💛 Where work meets belonging: The quiet power of rural coworking What if the future of work isn’t being built in glass towers but in the small, rooted coworking hubs bringing people together in towns and rural communities across Europe? I had such a lovely, natural conversation with Maria do Ceu Bastos a few weeks ago, founder of Nowhere Desk in Portugal - a rural coworking hub that’s become a creative home for freelancers, founders, and change makers. Some of the magic & highlights for me were: ✨ How rural coworking builds connection, confidence, and belonging ✨ The emotional energy it takes to hold space for others ✨ Balancing purpose with sustainability as a local operator ✨ Why small hubs matter more than ever in the future of work One line that really stayed with me: “Rural coworking is special because it reconnects us with nature, with community, and with ourselves. If we lose that, we’re doomed.” Maria do Céu Bastos 🎧 Listen here → https://lnkd.in/e75KK4jW 💬 I’d love to hear your take - are local hubs the real future of work? #coworking #community #ruralcoworking #neighbourhoodcoworking #microbusiness #futureofwork #poweringproductivity #podcast #peopleFirst #flexSpace

💛 Where work meets belonging: The quiet power of rural coworking What if the future of work isn’t being built in glass towers but in the small, rooted coworking hubs bringing people together in towns and rural communities across Europe? I had such a lovely conversation a few weeks ago with Maria do Ceu Bastos, founder of Nowhere Desk in Portugal - a rural coworking hub that’s become a creative home for freelancers, founders, and change makers. Here's some of the gems we discussed: ✨ How rural coworking builds connection, confidence, and belonging ✨ The emotional energy it takes to hold space for others ✨ Balancing purpose with sustainability as a local operator ✨ Why small hubs matter more than ever in the future of work One line that really stayed with me: “Rural coworking is special because it reconnects us with nature, with community, and with ourselves. If we lose that, we’re doomed.” Maria do Céu Bastos 🎧 Listen here → https://lnkd.in/eg2RmMHY 💬 I’d love to hear your take - are local hubs the real future of work? #coworking #community #ruralcoworking #neighbourhoodcoworking #microbusiness #futureofwork #poweringproductivity #podcast #peopleFirst #flexSpace

Most operators I speak to want the same thing: more members. But what if the next group of members isn’t who you expect? In this week's chat with Anne-Marie on Flex That Worx, we looked at where coworking spaces can find real growth in the next couple of years. Spoiler: it’s not just about adding more desks or bigger buildings. It’s about looking beyond the usual suspects. My Takeaways • Stop thinking about coworking in narrow terms. It’s not just for freelancers and founders anymore. • Be the first to reach out. Partnerships with local universities or businesses can open the door to completely new audiences. • Share your story. No one set out to study coworking at university, we all arrived here through different routes. That journey is what people connect to. • Get out of your space. Go to events, talk to people, tell them what coworking actually is. You’d be shocked how many have never heard the term before. If you’re planning for next year’s growth, start with awareness. There’s a big audience out there waiting, they just haven’t met you yet. To get these insights and learn how you can attract new customers, Listen to “Discovering Hidden Opportunities: Expanding Your Coworking Customer Base” on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or watch us on YouTube (Links to episode in comments below) #coworking #coworkingspace #flexwork #flexibleworkspace #workspacemanagement

There’s a lot of talk about “smart tech” in coworking, but too often it ends up being bells and whistles that don’t solve the real problems. In this week’s episode, Anne-Marie and I get into the practical side of technology for coworking operators, what actually makes a difference when you’re starting, stabilising, or scaling your space. We list out what you need to be focusing on depending on what stage you are at! We cover: • Why your tech stack is the foundation for growth, not an afterthought • How to stay lean and efficient without drowning in tools • The hidden potential in meeting rooms that most operators overlook • The challenge of consistency when scaling to multiple locations • Why your website should be doing more than showing nice pictures, it should be booking desks and rooms • And how to get creative with your marketing once the basics are solid Technology shouldn’t slow you down, it should give you the time and visibility to run your business properly. If you’re serious about building a coworking brand that lasts, this one’s worth a listen! (episode links in the comments below) #coworking #coworkingtech #flexworkspace #coworkingspace

The brightest minds are leaving. Not draining away—haemorrhaging. From Greek islands to rural Spain, Europe's peripheral regions are losing an entire generation. But Dimitris Manoukas has spent years documenting something the statistics miss: it doesn't have to be this way. His research across collaborative spaces in peripheral Europe reveals that coworking isn't just about remote work and good Wi-Fi. It's civic infrastructure. A mediator. The new town square where young people practise economic citizenship and decide maybe they don't need to move to the capital after all. The convergence point matters: cities are increasingly unaffordable. Remote work is increasingly viable. For the first time in generations, staying local is economically possible for knowledge workers. But only if communities build the right infrastructure—both digital and social. And only if coworking remains affordable. Bernie often talks about how the middle class is being hollowed out. If we're not careful, coworking becomes a privilege rather than the civic infrastructure that peripheral communities desperately need. If you're running an independent coworking space in a smaller town or city, you're not competing with WeWork. You're building the bridge that lets people exercise economic agency in their home community. That's citizenship work, even if you never call it that. Latest Coworking Values Podcast explores youth exodus, economic resilience, and why peripheral Europe needs coworking spaces now more than ever. Check the shownotes and follow these ongoing conversations RES-MOVE Project Urban MBA Rural Radicals European Rural Coworking Project Cowork4YOUTH Remaking_eu Facework Group ACTionism European Coworking Day Community is the key 🔑 🎙️Link in the comments! #coworking  #communityisthekey #coworkinglondon 

🎙️I had the pleasure of joining Bernie J Mitchell on the Coworking Values Podcast to talk about a topic I am truly enthusiastic about: why #coworking spaces can be the antidote to #braindrain in #Europe ’s peripheral regions. 🔮We explored how #collaborativespaces are so much more than desks and Wi-Fi , they can act as civic infrastructure, anchoring the #youth, building networks, and giving communities new ways to thrive without needing to move to the capital of abroad. 📜In our conversation, I shared some insights from my research and projects across Greece and Europe, from how the cost-of-living crisis reshapes choices for young people, to the role of hubs in rebuilding social fabric, to why consistent, community-driven programming matters more than one-off interventions. 💜For me, coworking is not just a workspace model, it’s a way to reimagine #citizenship in places that too often get left behind. ⭐Big thanks to Bernie and the Coworking Values team for inviting me to this dialogue. If you’re curious about how coworking can help peripheral towns and villages not just survive but grow, I’d love for you to give it a listen, and, even more, to share your thoughts. 🌱 👉🏼Link: https://lnkd.in/e-H4tskm #ruraldevelopment #peripheraldevelopment #policymaking #righttostay

📣📣Manifesto Value: Participation of Observation 📣📣 In coworking, showing up isn’t enough, what really transforms a space into a thriving community is active participation. Spaces where members take part in events, share ideas, contribute feedback or collaborate with others are far more than shared desks: they become engines of creativity, connection, and belonging. 🤝 Research underlines this clearly: 71 % of coworking members report that they interact and network with others in their space, and 64 % say they have made valuable professional connections through those in-person interactions (Coworks 2023, https://lnkd.in/ex5BabXs). Meanwhile, 84 % of coworkers say they feel more motivated and engaged at work in a coworking environment compared to working alone. (TeamStage 2024, https://lnkd.in/gS5MKGZg). These numbers show that participation doesn’t just feel good; it measurably boosts satisfaction, engagement, and outcomes. 📈 For coworking spaces in Switzerland, this means there’s real value in designing for participation: hosting micro-events, encouraging feedback, creating informal spaces for conversation, or even starting community boards where ideas can be shared. When members are encouraged to contribute everyone benefits: better morale, stronger connections, and higher retention. 👉 If you lead a space, work in one, or just care about how we can build stronger coworking ecosystems: what’s one small way you’ve seen participation change the experience in your space? Share below! #CoworkingSwitzerland #CoworkingManifesto #ParticipationOverObservation #CommunityDriven #CoworkingCulture #FutureOfWork

🙌 Why we value Collaboration over Competition 🙌 This month, we’re highlighting the Manifesto values that shape Coworking Switzerland — and we're starting with one that lies at the heart of our movement: Collaboration over Competition. In the coworking world, shared success builds stronger communities. When spaces collaborate instead of compete — by exchanging ideas, sharing resources, or co-creating events — everyone wins: members, operators, and the local ecosystem. 🌱 And the research backs it up: 🔹 A study of 75 organizations across 17 coworking spaces found that higher levels of collaboration strongly correlate with greater innovation and adaptability (arXiv, 2021: https://lnkd.in/gYpCjbAY). 🔹 Another study showed that members who engage in collaborative learning report higher work performance and motivation (Journal of Business Economics and Management, 2022: https://lnkd.in/gccnMMe7). For coworking in Switzerland, this means that every partnership — whether between spaces, members, or regions — strengthens the fabric of our national network. 💪 Together, we can move beyond competition and build a coworking movement grounded in mutual support and shared growth. 👉 Join us this month as we spotlight more manifesto principles that shape the future of coworking in Switzerland and find our manifesto at: www.coworking.ch #CoworkingSwitzerland #CoworkingManifesto #Collaboration #FutureOfWork #CommunityDriven #SwissCoworking #CollaborationOverCompetition #CoworkingCulture

🔎 Why people thrive in Coworking spaces? First, unlike a traditional office, coworking spaces consist of members who work for a range of different companies, ventures, and projects. it’s not simply the case that a person is going to work; they’re also part of a social movement.

Your coworking space likely has the capacity to better serve your community. You definitely lack the capacity to write grant proposals in the language required for council funding approval. That disconnect is costing you. You prepare presentations about costs and sustainability. Officials nod politely, say someone will email you, and then... nothing. Jeannine van der Linden runs the De Kamer, Inc. coworking space network in the Netherlands and leads the European Coworking Assembly (which the Coworking Values Podcast is part of). Jeannine's been at it since 2010. She knows exactly what it feels like to walk into her local municipality with a good idea and watch officials stare blankly because nobody knows what to do with her. NGOs working on community projects already have the municipal contacts coworking spaces have been hunting for years. They know who to call. They speak the 'impact language' that funding bodies understand. They've already navigated the maze. If you're an independent coworking operator who's ever felt stuck between having community capacity and zero clue how to fund it properly, this conversation hands you the actual pathway. Latest episode explores how to talk to councils so they actually fund your projects — featuring RES-MOVE Project, an 11-partner project turning coworking spaces into integration hubs across Europe. With a shout-out to Helga, Marko and Emily 💚 🎙️Link in the comments! #coworking  #communityisthekey #coworkinglondon