The example of the O4 coworking space in Gdansk's Olivia Centre makes it possible to see, as if through a lens, the benefits of using shared offices by both growing companies and major global corporations. Their offerings have even begun to be noticed by universities, locating research and development projects in them. This benefits both the coworking spaces themselves, their tenants and the business centers that allow operators onto their premises.
Underlying the popularity of coworking is the evolution of our thinking about work, as well as office space. Changes in thinking patterns have allowed many managers to open their eyes to a much more flexible approach to the tasks their employees perform. Stationary work brings with it a number of benefits, but they do not have to be realized within a rigid, formalized framework. The effect of freeing up the market is to multiply options and simplify rules. Time has shown how favorably this has affected the office market. Companies are leasing smaller spaces, as they have learned in recent years to be flexible and optimize space. For office owners and operators, this means a better tenant mix, and thus a diverse business environment, much more willing to work together, as well as a lower level of dependence on the strategically important, largest tenants of their space. All of these characteristics have characterized coworking since its inception, and thanks to its flexibility, it is attracting more and more and more diverse tenants.
The origins of O4 coworking date back to 2015, when the concept itself was not yet popular. Back then, it was limited to the offer of renting modules, prepared for a dozen workstations, clustered on 2,000 sq.m., where, in addition to offices, there were landscaped kitchens, relaxation areas, meetings and quiet work zones.
The benefit for start-ups was simple rules. An entrant to such an office didn't need to know about commercial leasing, understand what service-charges and add-ons are, and - probably most importantly - declare for 5 or 7 years.
As Marta Moksa, director of coworking at O4, declares, the development of this form of office space sounds simple and seems easy, but for the operator it is not so at all: The development and scaling of flex offices has radically accelerated only recently - before that it required evangelizing both the market, clients and agents, fixing hundreds of unrecoverable mistakes made due to the novelty effect (mainly at the design and so-called hardware stage), improving administrative and operational processes. O4 Coworking has gone through perhaps all the painful lessons. From the “beautiful but not necessarily functional” kitchens and furniture that forced us to renovate and improve, to understanding the real and, interestingly, ever-changing needs of customers.
After almost 10 years in business, O4 offers a service that radically transcends the originally understood term of serviced offices. Comprehensive service for growing companies requires much more than simply organizing good quality and friendly work space. Shared office users, being at a crucial stage of their business development, are eager to receive support for many of the processes involved in running their business. Just as for them it means a lot of relief from their responsibilities, for the office space operator it represents an opportunity to create an additional service, enhancing the satisfaction of doing business in the location. We see that coworking and flex clients don't just need an “office.” They need support in taking care of their employees, recruiting and building close-knit teams, enhancing prestige in the eyes of clients, convenience and cushioning in dealing with tedious, time-consuming but necessary “little things.” Finally, they need business contacts - networking and community building are O4's biggest differentiators (10 years of experience in this area makes us an expert in all the “do's and dont's” of such activity) ,” Marta Moksa concludes. Providing additional services not only improves the satisfaction of the renters, but also increases the competitiveness of a given coworking space and provides an opportunity for further development.
It's not without reason that the potential of coworking spaces has long been recognized by large corporations, which see flexibility and management convenience as a huge opportunity and relief. On top of that, they offer what is not always available in traditional offices: community - a creative, cooperative and modern environment that positively stimulates growth and new ideas. This is a powerful argument for the big ones who persuade people to come to the offices. When employees can choose their own days in the office, the key factor is that... they won't be alone in the office! So when someone from a large organization comes to flex and even in their office there aren't many co-workers, there already are in the coworking kitchens, at the foosball or in the chill zones! - Marta Moksa emphasizes. Corporations see another benefit of coworking offers in business centers: they have a fully ready, perfectly prepared space at hand, which they can use for temporary projects. They have at hand office space that is available without the need for complex and drawn-out negotiations, complicated contracts that bind the parties for many years.
The development of additional services at O4 is also an example of the evolution of thinking about coworking. Their range now includes support in classic forms of recruitment, but also, for example, in the form of recruitment speed-dating, which is becoming increasingly popular. Tenants have at their fingertips an offer to organize inclusive corporate events, conferences and meetings with business leaders, motivational speakers, pioneers in many market segments, who infect with their openness, enthusiasm and creativity. Coworking also develops its cooperation with scientific centers, offering employers a unique opportunity to promote in the environment of recent graduates of the most popular fields of study at, among others, the University of Gdansk, Gdansk University of Technology, WSB Merito University.
Currently, O4 manages 86 offices with a total capacity of almost 700 people. In 2025, the Gdansk-based coworking space will open its 100th office, thanks to the expansion of its operations to new locations in Olivia Centre. So far, it operates in four buildings within this largest business center, where it offers a wide variety of spaces. From designer offices, meeting rooms and conference rooms located on the high floors of Olivia buildings to offices as small as 4 sq.m., prepared in shared spaces. Not only are full kitchen and team-building facilities available in them, but also the aforementioned community, bringing an irreplaceable bustle and life to the workplace.
The creativity, energy and agility of the O4 Coworking team has resulted in the fantastic growth of this concept at Olivia Centre. The synergy it creates in conjunction with Poland's largest business center, Olivia Centre, has been exploited to the fullest ,” says Boguslaw Wieczorek, Olivia Centre's management plenipotentiary. We and our residents derive a number of benefits from the O4-ian community. It is not uncommon for our residents to become O4-ians and vice versa. The coworking space can accommodate project teams, and on the other hand, the demand for more office space is realized by Olivia. This means that clients and team use the same address and location, regardless of the stage of development of their business.
