Entrepreneurs talk about how co-working offices have helped them flourish

Co-working has changed the concept of the traditional office space, and for freelancers and budding entrepreneurs it offers an alternative working lifestyle with shared ideas, energy and opportunities. In the past three years, co-working spaces have grown in popularity all around Belgium, attracting small businesses and promoting community values within the space. We take a look at some of the companies that have emerged from Brussels’ co-working spaces.

The Loft: The Translator

 Amandine Gillet offers a translation service from her office at The Loft on Avenue Louise. She translates from Russian and English into French.

When did you start your business?

Two years ago I started by myself, working from home. At first it was nice to be at home, and I could also do the dishes and the laundry while working! But I was always alone and after a while I wanted to see other people and to have opportunities.

How does co-working work for you?

I love it. I can focus more – I’m more productive. When you see everyone working around you, you do more too. Four days out of five I go to The Loft. Today I am at home and I know I will do less!

What’s the atmosphere like?

It’s a really cool atmosphere; we’re all friendly with each other, we joke around. We also help each other. There’s another translator, a native English speaker – I can ask him questions and can help him with French.

How is the business growing?

I now employ another translator. She also comes to the co-working area. It works well and for me it’s a reasonable price – €300 a month, with access to meeting rooms.

Do you take part in the events?

I think that’s more useful for other companies – I’ve never been to an event. But we help each other a lot: for example, a company in The Loft needed an interpreter for a meeting, so I was able to offer my skills there.

Betacowork: The Data Expert

Toon Vanagt is co-founder of Data.be, a search engine for Belgian company information. He operates from Betacowork in Etterbeek.

How is co-working different from a business operating out of a traditional office?

It’s very different. For the latter, if you want to find someone to do a job for you, you get a pitch or quote, and you find out after the job is done if they’re any good. It’s a longer process. With co-working, you meet people at lunch and test the idea in the afternoon. There’s a low barrier and low risk.

Do co-working partnerships usually work well?

Because you’re so close, your reputation is in-house – you have a high incentive to make the partnership work. In the other way of working, if you don’t do a good job, you can go to another customer afterwards, who doesn’t know anything about you. Projects I’ve been involved with through co-working have been delivered and over-delivered because of accountability.

When did you start co-working?

It was in 2011 that I discovered the joys of co-working. I met Eric Rodriguez, the other co-founder, at the co-working space during a start-up weekend. Our first developer was one of the co-workers – he worked in the next room. Now we also have another employee, Sandy. It’s growing organically.

What do you like about co-working as opposed to working from home?

I like the physical separation. It’s a way to separate it from your personal life. There are always tasks to be done at home; distractions. Also, I think it looks more professional: I can invite potential clients to the office space rather than having a meeting at my house.

How does co-working suit your business?

Betacowork has all the facilities, and also I like that you’re meeting people. Unexpected and unintentional partnerships can lead from that – you can find a translator or a designer, or even a new product if you meet the right people. The events are also good and it’s affordable.

Have you found clients at the co-working space?

Yes, we worked with Edebex, building a tool for them to use. We built an application for them to find the relationship between a company and stakeholders. The contract was made in the building.

Betacowork: The Finance Guru

 Xavier Corman is co-founder of Edebex, a marketplace that allows investors to buy commercial debts from companies. Edebex has worked with fellow co-workers Data.be through their shared space at Betacowork.

When did you start co-working?

I started in 2011, at the beginning of co-working in Brussels. I met a lot of people there.

When did you start your business?

It was co-founded in January 2013 at the co-working building. It’s a team: we are five co-founders and now investors as well.

How has co-working helped?

In two ways – there’s a pot of clients, people with different expertise to exchange. And also, the events are good – conferences and meeting groups. You can expand your network. As a freelancer, it’s a good way to show your expertise and to convince new clients – people see that you’re good. For example, I am the guy for finance in Betacowork.

Are there other advantages?

The price is low and flexible. There are no big contracts, you can start quickly and stop quickly. The look of the building is great: to clients it looks very professional with screens, wifi – it gives a very good image.

How does co-working change when a company gets bigger?

Now our company is close to 10 people, so we’ve recently moved from the co-working space. Co-working could still be a solution for external people. I’m pretty convinced that it’s the future for a lot of people. If you work with paper it’s not the best solution but if you only need a laptop and nothing else, it’s very good. The evolution of co-working I think will be a mix of a classic and co-working office.

Silversquare: The Car-Sharing Whizz

 Regis Leruth is the founder of Zen Car, an electric car-sharing service based in Brussels. He works at Silversquare co-working space, which has bases in Uccle, Avenue Louise and the EU quarter.

When did you start your company?

I started at the end of 2010, and I came to Silversquare in 2011. When I started I was alone, and then with two other people.

What attracted you to co-working?

It was the easiest way as a start-up; it’s very convenient for us, and also in a good location on Avenue Louise. It was a good solution to start a business, and at a good price.

What are the benefits for you as the company grows?

Co-working is like a laboratory; it’s interesting for businesses. Our web designer is also there. The price, the location, the networking opportunities are all good. We stay here because it’s very convenient for us.

How does co-working suit a bigger company?

We are now six people in Silversquare. I think co-working is not the best solution when there are more than six people but it is still interesting and well located, and there might be other options in the future. It’s good for very small companies. 

 This article was first published in The Bulletin Business Guide 2015