Co-working spaces
They are mushrooming all over big cities now: co-working spaces. But what do they do exactly, what is their purpose? And where’s the connection to self-storage? Let LAGERBOX explain.
What are co-working spaces?
Co-working spaces divide and unite our society at the same time. Veteran workers look down on co-working spaces because, to them, they represent a fashionable new way of working that they are unfamiliar with. Co-working spaces are especially interesting for young entrepreneurs and start-ups because they offer space that is hard to get anywhere else.
LAGERBOX will take a closer look at co-working spaces. Co-working spaces are typically found in large cities. That’s where most people work after all, in those densely populated metropolitan areas. They typically also offer well-connected public transport systems.
A co-working space has some on-site staff that take care of the people working there. Co-working spaces offer flexible spaces for companies to host meetings or seminars and for young companies to work, typically at desks and computers. These people are called networkers. In summary, co-working spaces let out rooms used for working.
But who are these spaces for? Basically, co-working spaces are open to everyone as long as people stick to the rules. They are sometimes rented by universities or by companies to host seminars and meetings because they don’t have the space to do anywhere else. Smaller firms rent desks for their staff to work.
They offer space to work for people working in young companies without the distractions they are confronted with at home. It also gives start-ups and other young companies opportunities for control as well as interaction and support.
A co-working space can be used in diverse ways. They typically also feature common rooms, which are convenient and where people can spend their lunch breaks together.
One type of co-working space is the so-called “design office”. They feature particularly extravagant furnishings. You will recognise them because they often mix a modern style with rustic elements. Many such design offices exist in Cologne. The design offices underscore the main goal of co-working spaces: Creating a pleasant work environment where everybody can feel at home and reach maximum productivity.
Things found in most spaces include sofas, cushions, clean bathrooms, Wi-Fi, drinks, or even an integrated coffee shop. The most important thing: You can decide whether you want to be communicative or work in peace. The common areas typically feature smaller private spaces where people can focus in quiet.
The connection to self-storage
The connection to the self-storage industry might not be immediately apparent. Companies and start-ups that use co-working spaces do not have any other space to work in. Consequently, they also don’t have storage space. If a company operates an online shop distributing some type of merchandise, it can temporarily store this at LAGERBOX before shipping it to the customers.
If your online shop doesn’t require storage, a storage unit at LAGERBOX might still be convenient for managing files and returns.
A special LAGERBOX service for business customers is the package receiving service. This makes sure you can receive deliveries without having staff on-site at all times.
Parallels to networkers
If you ever entered a co-working space, you will have noticed that the people working there are typically quite young and haven’t been part of the world of work for very long. Self-storage at LAGERBOX is also still a relatively young trend.
The self-storage industry has only been booming for a few years now in Germany. The self-storage trend is originally from the US, where people have been putting their belonging into storage units now for decades. There are even popular TV shows that are set in the self-storage universe.
They are mostly about auctions for selling the content of storage units. This will never happen at LAGERBOX. The main reason is that it’s illegal in Germany.
It took until the 2010s for the self-storage industry to become fully established in Germany and Europe as a whole. However, more and more people are realising how helpful and convenient it can be to outsource storage space.
LAGERBOX has been around for it right from the start because it was Germany’s first-ever self-storage provider.
Benefits of LAGERBOX
If you need to downgrade or upgrade the size of your box, we are completely flexible. All LAGERBOX facilities offer free transport aids. They include carts and pallet trucks.
Some LAGERBOX facilities also have a moving supplies store as part of their service area as well as cargo elevators and drive-in areas. Some facilities provide customers with a free-of-charge transport van that can be used for free* when moving in. Link free transport van conditions
Why don’t you come round and see for yourself? Our friendly staff is looking forward to showing you everything.
