A coworking space is a place people can work in without having to pay for the entire office space. The price is much cheaper, yet it gives the feeling of a full-working environment. Coworking spaces have been popularised by companies like WeWork and have taken off very quickly since then. The number of coworking spaces are growing every day and their popularity demonstrates that it provides benefit for most entrepreneurs nowadays.
Birmingham is a major city in England’s West Midlands region, with multiple Industrial Revolution-era landmarks that speak to its 18th-century history as a manufacturing powerhouse. In 2019, Birmingham was voted the best city in the UK for small businesses according to research by Sum Up thanks to its relatively cheap rent and high levels of investment. Choosing a coworking space in Birmingham can be a great decision for your small business but there are a number of factors you need to consider before making a decision.
Finding the best coworking space for your business will depend on the type of work environment you are looking for, the size and stage of your business, if you're a startup or not and finally if you need private office space, meeting rooms or simply flexible work space with hot-desks. Coworking spaces will always offer serviced office space which includes wifi but depending on the location, they can offer perks like refreshments and foster an environment to network with other members of the shared office space.
There are a number of coworking options in Birmingham. Here are a selection of coworking spaces:
Despite coworking spaces being a great place for small businesses and entrepreneurs, it is important to ensure you have sufficient legal protection to make sure your intellectual property is protected and employees protected against solicitation from other coworking companies. Robust non-disclosure agreements and employment contracts can protect your business and grow confidently.
A non-disclosure agreement (NDA), also known as a confidentiality agreement, is a contract between a party disclosing confidential information and the party receiving that information. The receiving party, who is also known as the recipient, agrees to protect the other party’s confidential information by keeping it secure, not using it for unauthorised purposes, and not disclosing it to third parties. NDAs are crucial whenever sensitive information is being shared, especially in a coworking space where other members might over hear information or see sensitive data. Members of a coworking space often enter into an NDA to ensure that they do not use other members' confidential information for their own purposes and that their own confidential information is protected.
An employment contract allows an employer to hire an employee for a specific role in exchange for a salary. The employment contract should have a number of restrictions to prevent the employee from working for a competitor or for intellectual property developed during the course of employment from being used by the employee outside of work.
Having the right non-disclosure and employment agreements in place will allow you to thrive in a coworking space. To create a customisable lawyer approved contract for only £9.95, sign up to Legislate. Legislate offers all the essential legal documents on no legal budget so that you can focus on your business and have peace of mind that your legals are in order.