Traditional Coworking is Broken. Here's How to Fix It.
Since the pandemic, many have been more exposed to remote work than ever before. Yet, simply working at home may be lonely and unproductive. Coworking should be a solution but often lacks the flexibility and community aspects that people are looking for.
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Check out the next chapter adjoining community to the heart of coworking in our infographic below.
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<a href="https://www.taverncommunity.com/coworking-spaces-in-nyc"><IMG SRC="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/e88811_145915e7922c4a2186f726fb4fe65738~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_677,h_3003,al_c,q_90,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/coworking-spaces-nyc.jpg" alt="​Coworking Spaces in NYC" width="800" border="0" /></a><br />Source: <a href="https://taverncommunity.com">Tavern Community</a>
Traditional Coworking Is Broken. Here’s How To Fix It.
By 2025, more than 32.6 million Americans will work remotely.
But only 46% of coworking spaces are profitable. Where’s the discrepancy?
Why Traditional Coworking No Longer Makes The Cut
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Traditional coworking models are:
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Expensive
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For individuals: $200 to $700 per desk
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Coworking businesses: Locked into potentially high risk real estate investment deals
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Lonely
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More than half of U.S. adults (58%) are considered lonely
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Other than co-workers, 69% of WeWork members didn’t have any friends at WeWork, even based on a generous definition of the word ‘friend’
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Boring
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Low differentiation Many spaces feel or look the same
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Little vertical integration Most spaces only fulfill one aspect of life: working
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Not much to do besides work Not much to do besides work. 49% of coworking space renters don’t feel a sense of community
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The collapse of WeWork wasn’t an outlier
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Other competitors are trying the same model — with similar results
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58% of coworking space operators say fluctuations in membership are a top challenge
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While coworking usage has doubled, only 7% prefer it to traditional offices
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It’s clear traditional coworking has deviated into expensive memberships for empty spaces. A new paradigm is taking its place:
The Community Coworking Model
Enter Tavern Community Coworking — an affordable, inclusive, community-focused movement prioritizing social and professional experiences.
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What makes Tavern special?
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Tavern creates niche communities
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Tavern schedule is inherently social:
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Communal lunch, Coworking, Happy hour
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Tavern partners with community organizers to help them grow their communities and earn money
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Unlike traditional coworking, community coworking operates on a highly sustainable model:
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Tavern leverages underutilized space in hotels, bars, and restaurants
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Tavern has $0 real estate expenses, solving the fatal flaw of the traditional coworking business model
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Compared with traditional coworking, it’s:
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Less expensive
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Monthly memberships start at $30
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More social
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Members experience life together
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How Tavern Community Is Doing It Better
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Tavern fulfills the same functions as:
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Facebook: A monetizable social network
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WeWork: A third-space solution for remote workers
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Meetup: A platform for community organizers
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Then does it better:
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Tavern creates real connections
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Tavern offers flexible space solutions at up to 1/4 the cost
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Tavern helps community organizers earn money, and build communities
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Tavern Community Coworking serves a wide variety of cohorts:
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AdTech
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Entrepreneurs and creatives of color
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Podcasters
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Founders and investors
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Beauty and fashion
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Marketers
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AI
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LGBTQIA+
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Comedians
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Creatives
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Jewish content creators
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Foodies
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Unlimited possibilities!
It’s time to revive the authentic spirit of coworking.
Sources
https://www.taverncommunity.com/
https://www.uschamber.com/co/run/finance/coworking-spaces-benefits-and-cost
https://clutch.co/resources/top-benefits-challenges-of-coworking-spaces
https://drop-desk.com/coworking-statistics
Are Our Members Friends?" WeWork internal research department, 2017, cited by The Cult of We, Eliot Brown and Maureen Farrell, page 190.