Office Tribe recently featured in The Times newspaper!  The article was explaining the allure of Royal Tunbridge Wells to Londoners who, as a result of the pandemic and remote working, have moved out of the capital to the Garden of England. 

The article prompted us to think about the wider benefits of coworking – we know that our ‘Tribe’ find it hugely beneficial to their productivity, network and mental health but what are the positive impacts of coworking on the surrounding community? 

Gig economy

By providing coworking spaces in Tunbridge Wells we are supporting the local gig economy of temporary staff, contractors, the self-employed and freelancers.  An alternative work space to the home office means that meetings can take place, connections with other freelancers can be made and focus can be achieved allowing businesses to grow and, we like to think, dreams can be realised!  But seriously, if all giggers can generate more income from the quiet of a coworking space then that can only be a good thing for them and the local economy.

Travelling salesman

Thanks to the size, location and output of Kent, many people come to the county to do business but gone are the days of travelling salesmen meeting clients in clinical hotel lobbies to go through their briefcases of paperwork.  

OfficeTribe help to keep the cogs of industry turning by providing day passes for our convenient, friendly, and comfortable meeting places with private meeting rooms, all the technology for presentations, video conferencing and calls, Wi-Fi, and the essentials – refreshments (sometimes there might even be beer and fizz in the fridge!).  Rather than commute to the capital, why not invite your London client to Tunbridge Wells next time?  Both OfficeTribe spaces are within extremely easy walking distance of the train station.   

The ripple effect of coworking

Coworking creates a hub of people who need to eat, drink and shop during their breaks and this activity creates a positive ripple effect on local businesses – think about the coffees that people pop out for, lunchtime takeout, drinks on a sunny evening and that emergency gift for someone.  This is money that wouldn’t necessarily have been spent if that freelancer had stayed at home and, importantly, that money is then spent elsewhere, continuing the ripple effect across the local economy.  We have a good relationship with our neighbouring businesses and showcase their products and services with our OfficeTribers.

People buy from people

It’s inevitable that you start chatting to people you’re coworking with.  You may be sat next to them or opposite them, you might meet making a cup of coffee but who knows where that one conversation might take you … and no, we’re not talking romance.  Whether you like the word or not, these easy chats are a form of networking and before you know it, you’ve found the perfect graphic designer for your project, a social media manager who really gets what you do or the photographer who, for the first time ever, makes you feel relaxed. 

‘People buy from people’ and that goes for B2B as well as B2C relationships – it’s much simpler to explain what you do and how you can benefit others face to face and plus, you can demonstrate your passion, knowledge and experience immediately rather than waiting for the to and fro of emails.  We love to hear about OfficeTribe collaborations – coworking alchemy at work!  (As yet we don’t know of any OfficeTribe romances, but you never know …)

Kerb appeal

The OfficeTribe ethos is to take a gorgeous old building, give it a fabulous makeover and put it to good use as a coworking space, and that is what we have done with the buildings on Mount Pleasant and London Road.

Our offices on Mount Pleasant are above jeweller Walsh Bros. and so they already had a dazzling façade, but our offices on London Road needed some TLC on the inside and outside.  The London Road offices which are Grade II Listed, have been given the Midas touch and a contemporary look and feel with beautiful gold lettered signage by the brilliant graphic designer behind our new branding, Emma Williams of Letters by Em.  Once inside, wind your way up the old staircase to the three floors, all of which have retained some quirks of age amongst the modern comforts, which only add to the offices’ charm.

By putting these old buildings to good, renewed use, we have been able to add to the cosmetic appeal of Tunbridge Wells.  A pretty, well-maintained town attracts business and customers – it makes it a pleasant place to work and shop.

So, you see, coworking doesn’t just work for our OfficeTribe but for Tunbridge Wells too - there is much more to coworking than just hotdesking!