Like society as a whole, coworking has had to adapt to the COVID-19 crisis. Indeed, as a result of the health context, the world of work has changed. Yesterday’s expectations and operations no longer seem to be the same today. It must be said that with the generalization of teleworking, workers have adopted new habits that are gradually anchored in the norm. If in France, teleworking was previously more a concept than a reality, today it is the lot of many workers.
Thus, solutions are emerging to allow everyone to work in optimal conditions. Now Coworking’s coworking spaces are part of these. Now Coworking has been able to face a year tormented by COVID-19 to offer suitable places and continue to enhance its concept. While mixing adaptation of operation and well-being of workers, Maxime Givon offers us his vision of today’s Coworking as General Manager as well as the solutions proposed by the network.
What is your background? And how did you face last year?
Now Coworking is a network of coworking spaces located throughout the territory. The network is notably led by Maxime Givon who brings his young and dynamic vision. Indeed, the latter, at the head of the network, arrived at the management after a successful course as a student. Indeed, he has proven himself at Now Coworking during his alternation. He started as an intern in 2016, then following in 2017 he did his alternation. He worked on all the major network development projects such as the new location in Bordeaux. These experiences have allowed him to make his place within the network. Today he has been holding the position of Ceo of Now Coworking for about a year, a source of pride despite a tumultuous year marked by COVID-19.
I have been director general for a year now. I do everything with a small “family” team of 17 employees
Maxime Givon, Ceo of Now Coworking
Thus, with his team, Maxime Givon continues to exploit the development of the network. The main objective of Now Coworking is to open an office in the 10 largest French cities in order to establish a new vision of work. However, the year 2020 came with its share of surprises and Now Coworking had to adapt to the COVID-19 crisis.
The year 2020 was a complicated year but we did well thanks to our flexible model.
Maxime Givon, Ceo of Now Coworking
Indeed, if Now Coworking has been able to face the crisis it is thanks in particular to the strength of its offer. Within the network, there are no commitments. For Maxime Givon this is also an essential point. Access to offices must be flexible, and this is an important value. Thus, during the crisis, the flexible dimension allowed companies that could no longer afford to rent office space to withdraw. On the other hand, for Now Coworking, it has made it possible to not have to deal with unpaid debts and to focus only on the remaining companies and workers by offering them enhanced services.
More concretely, what is the concept of Now coworking spaces? How does it work? Who are the coworking spaces for?
Now coworking is above all wellness spaces to create a promising work ecosystem and positive synergies. The network is committed to offering high-end services to enhance the potential of each worker.
We offer premium spaces, offering quality decoration and services
Maxime Givon, Ceo of Now Coworking
Indeed, the concept of Now Coworking is very clear, the network chosen only atypical sites in the emblematic places of urban centers. There is a real desire to transform these spaces into inspiring places to foster innovation and creativity for everyone. On the other hand, spaces promote encounters. At Now Coworking,community is an important value even in times of COVID-19. The offices are designed to build an ecosystem that allows to create positive synergies between professionals. All the arrangements are planned to stimulate this dynamic.
At Now Coworking we are hyper community, we push people to meet. Events are also organized every day
Maxime Givon, Ceo of Now Coworking
The operation of Now Coworking is simple, since there are no commitments. The network provides private offices such as nomadic spaces or meeting and conference rooms. The spaces are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Different formulas exist whether for the self-employed or companies. At the same time, in order to enhance the Community dimension, in normal times free events are organised on a daily basis. These are mainly after-work or breakfasts. On the other hand, workers have access to gyms or wellness services such as Now Care. This service offers themes for reflection on well-being. Challenges are also set up to federate people and challenge them between the different poles of the network.
In Rouen, the workers count their steps among themselves on a board as part of the challenge of the Tour de France of coworking spaces. In Bordeaux, they organize running sessions between the Chaban bridge and the Stone Bridge
Maxime Givon, Ceo of Now Coworking
The spaces welcome all professionals who need a workspace. Thus within the network, there is a real mix of profiles distributed in more than 450 different professions.
At Now Coworking, there are startups, lawyers, architects, diamond dealers, CAC 40 clubs as well as student entrepreneurs
Maxime Givon, Ceo of Now Coworking
Maxime Givon is proud of this, because according to him this professional brewing makes it possible to create beautiful and great opportunities.
As part of a breakfast, a student entrepreneur was able to meet someone who works in a CAC 40 company. He might not have had that chance elsewhere
Maxime Givon, Ceo of Now Coworking
Thus, we can say that at Now the community is a real accelerator to develop its professional projects and this despite the COVID-19 health crisis.
How did you envision the operation of coworking spaces with COVID-19?
The COVID-19 crisis has not spared the attendance rate of coworking spaces. Indeed, the network has lost 20% of its customers. However, the strategy has been to focus all its efforts on the remaining clientele. Indeed, following the health context, the daily events have been cancelled. Thus, the budget devoted to the latter having remained intact, it made it possible to offer discounts to customers during the first lockdown.
During the second lockdown, there were no price decreases, but the services were redesigned. If the kitchens were closed to avoid the risk of contamination, the network called on chefs to offer free meals on site. A successful strategy since the balance sheet for 2020 remains positive.
Despite the context, our community has given it back to us pretty well
Maxime Givon, Ceo of Now Coworking
If the loss of attendance has been felt, today, the horizon is clear following the new announcements of the government. Entrepreneurs are getting to look a little further into the future. In addition, Now Coworking continues to ensure strict sanitary measures to offer a safe working environment. The network has a label for its protocol.
After COVID-19, how do you see the future of coworking and workers? What are the new opportunities?
The COVID-19 crisis has had an undeniable impact on the world of work. For Maxime Givon, it has made it possible to accelerate certain transitions.
The crisis has made it possible to accelerate the development of teleworking. However, if we discovered teleworking we also discovered its disadvantages
Maxime Givon, Ceo of Now Coworking
In this sense, coworking has become a solution to implement teleworking optimally. Indeed, for Maxime Givon, working from home 5 days a week will not be possible in the long term. The latter thinks that in the future it will be necessary to bring added value within the workspaces. After a year of working from home, workers must be made to want to go to their place of work. They must relearn how to enjoy going to work through complementary services. In addition, the latter is convinced that a quality workspace, such as those of Now Coworking’s coworking spaces, can improve his employer brand. Indeed even if it is not everything, it is always appreciable to take advantage of an exceptional setting to work …
So it would seem that nothing stops Now Coworking in its development strategy. Maxime Givon is proud to announce the upcoming opening of new offices in Nantes and Rouen by 2022-2023.
Sources:
Interview with Maxime Givon, Ceo of Now Coworking, May 27, 2021
Now Coworking – Pop the Work
