Established in 2009, Eco-Business is Asia Pacific’s leading media organisation on sustainable development. Its team of experienced and award-winning writers and editors publishes articles on business and policy actions. With offices around Asia Pacific, Eco-Business is headquartered in Singapore and has found a home at Bridge+ Ascent.

In a bustling city with countless office options and coworking spaces, what led them to choose Bridge+ Ascent? Read on to find out.

Choosing a coworking space over a traditional office space

In recent years, the demand for coworking spaces has grown as more small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) began to leverage their flexibility and personalisation options.

According to The Business Times, coworking spaces took up 3.7 million square feet in net lettable area (NLA) of Singapore’s commercial space in 2019, triple that in 2015.

The Covid-19 pandemic has increased the need for alternative offices, with many SMEs preferring coworking spaces to meet their clients or hold team meetings since most have been working from home due to social distancing measures.

Coworking spaces have highly flexible lease terms, and teams can share amenities and office resources, which is cost-efficient.

This way, SMEs can focus on growing their business without worrying about a physical space with the appropriate resources. With fully furnished conference rooms to casual lounge areas, everything is provided at your convenience.

Out of Eco-Business’ team of 20 people, 10 of them have been using the Bridge+ Ascent coworking space since 2016. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, though, many of them have been working from home. However, they do meet up at Bridge+ Ascent every week.

Jessica Cheam, the founder, managing director, and editor of Eco-Business, works at Bridge+ once or twice a week. She revealed that she enjoys the increased flexibility of working in a coworking space.

Challenges of finding an accessible, affordable and conducive space

It’s not easy to find a flexible workspace that suits all of the team’s needs and requirements. Cost, location, quality of facilities, and community were the top things that Cheam looked for when choosing a coworking place for Eco-Business. It was tough to find a space that was “affordable yet spacious enough for the team, so it doesn’t feel so claustrophobic.”

Previously, Eco-Business had its own fixed office in the South West area of the city, but there was a lack of community space and common meeting rooms.

Now, the team has no problems working in a place with enough community interactions and an abundance of meeting rooms. With over 11 meeting rooms, Bridge+ Ascent can accommodate SMEs and enterprises alike for project discussions or client meetings in a conducive and productive environment.

Bridge+ also prioritises convenience of access, balanced with security and privacy. Guests and tenants can gain entry to Bridge+ and the meeting rooms by using the CapitaStar@Work app on their mobile device—you no longer have to dig your bag for your card. In light of the ongoing pandemic, there are also temperature reading devices on different levels.

The ability to configure a personalised space at Bridge+ has also helped improve the efficiency and productivity of the Eco-Business team.

Aside from office suites, Bridge+ members can use “hot-desking” workspaces and event spaces. “The coworking space enabled us to scale up and down whenever needed, which was helpful, [and] the comfort level of the space also helps the team work better,” says Cheam.

Regardless of whether it’s a regular team meeting or a short meetup with a client, Bridge+ can provide you with suitable facilities to meet your evolving needs.

Being part of the inclusive Bridge+ community

For Cheam, one of the most enjoyable experiences of working at Bridge+ is being a part of its community. “I like that there is a community in a coworking space that exposes you to other companies,” she says. The team also appreciates the shared spaces that encourage the building of social connections with other members.

Bridge+ offers programmes to nurture community experiences among companies that use their coworking spaces. These include Hackathons and Pitch Days, the Singapore Fintech Festival, and even Conversations with Government. The ability to make social connections and increase the network between SMEs and multinational corporations is another advantage of being Bridge+ member.

It also has community managers who help teams ease into the coworking environment. Aside from events, the managers regularly organise casual lunches for the community and encourage interactions by introducing people from different companies to one another.

For Bridge+, the term coworking goes beyond more than just working together in the same place. It’s about building a community, increasing productivity, and enhancing creativity within teams and outside of them.

Beyond an office space

Whether it’s for a small or large enterprise, Bridge+ offers a dynamic coworking space to ensure that you and your team are in a comfortable work environment.

For the Eco-Business team, being part of a diverse community is a refreshing and enjoyable experience. Bridge+ values community experience and engagement as it turns the coworking space into a place where SMEs and enterprises can network and build connections.

As many companies implement social and remote work due to Covid-19, coworking spaces have surfaced as the ideal choice, providing spatial flexibility as well as a safe and productive workplaces.

With a personalised working arrangement and access to meeting rooms, event facilities, and a vibrant community, Eco-Business’ decision to join the Bridge+ community has certainly paid off.