Sales in low, indomitable operative costs, little encouraging panorama for the consumption, expectations by the floor and the list follows. In the middle, a government focused on controlling the dollar in the electoral pre-election and resigned to face the polls with a dormant economy.The companies are forced to rethink their budgets and to have to reduce expenses at any cost. Among them, who pay for rent and expenses, which climbed about 40% only in 2018.According to the real estate company Properati, in the November-January quarter, the average area of ââthe offices contacted through the platform was reduced to 70 square meters, from the average 120 m2 of the previous three months.In the signature they identify as the main cause of this contraction to the increase in the price of the rents, in moments in which the companies can not validate rises before the collapse of their invoicing in real terms: "August-September-October the value of income of the m2 was located at 226 pesos and in the last three months it rose to almost 280 pesos ", they indicate, accounting for an increase of 23%.Added to this, the congestion in several points of the city and, as a counterpart, the improvements in connectivity and the new technological solutions are redefining the traditional concept of workspaces.In this framework, more companies are resorting to the modality of coworking, which gains ground and gives fight to conventional office surfaces.By the way, it is not a phenomenon that only happens in this country: at present, there are approximately 24,000 coworkings around the world and more than 150 in Argentina that offer tailored solutions to different sectors of the economy.The use of this type of space is growing at an accelerated pace, a trend that also responds to the practicality and flexibility offered by technology, while giving rise to multiple business possibilities."This change is perceived in SMEs and professionals, since they lower operating expenses and also save the initial investment for remodeling and equipment," Germán Gómez Picasso, founder of Reporte Inmobiliario, tells iProUP.In addition, the manager says that the trend even modified the guidelines of real estate developers, as "changed the way you think about the works".In this sense, he adds: "There are traditional office builders who have gone on to rethink the surfaces and design them in the 'coworking style'".The good acceptance of this modality not only covers SMEs and entrepreneurs, but also large companies are committed to a more flexible structure, which can be extended or reduced depending on the total of projects in execution."Gradually, they use this model for some divisions, beyond what cost savings represent, they point to a greater interrelation among employees, to the search for innovation and to the possibility of capturing new businesses," adds Gómez Picasso.What also surprises is the good response of those who work in a coworking space, since they assign a rating of 6 on a scale of 7 points, according to the Harvard Business Review. It even exceeds that of traditional office employees.Paradigm shiftNot only are spaces that combine technology and comfort, but a new paradigm: it seeks that the hours that a person spends in their employment are more enjoyable, that can have a greater interaction and that there is room for innovation.A survey of 4,000 people using WeWork spaces reveals that collaboration and workspaces are directly connected to employee satisfaction. Moreover, seven out of ten say they feel satisfied because they can interact with people from other companies, at least once a week."If you doubt, new modalities are being imposed in which other types of work experiences are prioritized, which have led to take more account of the pillars of coworking", says in dialogue with iProUP Martín Frankel, managing partner of Area Three (A3) , pioneer in this field.In another order, the manager lists aspects such as:- The flexibility of the contract, in terms of terms and services- The possibility of varying the costs associated with a "traditional office"- The absence of initial investment- The use of the community- The greatest networking opportunitiesIn addition, in these spaces, service management becomes essential for companies of all types and sizes to focus on their business and expand or contract their structures, reducing fixed costs, according to the needs of each moment.Furthermore, if the firm usually works with specific projects: they can grow in number during one part of the year and contract in another."This modality becomes an ally for companies to transform their spaces and thus enter this new era of work," says iProUP Uri Iskin, CEO of HIT Cowork.And complete: "They are a turnkey solution.The firm no longer has to worry about managing many suppliers to have an office, saving costs compared to a traditional space, it is more efficient and does not require an initial investment."The firm, owned by the corporate real estate HIT Group, offers three plans that are adapted to each undertaking:- Fly Desk: designed for entrepreneurs and startups. Access to WiFi services, cafeteria, meeting rooms and common areas of all spaces. These services connect people with a community in which synergies of all kinds are experienced, which strengthens growth- Office Plan: offers private offices with access control and the possibility of having between 3 and 72 positions with Internet service, rooms, telephone booths, kitchen and bathroom- Space As A Service: it is the most personalized service. It is designed according to the needs of each company, with customized features, private meeting rooms and integrated kitchen and cafeteria areas. In addition, it contemplates buildings dedicated to a single company, in which case it is developed from the design of the spaces to the proposal and management of the servicesIn terms of prices, a position in a private office costs between $ 8,000 and $ 12,000, always depending on the building and floor, among other items. Meanwhile, a Fly Desk has a cost starting from $ 5,400 per month.With these proposals, present in the spaces they have distributed in the neighborhoods of Las Cañitas, Belgrano, Nuñez, Microcentro and Parque Patricios, the firm is evaluating new developments in Buenos Aires from the strong increase in demand. It will also reach other cities in Latin America during the second half of the year.Coworking for large companiesAl Mundo, Mercado Libre, Pandora, Wyndham, Manpower Group and Flybondi are just some of the companies that have already incorporated this modality for their operations.They opted for WeWork, whose particularity is that beyond creating communities within their buildings it connects professionals from different cities, as well as its users around the world through its app.Its enterprise members represent 30% of the total WeWork members, who work for the more than 2,000 companies that join that network globally. In addition, they grew 200% in 2018, showing the preference of large companies for these spaces."Our main objective is to change the way people feel and perceive employment, generating more positive environments and experiences, we spend a good part of our day at work, so why separate that world from our lives? Do not try to make it more pleasant? " wonders, Agustina Maljkovic, Head of Marketing at Wework LATAM."The secret lies in knowing how to design spaces that adapt to all needs and then share only those that are not used as often," reveals iProUP.Therefore, most of the company's spaces are private. But there are also common areas, such as meeting and event rooms, snack pantries, stationery and printing places, among others.This modality is not only used by small and medium firms. In WeWork the presence of large companies is notorious: in the region, more than 45% of the members are important corporations that decide to change their culture."We focus on transformation After almost 10 years of experience in the real estate, design and collaborative work environments market, we launched Powered By We, a new solution that allows offices to be transformed into inspiring, dynamic and designed spaces. measure to encourage interaction, "says Maljkovic.The company opened three floors last year in Retiro, with a capacity for more than 600 people. In the second quarter they will inaugurate a new building, which will be the largest in Latin America, with capacity for 4,500 members.Cultural revolutionCoworking is increasingly interested in teams with a large number of members. In particular, members of the 'corporate' world."The motivation is clear: the reduction and flexibility of costs, but also a cultural evolution that includes proximity to colleagues from other firms, as well as entrepreneurs and startups, who used to be the initial members," says Frankel.From A3, this corporate merger is key in the development of synergies. That is why it is currently a HUB of the startup ecosystem.Its objective is to generate value for members through the three pillars of # ComunidadA3:- Cured equipment, including Spotify, Increase, Roche and Wayra. Participation in the community and the desire to share and offer their know-how- Partners, such as IBM, Answer, FiberCorp and Amazon Web Services. Each one offers different content and opportunities for synergy with A3 startups- Community Partners (meta-community of A3), organizations dedicated to supporting their members in the fields of entrepreneurship, technology, design and sustainability."Our focus is on knowing all the teams and knowing where they are going, to accelerate valuable connections between them," the executive points out.In 2017, A3 was chosen as a Partner of Google for Startups with the aim of enhancing the opportunities and benefits of the ventures that are part of their community.In turn, this year will add several growth initiatives seeking to create new hubs for entrepreneurship and innovation, such as A3 El Salvador. And they work together with Increase to create the meeting point of the Fintech industry in Argentina.According to Frankel, part of the evolution that is taking place in the coworking segment is the creation of specialized hubs focused on certain verticals. Today, in Buenos Aires you can find coworkings for the music industry, and real estate businesses, among others.Both SMEs and entrepreneurs, as well as large corporations, are betting on a model that combines cost savings and synergies with other collaborators. Apparently, the key is not only to pass the crisis, but also to grow business together with collaboration.