International Coworking Day, celebrated on August 9th, is almost here. It is a day to celebrate the community and all the people who come together to make it work, including founders, facilitators, and members.
Celebrate International Coworking Day with us! Book a tour of Cohere Coworking.
How it Started
Spaces for independent professionals and experts have been around for several decades. The “hackerspaces” and other flexible desk spaces were the first precursors to the coworking we know today, but without incorporating the collaboration and community that are keystones to today’s coworking communities.
Brad Neuberg opened the first official coworking space in San Francisco in 2005, and he and other early pioneers developed the 5 core values of coworking, community, openness, collaboration, sustainability, and accessibility. The vital combination of productivity and community created by these values has led to a huge rise in popularity.
The Benefits of Coworking
Coworking offers many benefits to remote workers, creatives, and entrepreneurs beyond simply a place to work.
- Many coworking offices are available 24/7, allowing professionals of all sorts more flexibility in their schedules, enabling a better work/life balance.
- The shared spaces, community events, and open and collaborative values help to forge lifelong connections, both professional and personal.
- New resources and learning opportunities are frequently available through events, networking partnerships, and interpersonal interactions within the community.
Why Coworking Works in Fort Collins
Cohere Coworking is one of the oldest coworking communities in Fort Collins, founded by our fearless leader, Angel Kwiatkowski. Not only has Angel pioneered coworking in Fort Collins, she is also the author of The Ultimate Coworking Launch Sequence, and highly involved with coworking, remote workers, and entrepreneurial collaboration in the Colorado area.
There are several reasons that coworking has been so successful in Fort Collins. For one, Colorado boasts the highest percentage of remote workers. According to the Denver Gazette, 37.34% of Coloradans work remotely at least once a week. In addition, we have a large population of artists, creatives, and entrepreneurs, especially here in Fort Collins.
As well as being a hub of remote workers, creative, and entrepreneurial spirit, Fort Collins is also driven by a strong sense of community, which aligns beautifully with the values of coworking. The Old Town Fort Collins area, in particular, is both a hub of community and the home of a new coworking district.
Future Trends
Coworking has been consistently evolving since its inception, and it will continue to evolve as the work situations and communities around the spaces evolve. Some recent trends that are emerging include:
- Incorporation of event spaces
- Increased sustainability
- Niche-focused spaces
- Additional technology integration
- More health and wellness amenities
Cohere Coworking wishes you a wonderful International Coworking day this August 9th and encourages anyone who is interested in becoming part of the coworking movement to learn more about coworking and to explore coworking communities in the area.
Start by booking a tour of Cohere Coworking. We’d love to meet you!
Penny Leigh Sebring is a Cohere member, experienced freelance writer, neophyte speculative fiction author, founder of Kiki’s Castle Independent Press, LLC, in Fort Collins, CO, and a gatherer of information and imaginary friends.
Interested in learning more about the history and values of coworking? Check out our other blogs about body doubling, putting the pieces together with coworking, and combatting stress.