Is the downfall of WeWork bad news for Coworking Spaces?

WeWork has hit the headlines in the last week with confirmation of its predicted bankruptcy. Is this bad news for co-working in general? Not according to a recent article by the BBC suggesting that for regional towns and suburbs the demand for local co-working spaces is only set to grow. Certainly, from our experience since we opened just over two years ago, many people are avoiding a daily weekday commute to London and value a professional workspace to work close to home. 

A new survey published this week reveals that cost may be an important factor driving the need for flexible local workspaces, especially here in Haslemere. Out of the top 12 commuter towns rated more expensive than London, Haslemere came 7th when the costs of a mortgage and train season ticket are combined. So, it makes sense that people who love the quality of life in our beautiful town are avoiding the commute, if they have a choice, but also value an alternative to working from home.

The people who have come in to work at Hasleworks today include the director of a start-up, five business owners, one working alongside his assistant, a freelance consultant and two people whose employers pay their costs. There are phone booths for private calls and a meeting room with full audio-visual which is being put to very good use by a start-up developing an exciting new product. This is all good news for our local economy, saving local people time, money and enhancing quality of life.