things, but here you can work through them thanks to advice from other coworkers.”

• Expand your education:

Training is another key feature of flexible spaces, where a wide variety of educational and inspirational events are held, providing support for projects and professionals.

In the case of Aticco, we have launched startup acceleration programs through the open innovation support platform AticcoLab , which offers mentoring, training, and, of course, workspace at the Aticco coworking centers for startups in Barcelona and Madrid.