Author: coveoffices

When you start coworking, there are two things which are vital to having a great coworking experience – the coworking space that you choose and the workspace options that it offers you. We have previously seen how Cove Offices is one of the best coworking spaces in Chennai.. Today we will see how the various options available can suit your needs, no matter how diverse.

If you are a freelancer, you are likely to use the coworking space frequently, but not necessarily daily. In this case, you can opt for a hot desk plan. Here, you get to choose your desk when you walk in to (co)work. Depending on how you feel that day, you can opt for a quiet corner or be in the midst of hustle bustle. If you are someone who loves change, a hot desk is the right choice for you.

If you are someone who loves to have the same view every day or a team of coworkers who want to sit and work together, dedicated desk(s) are just what you are looking for. In this, a set of one or more desks are allocated to you so that you can set up your workspace the way you want. As an additional benefit, you get dedicated storage facilities. If permanence is your thing, dedicated desks are the way to go.

Once your team grows and your business matures, confidentiality and privacy become essential. You seek a more enclosed workspace, free of distractions, even in a coworking space. This is where our private offices come in. Suitable for medium to large-sized teams, these are securely enclosed and lockable offices. Just like dedicated desks, these also come with dedicated storage facilities to ensure that your equipment stays safe even in your absence.

Last but not the least, If you want to work from anywhere you want (including your home), but yet want to maintain an office for business purposes, our VO (Virtual Office) Working solution works best for you. You get to set up and use a virtual address for business registration and correspondence purposes. Not only this, you also get complimentary access to our meeting rooms and time-limited access to hotdesks and workspaces. This gets you the best of both the worlds – freedom to work from where you want, and a structured setup when you want it. Not to forget, a business address!

With all these options covering the gamut of your needs, there is absolutely no doubt that Cove Offices is where you should look when you are looking for a coworking space in Chennai. See you there!

“Coworking is one of the latest buzzwords that one comes across. Like any new concept, however, there are many doubts which one might have. Today, we will take a comprehensive view of everything associated with coworking and ensure that your doubts are answered. By the end of this, you will be in a position to select the right choice, especially if you are looking for a coworking space in Chennai.

What is a coworking space?

A coworking space is a business premise that allows freelancers or people from different companies to share a common office infrastructure and amenities. Think of it as a “hotel for business”. You book a time slot in a coworking space and pay only for your stay and use of the amenities.

How do coworking spaces work?

Coworking spaces work on the same principle that hotels or other shared services work. The coworking company buys/hires a property, sets it up as with all necessary facilities for their target customers. The space is not only equipped with various amenities needed by businesses and working professionals, but also various configurations of business spaces like private offices, dedicated or flexible desks for solo professionals or small teams.

Once this is done, the coworking company then rents these facilities out to business teams of varying sizes by means of subscription plans. These are quite similar to what one would encounter while booking a hotel or subscribing to a digital platform. You can pick and choose what you need, the time that you need for, and pay accordingly.

What are the benefits of a coworking space over a normal office?

First and foremost are the top two benefits that matter the most to any business or professional – time and money. Unlike a normal office, you don’t have to spend time and money to set it up. This means no upfront capital investment, or running around to get the paperwork done. You simply take a look at the plans and facilities on offer, book what you need, for the time you need, walk in and start working. As simple as that! No hassle of setting up or maintaining an office.

As your business changes, you will need to upscale or downscale your workforce. In a traditional office setup, this means moving into a bigger or smaller office and going through the whole office setup phase all over again. With a coworking space like Cove, all you need to do is to simply subscribe to a bigger or more private setup. When you need to downscale, change your subscription plan as per your needs. This flexibility is a godsend in a changing market.

If you are worried that a coworking space might not offer the same levels of privacy and confidentiality as a dedicated office, you can simply opt for a private office and get the same level of privacy at a much lesser cost.

Last but not the least, many coworking spaces also provide value-added services like networking activities, training sessions, interaction with industry experts etc. These are available either complimentary or at a small fee for their members. These add a lot of value to your professional experience and expose you to insights and opportunities which you otherwise would not have been exposed to.

What makes Cove the best coworking space in Chennai?

Simply put, there are a variety of reasons which make Cove the best coworking space in Chennai. Some of these are:

1. Vintage ambience with large open spaces

2. Strict adherence to COVID safety protocols

3. Wide variety of options like dedicated desks, hot-desks, private offices and virtual offices

4. Flexible subscription plans which allow you to easily upscale/downscale

5. 24×7 air-conditioning and fast internet connectivity

6. Ample parking spaces so that you don’t have to worry about your vehicles

7. Dedicated storage and a secure document vault

8. Complimentary amenities like document printing

“What am I looking for in a coworking office?” or “How do I decide which coworking space in Chennai to go for?” are some of the first questions that typically face a professional/business when they think of opting for a coworking office in Chennai. Since this can be a make-or-break factor in your coworking experience, we list out a few things which you should look out for when selecting a coworking space in Chennai. Before that, we need to understand what a coworking space is and how it benefits you.

Office Equipment and Amenities

These are the facilities that you will be using the most. Hence, it is vital that they are comfortable and pleasant to use. Some of the top things to ensure are:

1. Chairs and tables should be ergonomic and comfortable to use.

2. There should be enough light (preferably natural light) available.

3. Since you will usually be having a lot of gadgets like laptops, phones etc. there should be a large number of power points.

4. Quiet, private working space to help you focus.

5. A fast and stable WiFi internet connection is a must.

6. An ample amount of parking space ensures you don’t have to worry about your vehicle getting towed away.

This is an area where Cove Offices in Kotturpuram scores handsomely. Our vibrant premises spread over a huge area have large windows to let in tons of natural light, vibrant open spaces and a fast internet connection. Private offices ensure the confidentiality of the information and focus on work. Our flexible subscription plans let you scale your team up/down as you need. We also offer individually adjustable air-conditioning, thus ensuring an optimum working experience. Last but definitely not the least, we offer free printing services to our patrons.

Collaboration and Cooperation

One of the key advantages of coworking is the opportunity to interact with professionals from other fields and to benefit from their experiences. This also opens up the possibilities of professional networking, thus expanding your circle and helping your business. With this in mind, you should check the typical user profile of the patrons of the coworking space. If it is used by professionals/companies from various domains, it is definitely an advantage for your business.

Events and Activities

Taking the above point a bit further – If the coworking space regularly organises activities like conferences and workshops, it is a value addition to your coworking experience. These activities can not only expose you to different areas of knowledge, they can also make you aware of potential opportunities/customers for your business, which you might not have come across otherwise. It also indicates that the space organisers are actively involved with and invested in the coworking culture, which is always a good thing

Flexible Plans

As your business conditions change, so shall your needs. A coworking space that allows you the flexibility to easily upscale or downscale your subscriptions or facilities availed of is a great asset in these times. Not being stuck in a fixed plan for a long period of time will let you plan your finances smartly and invest them as you wish.

Conclusion

Every professional or business will have its own set of “must-haves” and “good-to-haves” when deciding which coworking space to go for? However, we believe that the factors listed above are a great starting point and a minimum set which you should look out for. We would love for you to try out our free 1-day trial offer and check out all that Cove Offices has to offer. All the best for your coworking experience!

One of the constant complaints that we have heard from our clients because of the past 9 months of work from home culture is that when one is working from home, the boundaries between professional and personal lives get blurred. Clients have been talking about overwork, even to the point of burnout given the lack of any fixed “in” or “out” timings. In these circumstances, it becomes vital to maintain a healthy work-life balance. If not, we face the dangers of diminishing productivity and work satisfaction, physical and mental health issues and overall poor quality of life.

This is the reason for the many flexibility features that we offer at Cove coworking. Some of these features are:

Eliminating distractions and setting boundaries – When you are working from a shared office, there are no roommates, pets or even family around to distract you. Even if there are people around you, they are like-minded professionals, who will respect your boundaries and let you work in peace. If you do need even more privacy, you can opt for a dedicated office. This allows you to singularly focus on your work and achieve top productivity.

Flexible timings – Since you can rent a facility in a coworking space as per your convenience, you are no longer limited by the availability of a peaceful work environment at home. No longer waiting for kids to sleep or the construction work next door to stop. You can decide what time works best for you, and work accordingly. With Cove offering 24×7 access to its facilities, you can work at any time of the day or night, literally. Additionally, you can choose to separate your professional timings from your personal timings. A change of venue helps tremendously in achieving this.

Alone, yet not alone – Unlike working at home (especially if you are living alone – like many of our clients and their employees do!), you’re not entirely cut off from humanity. Coworking spaces typically arrange for group activities that allow you to unwind and enjoy some downtime. Cove goes one step further and makes large areas with greenery available for you to simply take a long walk whenever your mind needs some relaxation. These satisfy your need for human contact while not infringing on your time. Like you already know, a relaxed mind is better equipped for success.

Coworking spaces let you combine the best of professional and personal aspects of your life, thereby ensuring a positive balance between both. When you are satisfied in one aspect, it automatically boosts your satisfaction from the other. Additionally, they also resolve many of the issues which arise from the “constant WFH” culture. In conclusion, this leads to a balanced, happy life. Isn’t that what we all need at the end of the day? If your answer is in the positive, Cove is where you need to be.

The financial bottom line is something that makes or breaks your business. This is where coworking spaces help by delivering the same business value at a lesser cost. However, climate change and its related harmful effects are looming large on the horizon, with some being seen right now in the form of cyclones, unseasonal rains etc. In such a scenario, “Going Green” is a trend that’s gaining momentum. Going green showcases that a business is socially responsible and attracts customers and employees for whom sustainability is a key consideration.

Coworking spaces help businesses achieve this objective by enabling them to share infrastructure and eliminating the need for every business to have its own office setup. This reduces the overall resource consumption of a business, reduces its carbon footprint and makes it healthy for the environment. At Cove, we go a step ahead and concentrate on everything we can do to ensure that our facilities are not only top-notch, but also have a minimal or positive impact on the environment.

Some of the measures we have adopted to ensure a “green” experience for our customers are:

Electrical systems – The premises are fitted with LED lamps which provide higher light levels with consumption of lesser electricity. The HVAC system is energy-efficient and allows for control of individual locations, which means that there is no excess power being spent on unnecessary cooling.

Equipment sharing – Sharing equipment like printers, scanners, coffee machines ensure that plastic and electricity usage is reduced.

Landscaping – There are abundant trees, plants and foliage in the Cove campus. This serves as a natural carbon dioxide sink and ensures better air quality. This is especially invaluable in a metro city with its high vehicular population (and hence, pollution). As an added benefit, a walk around the campus rejuvenates you when work tires you out.

Last but definitely not the least, the Cove campus has been created by repurposing an existing vintage building to a modern space. By eliminating use of carbon-intensive raw materials like steel and cement required for any new construction, our carbon footprint remains extremely small.

Going green and being sustainable matters to all companies. We welcome you to visit Cove Kotturpuram, the greenest coworking space in Chennai, and discover how we are making the world greener for us all.

“Sharing is caring” – you must have heard this often in the context of doing good for those around you. What if we told you that it is good not just for those around you, but also for yourself? Or more precisely, your business budget? If that sounds surprising, read on.

Pause for a moment and look at the services you use on a daily basis. When you want to go somewhere, you probably call a cab from Ola or Uber, saving you the hassle of owning/maintaining a car and navigating the traffic. When you go for a vacation and want something more spacious than a hotel room, you look up places on AirBnB. Did you notice a common pattern here? The concept of owning something is slowly being replaced by using it only when needed. We are well and truly switching over to the “sharing economy”.

In that case, it would be a safe bet to say it applies to your working environment as well, right? Of course! This is exactly where coworking spaces come into play and function as your shared office. Gone (or going) are the days when hunting for an office, buying or leasing it and then setting it up was a major part of setting up a business. Today, you can simply look for a coworking space that offers you the facilities you need to run your business, book a suitable plan to use it as your office and start working.

Since everyone uses common office resources like furniture and lighting, machinery like printers/scanners, coffee machines and meeting rooms, the cost per head goes down. Your expenses on services like housekeeping, security and maintenance are also reduced as the costs get distributed across multiple users. Something that deserves a special mention in the COVID era, especially in workspaces and other public spaces, is the need for maintaining high levels of hygiene and sanitisation to keep you safe. Cove takes this very seriously, adhering to the highest standards. Thanks to the costs getting spread over a pool of users, you not only stay safe but also enjoy this without hitting your budget. Once that’s done, you don’t need to worry about anything else, except for your business.

If you have not realised it by now, coworking at Cove not only reduces your expenses but also gives you a superior office experience of international standards at a price point where you get great value for money.

Get in touch with us, look at our wide range of amenities and flexible plans, book one and go back to focusing on what needs most of your attention – your business. With an extensive list of facilities, a variety of flexible plans and excellent customer-focused management, the only thing you will be sharing with the world is your appreciation of Cove.

From the Founders’ Desk: Oscar Wilde’s play “The Importance of Being Earnest” is a satire that mocked the prevailing social customs of Victorian England. With due apologies to the playwright, we write in praise of earnestness and perseverance when we describe the importance of being earnest.

In my note at the end of our first year of operations at Cove, I was optimistic. Our pipeline was strong, and we were expecting several new project launches. However, the old Chinese curse of living in interesting times hit and boy, did it hit hard!

Rather than repeating a theme that has been a constant across industries and companies, we chart a different course. When we think of our 2nd year of operations at Cove we think of the benefits of earnestness, perseverance, and the importance of choosing business partners who are aligned with your goals as an organization and an entrepreneur.

Of course, COVID meant that all business Centers, including ours went empty. It wasn’t an entirely hopeless scenario, though. Our key takeaways during the last year of unprecedented churn were:

1. Earnestness with clients – We ensured that our pre-COVID clients were happy. Every single client who parted ways during or after lockdowns was given all applicable refunds. Several requests for flexibility in exits, payments and downsizing were immediately accepted. As entrepreneurs ourselves, we understand the pains other startups have to go through and did our best to accommodate our clients.

2. Perseverance – While a lot of other business centres were shutting shop, we as a team believed that our business plan (an asset right model) and team capabilities would take us past this once-in-a-century problem. We had a hypothesis on what it would mean for the general work environment post-COVID and we stuck to our guns. A bit later, we will talk about what that has resulted.

3. Choosing the right partners – Choosing you owner partners and investors is key for a business such as ours. Our strategy of only working with partners who understand that asset right businesses such as ours require a long-term view to success has paid off handsomely. When interests are aligned, achieving goals becomes simpler.

This has reaped great dividends. Our coworking space occupancy rates today are higher than our pre-COVID levels. We attribute this to how we treated our clients, who then returned and brought their friends along. The fact that we never gave up as a team and made the sacrifices necessary to keep running, or that none of our partners ever objected to muted returns during an unprecedented pandemic also played a vital role. In addition, we now find ourselves in a far more confident space as a team. This is because we see that in all probability (fingers crossed!), we are past the worst of the pandemic with vaccines in sight and the economy showing signs of revival.

New businesses are now starting again, with upcoming projects in Bangalore and Chennai across the spectrum of rent-yielding assets. Our outlook for the coming year looks better, with the hope that the terrible twos are now done!

A bit of quirky optimism is essential when looking back at the last year. As we celebrate 2 years of Cove today, we decided to bring that element of quirky fun into the view of our team, clients, and partners. To mark this occasion, we commissioned an artwork from a young digital artist in Chennai, Jemma Jose. In it, she has brought out the various forms of quirkiness in Cove to life. Using it, we have prepared a calendar for 2021.

While you are at it, please feel free to get in touch with us if you are looking at coworking as an option. We will be most happy to have you as a part of our journey!

Growing up, most of us have known about nomads – people who don’t have a permanent home and wander from place to place. Today, the availability of the internet has given rise to a new species – the digital nomads. Just as the original nomads were not bound to a single place, the digital nomads are not bound to a single office or workplace. They work from wherever they find internet connectivity. Quite literally, all they need is an internet connection and a place to sit.

By definition, digital nomads don’t need dedicated offices. They simply need workplaces which are available when they need, don’t cost them a bomb, have a good internet connection and offer comfortable working conditions. What could be a better solution for them than coworking spaces? And when it comes to coworking spaces, what could be a better one than Cove Offices, Kotturpuram?

Though they are location-independent, digital nomads are not too different from office-goers when it comes to getting work done. Just as there are offices and networking groups for normal offices, there are digital nomad communities in various places around the world, including India. While many of the nomads work individually, some of them do work in groups, often collaborating over projects.

Cove Kotturpuram has several amenities which make them an ideal destination for the nomads of the digital era. Some of these include:

Setting boundaries – Since you are working from an office-like setup, it becomes easier to set time and space boundaries and make sure that they are respected.

Reducing loneliness – Having people working around you, and yet not disturbing you gives you the best of both worlds – freedom from distractions and a buzz of activity to put your mind into a more productive mood. According to a recent study conducted by GCUC, more than 80% of respondents said that coworking spaces make them feel happier and less lonely while working.

Easier professional networking – Professional networking happens more “naturally” in a coworking space. This gives you an opportunity to expand your professional network and succeed in your business. More than 80% of respondents in a recent survey by Small Business Labs say so.

Cove has worked with many homepreneurs to address their workspace needs and has seen mutual success. You don’t have to just take our word for this, though. Come and experience it at Cove with a free one-day pass by clicking on the link below.

• A variety of seating options available, like hot-desks, dedicated desks and private offices
• Fast internet connectivity
• Power backup to ensure uninterrupted working
• 24×7 air-conditioning so that you can work comfortably
• Vibrant space and ambience to enable professional networking and boost productivity

If you think that’s all, you’re mistaken. Cove brings much more to the game! With its VO-Working plan, Cove offers the digital nomads a chance to roam wherever they fancy, while still having a place to call their (virtual) home. This allows them to reap the benefits of having a fixed location while staying true to their nomadic spirit. Nomads of the digital world, unite and visit Cove. That will definitely be one of the best stops in your journey.

As an entrepreneur who works from their home, your home serves as your office and your relaxation space. Managing boundaries and expectations in addition to finding meaningful work networks can be tough for you as a homepreneur. From our experience in working with and providing workspace solutions to people like you, this is what we see are your challenges and how we can address them at Cove.

Distractions and boundaries

The first and biggest challenge is to handle the distractions that you encounter when working from home. “You’re working from home, right? So, you are always available” is what most people, including friends and family, will think about you. Setting and following boundaries of space and time becomes a difficult task. Add to this, common distractions like noises from neighbouring homes, and your home soon becomes a less than ideal place to work from.

Isolation and lack of “work” companionship

No matter how fast your internet connection, and how connected you are through chat-rooms and voice/video calls, the fact remains that they cannot replace the presence of real human beings. This leads to a sense of isolation for many homepreneurs. This causes a serious lack of productivity for many. Working from home also means that you don’t have an environment where you can get formally introduced to new people and can network professionally or have real-time face-to-face interactions.

Homes are not customised for work

Most homes in India are not customised for work. Costs of homes in most metros mean that space is at a premium and we can bet that as a homepreneur, you are likely “making do” in a space that is not ideal for work. With kids studying at home and both partners working at home, space fatigue can quickly set in.

How do coworking spaces help?

Cove’s coworking and workspace solutions are centred around flexibility. This means that options like working from our centre for a part of the week or on an “as needed” basis can help. Think of the times when you need to focus on dedicated tasks for a few hours or a day and must have the space to do so. Cove can help!

Setting boundaries – Since you are working from an office-like setup, it becomes easier to set time and space boundaries and make sure that they are respected.

Reducing loneliness – Having people working around you, and yet not disturbing you gives you the best of both worlds – freedom from distractions and a buzz of activity to put your mind into a more productive mood. According to a recent study conducted by GCUC, more than 80% of respondents said that coworking spaces make them feel happier and less lonely while working.

Easier professional networking – Professional networking happens more “naturally” in a coworking space. This gives you an opportunity to expand your professional network and succeed in your business. More than 80% of respondents in a recent survey by Small Business Labs say so.

Cove has worked with many homepreneurs to address their workspace needs and has seen mutual success. You don’t have to just take our word for this, though. Come and experience it at Cove with a free one-day pass by clicking on the link below.

Right now, we are in the middle of one of the biggest pandemics of our lifetime. As we try to restore our personal and professional lives to relative normalcy, the effect of the COVID-19 crisis has been vast and deep. We have essentially moved inwards, sticking to our homes, minimising social interactions and venturing out only when really needed. Naturally, this has significantly affected how we work. Going to your office almost seems like a thing of the past and people are looking for alternatives.

The significant trend to understand is that though WFH (work from home) adoption has increased, office spaces are still vital for a business. Client meetings, geographical market presence, registered business addresses – these are just some of the needs of a business that an office space fulfills. However, what has changed is the preference of employees and remote workers towards coworking spaces vs. dedicated office spaces. Surveys show that out of those who have used a coworking space before the pandemic and lockdowns, about 70.48% workers planned to return to the spaces once the conditions were better. Not just that, about 54.99% of those going in for remote working for the first time indicated that they would prefer to try out a coworking space whenever it is possible to do so.

What causes this shift in preferences is that coworking spaces offer the flexibility to “spend as you go” for the resources and features you need. Whether it is the number of seats or facilities like registered address, secure storage etc., you have the option of paying only for what you use, thus minimising your upfront expenses. Coworking spaces can also provide their clients with more flexible and varied facilities, features and subscription plans. This means that businesses do not need to maintain a dedicated office just to have access to the facilities whenever they want. Businesses with larger teams are now looking at options related to having specific teams work in the offices each day, thus reducing the overall requirement of seats.

So, what implications does this have on companies and individuals? For companies, maintaining dedicated per-city offices will become less and less important or even necessary. With more employees preferring remote work or shared workspaces at closer distances from home, companies will take the concept of “flexible offices” more seriously because of the ability to scale employee density up or down as per government guidelines, and the overall savings obtained by switching to a shared workspace as opposed to a dedicated one. Depending on their business model and the type of interactions they have with clients or within employees, businesses will opt for flexible coworking spaces which provide them with the requisite features and availability instead of maintaining a dedicated space and locking up their financial resources.

For employees, this means that they get the freedom of choosing where they want to work from – their own homes or a cafe or the nearest coworking space provisioned by their company. Flexible working will be the name of the game. This will directly result in increased employee satisfaction, better work-life balance, reduced time spent commuting etc. The cherry on the top of the cake is that productivity and business output is not just retained, but in many cases actually boosted by these changes.

At Cove, we have offered these and many other workforce management plans to our clients. We believe that flexible office space solutions remain the answer to the new working requirements of businesses.

*Statistics Source: www.coworker.com