With the numerous number of co-working spaces sprouting up around the Central Business District in Singapore, one might wonder: Why should I pay for an office when I can simply head over to a Starbucks near my place, or even work from home?

For those not familiar with the concept of co-working, to quote the dictionary: 

Co-working:

the use of an office or other working environment by people who are self-employed or working for different employers, typically so as to share equipment, ideas, and knowledge.“The whole idea of co-working is to bring bright, creative people together and let the ideas collide.”

But of course, the concept of co-working is more than just a dictionary definition.

Co-working is a style of work that involves a shared workplace, often an office, and independent activity. Unlike in a typical office, those co-working are usually not employed by the same organization. Typically, it is attractive to work-at-home professionals, freelancers, start-ups and small to medium enterprises as well as people who travel frequently who end up working in relative isolation (Robinson, 2018).

With the evident demand of co-working spaces on the rise, big corporations are moving into co-working spaces and are on a search for talent, potential acquisitions and flexible office setups.