Brad Neuberg in San Francisco is often credited with being the first person who officially started the coworking movement in the mid 2000s. 

Over time, the typical ‘users’ of coworking grew to include other professionals and creators from outside the technology space. By 2012, the first Global Coworking Unconference Conference (GCUC) was held in Austin, Texas, USA.  

The global coworking space market size was valued at USD 14.91 billion in 2023 and is projected to grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 15.7% from 2024 to 2030.

So,who ARE the users of these magical places we call coworking spaces?

The freelancer, the contractor and the consultant 

This is a fairly broad group but ultimately, these people often fly solo, spending a lot of time on calls or in virtual meetings. We find people who fall under one of these categories often take advantage of our hot offices, or spend a full day with us using the hot desks. When you book a full day, you also get 2 hours of meeting room time included. These coworkers are not necessarily not here all the time and enjoy the flexibility of booking what they need when they need it.

Based on our experience, this group often fluctuate between the home office and coworking. Being in a purpose built space makes it easy for them to focus and remain productive. They also benefit from being able to plug into the social side, being in a community and benefit from the networking opportunities. 

The satellite office

We have a number of residents who are based here, but have a ‘head office’ elsewhere. This category of residents is normally permanent and has a fixed desk or office. Although they might visit their head office once in a while, they enjoy being in a space with other professionals - rather than working from home. 

The bonus for this group is that the cost is often covered by the company they work for. 

The remote worker

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, remote working has been more commonplace. Companies trust their staff to get the job done, regardless of location. This often offers more flexible working options, and for many - this is a huge benefit. 

We find remote workers often turn up looking for somewhere to connect with others in a space where they can be productive (and not distracted by the domestic environment). They enjoy working in our open-plan space and take advantage of our discounted offer such as our 10 days bundle (10 days in the calendar month at $40+GST per day), or our Frequent Friday offer (Buy one full day on a Friday and get the next consecutive Friday for free!) 

The digital nomad

These are less frequent, and often more seasonal (i.e., national and international visitors during the summer months) or, just people ‘passing by’. We usually see them for a few consecutive days, and then they are off again on their travels! They love to hot desk in the open-plan office space and get to hang out with some of our regular locals and chat about what they are up to. 

The startup and small business owners 

One of the most enjoyable things about having startups and small businesses being a part of Basestation is seeing them grow. They might start using coworking in a more ad hoc way, renting a desk every now and again to get out of the house. Then, as the business grows, and they have more money to spend on business requirements, they become a regular occupant with a desk or office. They start to grow and employ more people, they move into a larger office. At Basestation, we can accommodate all these business growth phases with minimal disruption to services. We’ve had people outgrow us in the past - which is always bittersweet - we are happy for them and their success, but it’s always sad to say goodbye to our residents. 

Working away from home 

This is a broad range of coworkers - we’ve had people based here for a month running their Australian business while also moving their mum, who lives locally, into residential care. We’ve had people who are in the Bay with their whānau at their bach, but need a day or two in the office to catch up with their workload. Or visiting an international design project they’ve been working on - and need a temporary office to work from while they are ‘in town’.

Whatever the reason, we have a range of options that suit everyone's needs. 

If you fall under any of these categories, or you are just curious about coworking, then come and check us out. We are open Monday - Friday 8:30am - 5:00pm, we are located at 148 Durham Street, Tauranga. If you’ve never tried coworking with us before, come along to one of our Open Days, held on the second Thursday of each month, and try coworking for free.