Coworking: how to create, open and run a shared workplace?

Paris, Toulouse, Lyon, but also Lannion, Uzerche and Roubaix. Across France, coworking spaces and other flexible workspaces are on the increase. Far from the cold image of simple shared offices, these places have become veritable ecosystems, embodying a new relationship to work, more mobile, more human, more local... and above all much more in tune with the times for their users and the companies that deploy themselves there. How can we emerge today, and what room is left for new entrants to this flexible workspace market?

A market in full structuring

Creating a flexible office space today means more than just installing a few desks and a coffee machine. It's about offering a concrete response to the profound changes taking place in the workplace, and to the real needs of users: the end of the single office, the search for meaning, the need for territorial anchorage, the rise of telecommuting, the isolation of the self-employed, the quest for conviviality.

In 2023, there will be 3,591 coworking spaces in France - an increase of 5% on the previous year, according to L'Express.According to L'Express, the number of coworking spaces in France had risen from just 250 a decade earlier. By 2025, France will have over 4,200 coworking spaces, an increase of 15% since 2024.

These shared workspaces meet a growing demand for flexibility and adapt to new ways of working, and this is all the more true in a context where the French real estate market is unable to pull itself out of its slump.

Coworking vs. the flexible office

But don't confuse flexible offices with coworking spaces. The difference is slight, yet with a 22% vacancy rate, Parisian coworking spaces face a persistent challenge. And yet, according to the Ubiqdata 2024 study, with almost 350,000 m² in 2024, the operated office continues to grow, with a 23% increase in new openings in 2024.

Further proof, if proof were needed, of the relevance of this model to companies' needs for greater personalization and flexibility.

The flexible office market is therefore moving towards a more measured but healthier trend, with "only" +13% of m² expected this year. By 2024, thirty coworking operators will share almost 1.2 million m² of workspace in France.

This dynamism is due to a combination of factors. On the one hand, the reconfiguration of office real estate is encouraging companies to outsource certain jobs to flexible spaces. On the other, a generation of freelancers, consultants and auto-entrepreneurs are looking for a social and stimulating working environment, without the constraints of a 3/6/9 lease.

Creating your own space: an adventure at a crossroads

Every coworking or flexible workspace project begins with an intention: to support a territory, offer a lively working environment, create social links, or generate additional income from real estate assets.

"We used to think that coworking was an urban phenomenon, almost trendy. But it's becoming a tool for revitalizing regions", observes François Vermeil , CEO of workin.space.

But between dream and reality, the path is paved with strategic choices.

• Which target audience? The self-employed, start-ups, associations, local authorities, teleworkers?
• Which positioning? Hybrid space with shared workshop? Premium downtown space? Social office in an inner-city district?
• Which business model? Monthly subscriptions, one-off rentals, privatized spaces, ancillary services...

A common mistake is to think 'place' before 'community', but it's not the design that builds loyalty, it's the atmosphere, the rituals, the interactions. We mustn't forget that coworking, and flexible office spaces in general, are about hospitality: managing, animating and evolving. Once open, a coworking space has to live, adapt and renew itself. Day-to-day management is more than just renting out square meters.

The keys to lively coworking

• Welcome, listen, regulate, lead.
• Organize group events: breakfasts, workshops, conferences, afterworks.
• Manage schedules, invoicing, Wi-Fi and coffee machine breakdowns.
• Communicate on networks, follow up on leads, promote testimonials.
• And, above all, create a shared culture in which every user becomes a potential contributor.

A model for the future?

Coworking is constantly evolving. Some are focusing on eco-responsibility (recycling, energy autonomy, soft mobility), others on niche sectors: artistic coworking, women's coworking, tech coworking, health coworking... And in a context where the traditional company is crumbling, these places are increasingly appearing as credible alternatives to isolation and the standardization of work.

Creating a coworking space today means being an entrepreneur, host, facilitator and community builder all rolled into one. It means responding to a thirst for meaning, links and proximity. And it means taking part, in your own small way, in reinventing the world of work, because behind every shared office, every collective kitchen, every organized event, there's a new way of working.behind every shared office, every collective kitchen, every organized event, there are human beings seeking, together, a different way of working - and perhaps also, a different way of living.