The Co-Working Space Challenge

Own a company with a very small team and you do not want to rent a permanent address? Co-working space might just be what you need.

- Jeff Tan

Co-working spaces cater to the needs of independent professionals and people with workplace flexibility to bring them together under one roof. The idea is to create an environment where they can work better together than they do alone.

This subsector of the property industry offers a solution to entrepreneurs, freelancers, and small businesses. These “offices” allow them to rent a space they can use as an office and help them stay away the distractions of working from home.

The core purpose of creating a coworking space is to build a community and promote sustainability. Each coworking community upholds certain values, as well as interact, support and share ideas with one another.

Looking at Southeast Asia, the concept of co-working is well received and become popular especially in countries like the Philippines, Singapore, and Vietnam, where space is limited. Whereas in Malaysia, coworking spaces are mainly found in Klang Valley, the country’s heartland of industry and commerce.

Colony KL is one of the more luxurious-looking co-working spaces in Kuala Lumpur. The space has a simple yet elegant black-and-white theme, and having comfortable furniture gives it a professional yet laid-back look.

Founder Timothy Tiah said that despite many HR studies saying that the working environment plays an important role in what a job candidate looks for in a job, few offices in South East Asia appear attractive to them.

He said that Colony is created based on putting in efforts to build a working environment where people can really concentrate on their work. “Our team will take care of your secretarial needs and make you feel comfortable at work. One reason that makes Colony attractive is that it is equipped with its very own gym and swimming pool.