With our move from working from home (WFH) back to the workplace, companies are shifting the way they work. This includes flexible workspace solutions, and the reintroduction of the coworking space. 

Why are coworking spaces gaining popularity in this time of crisis? With businesses considering transitional WFH schedules, downsizing, and looking into best methods for boosting employee health and wellbeing, coworking spaces like The Cluster are working to solve these post-COVID problems.

Coworking spaces offer the flexibility traditional offices and workspaces are unable to accommodate, especially during this time of financial crisis. As we have now passed the over one year mark since the beginning of COVID, many property leases are coming to an end, causing time for revaluation of company spending and costs. With the uncertainty wrought on by the pandemic as well as the potential of employees continuing WFH, and coming into the office only part time, businesses are hesitant to renew their traditional leases. Even with the resumption of normal office hours, there is still something lacking: community. Even at our refilled, busy workspaces, it’s hard to revive a sense of community after a hardly recharging year of WFH.

This is where coworking spaces come in. Through offering a unique sense of community, and a network of dynamic and innovative individuals, at a professional and fully equipped workspace environment, we are able to connect with people again. After a year of fatigue, isolation, and WFH, the need to build up our communities is now more felt than ever. Going back to a simple office, budgets squeezed tight after a year of rental fees paid to hold an empty space, with the colleagues we were struggling alongside all of COVID, is still better than WFH, but lacks the creative and collaborative environment that a coworking space offers. Not to mention, the custom-made designs, beautiful views, and full suite of executive services, networking events, and additional benefits that have now become the standard for coworking spaces.

After a year of exhausting Zoom calls, virtual meetings, and online work, how can we best motivate ourselves and re-create a lively and thriving company energy? What are The Cluster’s top tips for safely and easily transitioning back to business? What is the best way to support and ensure the growth of our businesses so that we can still bloom from this almost bio-apocalypse?

1. Rebuilding Our Community

The importance of in-person communication 

It’s ‘safe’ to say that we are more than a little worn out, and COVID is not going anywhere yet. How do we ensure that we are taking care of ourselves and our businesses? How do we maintain our client-base if we ourselves are burnt out from a year of WFH? The solution: establish a support system, for both your co-workers and your clients.

In person communication is what we are all longing to re-establish, this is what we have been missing for the year- the ability to connect. We cannot wait to get back to working and collaborating together, but how do we ensure we are being COVID-safe? In person meetings are the best for both fostering a strong team and maintaining long-lasting client relationships.

Good communication and clearly defining the comfort zones of our employees and clients will allow for safe and enduring connections. Establish clear lines of communication to ensure that everyone has a clear understanding of safety measures put in place, as well as resources of support available. A well-established support system is a long-lasting solution to a potentially long-drawn out pandemic.

Coworking spaces allow for many opportunities to network and reestablish these connections, hosting frequent events to boost engagement and develop a strong community for their members. The Cluster, for example, holds weekly member lunches and Friday happy hours, the perfect way to kickstart office bonding and team spirit. Catching a quick chat or snack at The Kitchen- all free benefits provided to all members- is an additional benefit to entice employees away from WFH and back to re-engaging with their community.

2. Strengthen Your Business

Make room for growth

Along with supporting our colleagues, and our clients, our workplaces will also need support. Now that COVID has become the new normal, we are no longer scrambling to find short term solutions for long term problems. We now have the time, and space, and with the little lull our economy is in, the perfect time to be building back the foundations of our businesses. Make sure that there are correct systems in place, so not only in terms of lines of communication but operations, workflow, as well as strong and detailed plans for growth projections.

As our economies recover, being as prepared as possible will guarantee that our businesses are taking the right steps towards growth, in spite of the ongoing pandemic. What precautions can be put in place to ensure we don’t fall under the same trap our competitors might face?

3. Embrace Change

Flexibility strengthens durability

It’s difficult to predict how long COVID will last for. But this is no reason for concern for our businesses, only the ultimate tool to think ahead, prepare, and build your resilience.

Along with this comes a need for flexibility. COVID may have pushed and reshaped businesses online, but how can we make sure that some of these tools are already in place so that if the [hopefully evitable] second global pandemic strikes, our businesses are prepared and ready, our employees and clients already provided with the appropriate methods of communication to ensure loyalty and efficient workflow.

In conclusion, we must learn to embrace change, be flexible, and build resilience. This is easier said than done, but over a year into our first global pandemic, businesses are shifting and changing everyday. How are we going to lead these changes and be the first to think ahead of new challenges?

 

When choosing an office space, there is a lot to think about and many different options, usually boiling down to traditional longer term leases vs more flexible coworking arrangements. Traditional leases offer stability and customisation, whilst coworking offers super competitive pricing (when you factor in everything that goes into a traditional lease) and flexibility.

Here at The Cluster, Australia’s first professional coworking space, we get to speak to people regularly about their office and business needs and what would work best for their team. For them, it’s essential to understand if a turn-key workspace solution or a more traditional office lease (a total blank canvas) works best for their brand and team. There is a lot to consider, and here we highlight the key differences!

BRAND-TASTIC

Penthouse office of the Cluster, customized by previous tenants, Palantir

Many companies choose a traditional lease as they feel it can give their business the most professional and personalised aesthetic possible. A commercial office lease allows you the total autonomy to customise and operate exactly how you would like to. You can choose your operating hours, floorplan and carefully curate the first impression when visitors walk through the door. Whether you desire ridiculously enormous desks, a slippery slide between floors or a velvet-laden feature wall, the possibilities are endless & completely yours to decide.

Moving a large or established business to a coworking space sometimes comes with the worry that the business may lose a sense of brand identity. This however is not necessarily the case. Here at The Cluster, you will not find our branding anywhere, and this is very much on purpose; we want your clients to have the impression that this is your office, and only yours!

Coworking has also become immensely popular in recent years with large enterprises, including tech giants, Facebook and Microsoft. A global coworking provider recently reported that nearly 40% of their client base hails from enterprise companies. Business such as these have utilised the option to customise the private office exactly how they like, or completely take over an enterprise suite over an entire floor! This alone shows the magic of coworking and why more enterprise customers are turning to it for office solutions.

FLEXIBILITY

Flexi spaces mean you can work how you like

Today’s marketplace is a dynamic, fluid and competitive, meaning flexibility is on offer which may be important for companies who are unsure of growth or even market conditions.

A typical office rental in Melbourne’s CBD, (according to realcommercial.com.au), averages between $15,000 to $80,000 per annum depending on size and desired location  While a traditional lease may appear to be significantly cheaper when compared to coworking, committing to a 5 or 10 year fixed term can be a huge financial risk. Lock-in contracts also offer little adaptability for a company, especially in times of financial turmoil and uncertainty. If your business doesn’t scale at the pace you predicted, you may end up paying for space you have no use for. On the other hand, if your business scales up more quickly than expected, you can end up starting the process all over again while trying to negotiate a release from your long-term contract.

One of co-working’s bestselling points is adaptability. If you’re a start-up or freelancer, workspace flexibility gives you the control of when and how you work. This ensures that you’re only paying for what you need & what you use. Even mammoth international enterprises are jumping on the coworking bandwagon, and not just to save a pretty penny! Whether they just need a short-term space to get a project team or even a more permanent arrangement, coworking offers all the wiggle room needed, without the enormous lock-in commitments. At The Cluster, rapidly growing teams such as Impact Traffic have outgrown a singular desk and now occupy a small army of them! The range of rental space available, from casual hot-desk areas to large private offices, means you have the freedom to hire the perfect space for your needs, with the luxury of changing your requirements with short notice periods.

With the impact of Covid on the economy, businesses and workers, many are now turning to coworking for everything that it offers, which seems fitting for a post-covid world. Employees now want more flexibility to work from home and the office, and business owners can see that the social aspect of coworking and flexibility will play an important role in the future.

DOLLAR DOLLAR BILLS

The views of the Cluster

Traditional leases generally seem to be a lower cost option when compared to coworking, when comparing the base rents per square meter. However even with incentives from landlords, there is still the cost and headache of set up costs around fit outs, furniture, plus significantly higher legal expenses.  These costs can set you back tens of thousands of dollars in initial set up on top of your base rent. On-going costs like a receptionist can cost a company $50,000 a year on average (as reported by indeed). In addition, electricity, water, internet, regular cleaning & maintenance staff, all add up. Once you factor these “other” costs in, your initial commitment has snowballed into a figure much larger than you were expecting – yikes!

Coworking’s best feature, by far, is its all-inclusive pricing. If you’re a start-up who only needs a desk one day a week, or an established organisation who needs room to grow, you get the most bang for your minimal buck. Depending on your package, co-working space can cost anywhere from $3,000 a year for a casual desk (with a lot more than a desk included in that price) to over $100,000 a year for a luxurious enterprise suite with a private kitchen, meeting rooms and all the bells and whistles you could imagine!

For example, here at The Cluster, having any sort of membership means the following are yours for the using: stunning, thoughtfully designed workspaces  and meeting rooms over 3 floors, multiple receptionists, utilities, IT support, cleaning, amenities such as snacks and beverages, plus social & networking events such as breakfast clubs or Friday night drinks! These are all services that can quickly become costly when integrating them with a more traditional lease.

With all the fabulousness that goes with an all-inclusive office, do be careful and mindful when looking around at coworking spaces. Some spaces (usually the larger ones), have lots of add-ons and hidden costs, meaning that your monthly expectations of costs are not always met. It is important to check the fine print and understand that not all spaces are as inclusive as The Cluster when it comes to pricing. Make sure you are comparing apples with apples when making your decision!

COMMUNITY

Friday night drinks (and pizza) at the Cluster

Community is key to coworking and can work in your favor if you want it too. As the saying goes, it’s not what you know, it’s who you know. Coworking can deliver enormous value with access to networking and social interactions, often resulting in business development opportunities or just great friendships.

Whilst a traditional lease can mean your team stays cohesive and close-knit, it leaves little room to organically expand and connect with businesses around you. It is certainly possible to arrange your own networking and social events but these will take up additional time & energy out of the day-to-day running of your business, so why not leave that to us!

An enormous benefit to coworking is the immediate ability to socialise, network and collaborate. If you’re an accounting freelancer and need some help with website development, chances are you can do some quid-pro-quo with another business in your space to share expertise and cut outsourcing costs. There is also instant access to a variety of events that are organised and run without you having to lift a finger or dip into the company budget. Anything can happen at these events……maybe you will run into an old colleague during the office’s Breakfast Club and reminisce over a coffee. Or maybe you will just come up with a wild and innovative business idea with a fellow coworker over some Friday night Furphys.

THINK ABOUT IT

When deciding what office space is best for your business, it is worth understanding the pros and cons of traditional leases vs coworking. If long term leases and digging into your pockets to pay for extra unknown costs doesn’t sound up your alley, then join the coworking revolution where the only thing you’ll be digging into is the 3pm snacks!

The COVID-19 crisis has left the co-working industry on unsteady ground as computers and desks have been hastily assembled in homes across the land. In a time of national uncertainty, it’s helpful to find how your favourite co-working space can continue to support your business while you are away from the office, and when it’s time to come back.

  1. Social Sanity

Chances are your co-working staff are feeling very lonely without getting to see your smiling chatting selves every day! Our industry revolves around community, collaboration, and stress-relieving lunchtime chats, or Friday night drinks. Maintaining your social sanity is still very possible (and very much needed) in times of crisis! Here at The Cluster we have been busy updating our blog, keeping tabs on our community, and sending out newsletters to make sure you guys know we are here if you need some virtual company! If you’re feeling sick of your home office or just want to have a chat feel free to drop us a line any time at reception@thecluster.com.au.

  1. Work Together

Co-working has always been about supporting one another, and as the future of so many businesses hang in the balance, this has proven true now more than ever. The Cluster itself is a small business with a tight-knit team of employees here to make sure your company has all the tools it needs to succeed. It’s not just us though, if you need advice on government grants, have started a contactless delivery cupcake business, or just need some virtual webinar tips, chances are there is a member in our community our team can introduce you to who would be more than happy to help! (If not, we will still definitely order some cupcakes)

  1. Take a Load Off

So you’re working from home now which means now all sales calls go straight to your mobile and company bills come to your home; it can become near impossible to separate work from home lives, especially when your toddler gleefully runs away with your latest sales report and a handful of crayons. Reach out to us to see if The Cluster can help ease the WFH workload. Whether you need a receptionist to help with your phone calls, a business address to advertise, administrative assistance or mail processing support, see how coworking can help you, so you have more time to protect your walls from those rogue crayons!

  1. Be Supported

The latest Stage 4 Restrictions have drawn a tough line in the sand for going to the office; here at The Cluster we have had to shut our doors to most members to ensure everyone stays as safe and healthy as possible. Our wonderful team member Clare, however, is still holding down the fort to make sure your mail gets to where it needs to be, and our WFH team are still here to answer and direct your calls. If you’re in an essential industry that’s keeping cogs turning and need an emergency workspace, or you need us to forward you a file from your office, we are still on-site and at your service.

  1. Get Flexible

The Coronavirus Crisis has been a confusing and consistently unpredictable time as individuals and businesses around the world have adapted and innovated to keep their heads above water. When things swing back around (whenever that may be), your co-working space is there for you. With thorough cleaning schedules, social distancing measures in place and flexible membership and hot-desking options, The Cluster is here to design a bespoke solution to your post-apocalyptic office needs.

We are here to support you in and out of the office, so don’t be a stranger! We are looking forward to having all your beautiful souls back in the office soon

The Cluster was Australia’s first coworking office, starting up in 2009 with 80 desks and a new concept that no one had yet seen in Australia. To this day, The Cluster remains a leading space that stands out with its sophisticated yet cheery ambiance.

Here at the Cluster we cherish the human factor. We often feel like a big family with a great warm community and genuine people behind the scenes. No faceless corporation here! It’s a space where the members care about the space just as much as the staff.

Our receptionists are always down for a chat!

Who are we really?

We are run by a Melbourne based Family who aren’t invisible to the members. Often you’ll see the CEOS Kirsten and her Partner Chris’s, smiley faces popping by for a general gasbag or to chat about all things business.

“It’s more than just the physical space… it’s people we employ and the motivation of each individual employee to engage sincerely and authentically with others around them. But most importantly, it’s a large handful of the members that we attract, who help create the magic, the soul and the energy of The Cluster”                                                                                                                                                       Kirsten Koci – Director and CEO

The first thing you will see when you step into the fabulous space (besides the jaw dropping panoramic 360 view of the Melbourne CBD) is a chirpy and unique reception team, who believe in entrepreneurs and make all efforts to get to know YOU!

At the Cluster, the office is yours, not ours. That’s why you won’t find any “Cluster” signage at our front desks, as we believe in greeting your guests as receptionists for you and not for the coworking space you happen to work in. It is all about you, not us! Members love this and so do their clients. Often clients think the entire floor belongs to the member they are visiting. Fake it until you make it!

A perk of being a family run company is the flexibility. It is easy to have your ideas heard and put into action. The Cluster also works hard to support our members and use their services wherever we can. For instance, one of our longest serving members, Point Advisory (who have been and grown with us for a staggering 8 years!), helped us from the beginning to be the first coworking space that is completely carbon neutral.

We also take pride in supporting a range of wonderful charities by providing them with memberships, such as Australia for Dolphins, who work to protect the legal rights of dolphins and small marine cetaceans. There’s also, Society Melbourne, who are aiding to eliminate youth homelessness.

The Cluster is an environment full of diversity with organisations of all different ventures, which provides ample opportunities from networking to self-growth. There is never a dull moment, with a range of no pressure social events always on offer, from yoga classes to free Friday night drinks!

Smiles abound at our End of Month Drinks!

An overview of The Clusters services

The Cluster provides a range of specialized services and membership options, with no hidden costs, that can cater to every person’s needs, even those who live on the other side of Australia!

We have pioneered by building our own software and infrastructure to offer Virtual mailing and telephony services. The Cluster saw the need for freelance workers and small businesses to be able to use a professional city address along with phone services, which really is a special service, as instead of using a call centre, our front of house will answer calls for your company, which allows you to get to know the amazing people representing your business and handling your mail.

For those who need desks, whether it’s a few times a week, a one-off pay as you go, or full time, we have created a range of flexible packages to suit everyone’s needs and budgets with the ability to get more space as your business grows. From Hot-desking to private offices, you will have some of the most generously sized desks in Melbourne, no sardine stacking here! You will have all the room you need for multiple screens and to stretch your legs whilst sitting on quality custom designed chairs for optimum comfort!

Our in-house IT support is another outstanding feature, which is heavily discounted, so much that we often see people from other spaces coming in for IT support and Test & Tagging for their devices.

It may be hard to work with those city views!

Our Spaces

We have a range of bespoke serviced meeting rooms. From 4-person rooms to boardrooms that accommodate up to 20 of your guests, they’re fully AV- equipped with all the facilities you need to run your meeting or workshop. Best of all, you receive complementary bottomless teas and coffees!

When booking one of our suave and beautifully decorated meeting rooms, you can be assured you will feel well looked after. Members also have access to free un-serviced meeting rooms, perfect for team meetings and discussions. As a member you will also receive discounts on our event spaces that are sure to impress your guests; with lush greenery and a cosy industrial feel spectacularly back-dropped with penthouse views, completed with an in house barista.

Here at The Cluster you are always welcome! We strive to create a positive, inspiring space where you look forward to visiting each day.

It’s a great time of the year to be in Melbourne! the tennis is in full swing and the city is buzzing, we have perfect nights to visit at a rooftop bar, our many amazing restaurants, or to get outside to enjoy a food festivals and night markets that are running.

When it comes to getting work done during the day, Melbourne is a city which provides many options – in the form of Coworking spaces! we are renowned for getting things right with our well designed spaces, friendly atmospheres and our passionate hunt for the perfect coffee! Travelmag has selected 12 of the best spaces around Melbourne as a guide to those visiting the city, The Cluster is proud to be featured amongst this list

Check out the article here:

https://www.travelmag.com/articles/coworking-spaces-melbourne/

Receptionist services at The Cluster

If you’re looking for a professional front end for your business, then a virtual office is the perfect solution. With a virtual office, you can continue to work from wherever you like and have a professional receptionist answer your phone, forward your faxes and mail and even manage your calendar. It’s like having your very own receptionist without the cost of hiring one full-time.

Why The Cluster

At the Cluster the receptionist knows your business and gets to know your clients. Your clients will understand that your receptionist is working for your business and we do everything we can to help your business succeed. We are not a call centre, we are a boutique service and we can provide many more services to your business as it grows. If you need an office in the city, meeting room access and technology, we can provide you with everything you need.

Receptionist Melbourne services sign up

So when you’ve decided that you need a Receptionist for your growing business, but you don’t want one full time or you cannot justify the cost of having one full time, then The Cluster Virtual Office is the solution.

So you’re thinking you need to move into your own office. Tired of working from home? The husband/wife always expecting you to be at his beck and call or the kids driving you up the wall? Or perhaps you live alone and the solitude is starting to get to you? Or perhaps you just lack the discipline needed to separate work from home time?

Luckily there is a better way. A serviced office can be an easy and cost effective way of establishing a more professional working environment and presenting a more respectable image to the wider business community. The real question is how do you select the right one. There seem to be many choices these days.

Here are a few things to consider.

a. Take the time to figure out exactly what you are looking for. Don’t be told what it is you need by the service providers themselves, they will only confuse you. You know best. The physical services they offer are pretty much stock-standard these days, so look a little deeper and try to understand what it is they stand for. What are they all about? As an intelligent business creator, you should instinctively know what’s going to work for you and what isn’t. You will get a feeling about this within the first 3 seconds of walking into a place, so follow your instincts.

b. Does the serviced office have the same values as you. Do you feel that the companies within it are similar to yours. One of the greatest benefits of a coworking space or serviced office is working with other similar companies and leveraging off the flow of ideas and opportunities this generates. You need a serviced office that has the right culture, a culture that you are both comfortable within, and can contribute towards. There are even serviced office operators around these days that will qualify you to see if you meet their criteria, that’s how important the office culture can be!

c. Are you a little insecure about your companies image. Many smaller companies are quite insecure and believe they need very expensive looking swish offices to make them look more successful. This can backfire however. The Collins St. serviced office location might sound impressive to you, but you’re not fooling anyone unless the type of business you have makes sense to be on Collins St. Have you ever notice how the smaller the company the larger the company name. Maga-International companies have names like Sony and Apple. Small home-based business have names like “The Web Institute of Research and Development”. The more secure you are and the more confidence you have in yourself the more successful your business will be, so trust your instincts and select an office that will work for you, not one you think will make you look good. In doing so, you will actually look a whole lot more impressive. When you select a serviced office because it has the relaxed progressive environment that helps your business thrive, your customers will not only understand why, they will wish they were there with you. They will admire you for your brains and sound judgement and that’s much more valuable when you are a small startup or rapidly expanding business. A smart company working in the right environment, in the right location looks more impressive than the same company dressed up with a gimmicky address holding meetings in marble filled boardrooms. Make sure you don’t end up looking like a used-car-salesman, the suit might be expensive, but it doesn’t fool anyone.

d. Lastly cost should be examined. Some serviced office providers draw you in with small up-front fees then charge for each sheet of bog-roll you use. They’re making a lot of money, so where do you think that money is coming from ? Be careful about low introductory rates and special introductory promotions. Try to find a serviced office provider that gives you a package with as much as possible included in it. Look for a provider that is genuine, offers a simple packaged solution and has your interests at heart. Be willing to pay more upfront for a package deal as this will save you big bucks over the weeks and months that you are there and it allows you to predict your costs each month with confidence. Knowing how much things are going to cost you each month is very very important when you are working hand-to-mouth and every cent counts. There is nothing worse than receiving an unexpected bill from a serviced office provider full of nasty surprises.

Chris Mosely is CEO of The Cluster which provides  Virtual Office, Serviced Offices, Office Space and Coworking

When you think of a traditional office environment, it is easy enough to imagine a large space, probably on the 13th or 14th floor of a building with city views, filled with people buzzing in and out of small cubicles. It is rare that you imagine a team made up of individuals who all work from different offices, cities or even countries.

These days it is very common for a professional team not to share an office. Remote workers are becoming increasingly popular amongst large companies, a move employees seem to be mostly positive about. Relishing the freedom and independence from the long commute to work and bland office environment, remote workers appear to be more than happy to set up office at home.

The ‘Virtual Workforce’ as it is known, is continually growing. Along with it online business systems, technology and even Virtual Management firms have flourished. Whilst the benefits; lower overheads, improved efficiency and flexibility for your staff are obvious, the downside is that many companies are left to manage a team that are not necessarily ‘there’ all the time. Employers have to rely solely on trust and grade their staffs’ performance on results – not by how much overtime they may be doing.

Debra Dinnocenzo, president of VirtualWork! a firm that specialises in training companies in virtual management, believes the two most important things for a remote team are trust and communication. It is important to believe that your virtual workers can perform their jobs properly, with little supervision. This of course does not mean they don’t need guidance. One of the most common complaints from Virtual employees is a lack of communication and interaction with their boss or team. Dinnocenzo says, ‘it is important to have regular check-ins with employees to discuss their work and progress.’ She believes it is also crucial to commend employees for their work even if you cannot do so easily face-to-face.

Obviously the coveted ‘Corner Office’ is not a reward that can be offered to Virtual Staff. Instead, things like the latest smart phone or computer upgrades are a really good way to reward staff and keep them motivated. On a day to day basis, as Dinnocenzo said consistent interaction and regular check-ins will ensure your staff remain focused. Another option is of course to make the most of the many serviced office and entrepreneurial spaces now popping up in major cities. Often, employers who do not have their own office or require a representative in another state will set their employee up in shared space where they can benefit from both the professional office set up and interaction with other entrepreneurs.

It is also extremely important for companies who employ a Virtual Workforce to make the most of technology. With simple and easy to use programs like Skype and GoogleDocs, one would think all companies would be sharing documents and holding regular staff meetings regardless of where they are located. And yet many companies don’t. Software such as GoToMeeting, Adobe Breeze and Raindance are other great examples of programs that allow teams to easily stay in contact and share thoughts by accessing the same documents in real time.

American company, ‘Evaluserve’, employ one of the largest Virtual workforces in the world. It is no surprise that they manage to do so, once you are made aware of the healthy and completely functional working relationship between their CEO who is located in Austria, their chairman in California and the head of Sales & Marketing in Maine. With over 2,000 employees across every continent in the world, Evaluserve was expected to grow to a $17-18billion company by the end of 2010.

Regardless of whether your team is made up of 5 or 500 people it seems the key to a healthy ‘virtual’ relationship is trust. Having an open door and trusting that your employees will come to you when they need to, will not only ensure they produce results, but hang around long enough to make it worthwhile. Also don’t forget about that important interaction, get friendly with your webcam and schedule your first virtual staff meeting now!

At The Cluster, we are all about you, and your needs, instead of it being about us and our profits. Most of the serviced offices spaces out there, (whether it be highly corporate spaces with tiny offices and even smaller desks, or small box offices with no windows), charge you for everything on top of your base rental. You never really know what you will spend each month until your bill arrives, and let’s face it you’re not kidding anyone with some of these places! You’re clients are going to look on you much more favourably when you’re not wasting your money hand-over-fist, you have a comfortable impressive office that actually works for you and works to make your business a success. It’s basically what you would have if you had your own office.

The Cluster is different, everything is included in your weekly rental. There are no surprises. We have created an environment that is cost-effective, relaxing, professional and fun. We genuinely want to help you succeed in your entrepreneurial endeavours. We’re concerned for the welfare of your business and in return we hope to have you stay with us for as long as possible That’s good for you and good for us!

The desks we provide are huge. Almost the size of our competitors offices. The space is open, and there is a great kitchen for socialising, eating, and enjoying all the free chocolate and coffee that you can handle. Sometimes you will see entrepreneurs bouncing off the walls at The Cluster. Oh the joys of “on tap” sugar and caffeine!

The Cluster provides more if you want it. We do social gatherings a few times a month. Friday night drinks, a beery lunch here and there, presentation nights (where you can discuss your business, while we watch and eat pizza), and brain bumper afternoons (where tenants get together and brainstorm each other’s ideas, for new and different perspectives).

The Cluster is a wonderful space to work in. We get to know you and your business (super well), so we know what to say when your clients call or visit. Unlike many places and call answering services, the people doing the greetings don’t know you. At The Cluster, we know you! The colour of your hair, what you are wearing on most days etc. Good luck walking past reception and not stopping for a solid and humorous chat!

So what are you waiting for. Give your business the boost it needs and take it to the next level.

 

The term “coworking” was first used by Bernie DeKoven in 1999 in the context of virtual working practices. In 2005 Brad Neuberg used it to describe a physical shared working space.  His now famous “Hat Factory” coworking space in San Francisco was one of the earliest examples of the phenomenon that is now sweeping the globe.  Most of the existing coworking spaces are based in the US at this time, but the idea is rapidly spreading to other cities around the world.  Typically coworking spaces fill fast and there can be long waiting lists.

What is Coworking Melbourne

Coworking is basically a shared office where different companies with symbiotic relationships work and share resources, ideas and sometimes ideals.  In general there is a focus on the community created within the space.   It’s a contemporary innovation in a world where more and more people are working for themselves.  Many coworking spaces cater to to hi-tech or other creative industries.   Coworking has a strong social element with shared values and a realisation that by working side-by-side with other companies or individuals in a friendly social space, that the synergies created lead to new opportunities.  Ultimately, companies in coworking environments experience greater levels of success from these synergies.

How Coworking Melbourne helps

In a world of interconnectedness it has become apparent that we crave social interaction in our working lives. Business is created through interactions between people face-to-face. Developing and maintaiing social interaction skills is a necessary tool for any working person who wants to become successful.  When the Internet revolution made it possible to work from home , many virtual employees discovered that they felt isolated and missed the human interaction.  Coworking offers a flexible solution to the home based business by providing an alternative space away from the distractions of the home.

The Cluster provides a social, relaxed coworking environment for creative innovative companies whilst also presenting the most professional image possible.