This London co-working space is set in a converted Victorian church.
With the huge rise in rents and long leases, co-working is taking off. This is for people who work alone, and then you just ‘hot-desk’ with others, renting the desk and anything else (fax machine, voicemail telephones, meeting rooms) a few hours a week, and it also gives you a physical address for post etc. There are no long leases, and the prices are tiny, compared to high rents of the main office companies. Read The Coworking Handbook, by the founder of a successful coworking space in Brussels.
It’s best not to have plants in shared offices, as toxic houseplants (sago palm, cheese plants and lilies) could harm visiting animal friends. Don’t display foliage to face windows, to help stop birds flying into windows. For outdoor spaces (office gardens etc), read how to make your garden safe for pets (to avoid toxic plants, trees, flowers and other items).
There are other ideas like pop-up shops and markets. The days of signing up for multi-year leases that could bankrupt you are thankfully over. If you are going to rent somewhere, there is the choice of choosing short affordable leases in certain areas, but of course you also have to consider footfall, if you are relying on buyers passing by.
This co-working office in Canada is for women-owned businesses.
Another good idea is to rent out your private home or office to others. Small offices could rent out their space at weekends (to yoga teachrs or bakers who needed a commercial kitchen). There are likely millions of people across England with lots of space and facilities, and they could make good income from renting out to people who have the talent and drive, but no space. You could also contact local places with commercial kitchens (say church halls or out-of-season hotels and restaurants).
Peerspace enables you to find or list a place online. Hosts can earn good passive income (minus the 15% booking fee) with an average of 10 enquiries a month. Just set your price, add photos and details, and your listing is then seen by anyone looking to host a photo shoot, plan an event or teach a class. From empty storefronts to industrial lofts to roof gardens, there are good safety guidelines in place, and liability insurance.
