SHARED Workspaces on the Rise in Hamilton
Nestled within the Hamilton CBD, directly across from a dutifully managed Wilson’s parking lot, and flanked by cafes, is 71 London Street. The 1950s era, four-storey building that once housed the Waikato Farmer’s Trust is now operating in a radically modern industry: coworking.
71 London Street is one of three ‘coworking’ spaces owned by Shared Workspaces, a Tauranga based company that plans to bridge the gap between the traditional office, and the newer work-from-home model that has developed since 2020.
Tony Snow, Owner and Ceo of Shared Workspaces, believes that there is a demand for flexibility in the commercial real estate business. Rather than a traditional commercial lease, with all of the overheads usually involved in renting an entire office, companies can rent as little as a single desk for a day.
Members of the company can access all three of the coworking sites across Tauranga, Papamoa, and Hamilton, and pay only for the space used, forgoing the “per-person” charge commonly implemented by other coworking firms. Billing is easy, too - it all comes under a single invoice every month.
Tony is a man of beliefs. He sees Shared Workspaces as part of the solution to New Zealand having “the worst productivity rate in the OECD.” He wants to ensure that companies have a “return-on-commute”, meaning that employees don’t spend hours needlessly commuting to a central office space, instead working from an office closer to home. He also wants to ensure that billable hours are used efficiently, away from the distractions of what he calls the “cafe culture”, in which meetings and work have tumbled into complacency as a result of the comforts found within the CBD cafe.
Productivity is the main focus of Shared Workspaces. Tony wants to foster an environment of work first, fun second - an attitude that may differentiate him from other coworking companies that focus on fun within the working environment. He does not, however, want to rule out the fun entirely:
“We like f-words: flexibility, focus, function, and fun.”
Indeed, 71 London Street is within walking distance of central Hamilton’s many dining and recreational establishments. You can walk from the office to the gym, and then have dinner, all on London Street. The building even offers on-site parking and great views of the city.
Contact Shared Workspaces:
079259669
hello@shared.nz
https://www.facebook.com/sharednz
Contact MediaPA
027 458 7724
phillip@mediapa.co.nz