While it would be naive to believe that we are living in a “post” COVID-19 world, we are starting to see businesses reopen and larger groups of people be able to congregate—society is slowly returning to some semblance of what was once considered normal.

But how has our world changed over the last six months of social isolation? And how has the coworking industry changed? 

The Future of Coworking

The good news is that coworking is not dead—despite the setbacks that many coworking spaces faced during COVID-19, they are bouncing back since cities began to reopen. 

People have spent the last six months working from home. For many, they’ve embraced the lack of commute, the flexible hours, and freedom that comes with working remotely. The last six months have served as an unofficial test for companies who did not have a formalized work-from-home policy in place. If they have seen productivity increase, or remain the same, they, too, will be open to hiring and working with remote workers.

While remote workers are currently happy to be working from home, as social isolation restrictions are lifted, people will want to re-enter the world—coworking spaces are the perfect solution for workers who still want to avoid their commute and work remotely but also want to find a sense of community again.

In the end, that is what it will come down to for many people. They will want the convenience afforded to them by working remotely but they will need to find ways to continue to network with others and build their professional networks. 

Beyond remote workers, small businesses can also benefit from coworking spaces—if they no longer have an office lease, coworking spaces provide an opportunity to rent a private office without the overhead costs associated with leasing a commercial space.

Coworking spaces will also have the benefit of choosing how they adapt to COVID-19—they can enact policies that large-scale companies would have a difficult time enforcing. Whether they require members to wear masks, sanitize before they enter the building, or limit the number of members they accept at a time, coworking spaces have the ability to become some of the safest workspaces available.

How Venture X Canada is Adapting to COVID-19

Like most coworking spaces, Venture X Canada locations were forced to close during the height of the pandemic. As we reopen, we are taking the threat of COVID-19 seriously. We have put new policies in place to ensure the health and safety of all our community members.

Social distancing practices

While in Venture X Canada spaces, we are encouraging all our members to continue to practice social distancing. We are asking that the kitchen spaces, as well as bathrooms, only be used by one person at a time. Meeting rooms will be limited to 10 people at a time—each room will be equipped with 10 chairs and stickers on the table will help people maintain social distancing.

We’ve added floor decals to help members maintain social distancing in all communal spaces.

Shared desks will only be available for 4 people at a time and will also have stickers on the desks to ensure you are aware which desks are available so people can maintain appropriate social distance from one another.

The lounge area fits a maximum 30 people to ensure that we all work towards recovery, acting responsibly and respectfully towards each other will help everyone within the venture X community safe.

We have also enforced wearing masks in all common areas. Once you are seated you are able to take your mask off.

Wash your hands!

By now we all know the importance of washing our hands regularly when it comes to COVID-19. In our kitchens and bathrooms, we have added signage to remind everyone to wash their hands often in our communal spaces.

We will also have sanitization stations throughout the spaces to ensure members can keep their hands clean. Moreover, we are making sure to clean frequently touched surfaces more often. If you feel unwell, stay home

Our tours

We are still carrying out tours to show our new tenants the space and ensure that they get the best experience possible, our staff is making sure that they abide by the social distancing protocols and that a face mask is worn throughout the tour.

We expect any members or staff to stay home if they are unwell or feeling sick. Also, if you travel out of the country, we request you stay home for the mandatory 2 week quarantine period before returning to your Venture X Canada coworking space.