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Photograph courtesy of WeWork
What if every detail of your workplace catered to your comfort and productivity? What if you regularly bumped into entrepreneurs and thought leaders while filling your glass of passion fruit-infused water? More Atlantans are about to experience office utopia thanks to WeWork, the New York coworking company that’s poised for local expansion. WeWork currently operates two locations in Midtown and one in Buckhead (WeWork Colony Square, WeWork 1372 Peachtree, and WeWork Tower Place ). Another location, WeWork Terminus, is opening in Buckhead next month, with a fifth outpost, WeWork Coda, slated to open near Georgia Tech early next year.
If you’re wondering whether there could possibly be enough startups and freelancers to fill those desks, you’re only grasping one part of WeWork’s mission. Companies of all sizes, including Silicon Valley giants, utilize WeWork spaces, which range from single desks to private office suites to custom buildouts of entire buildings. Here’s why so many businesses are choosing WeWork.
Photograph courtesy of WeWork
1. You don’t have to be a tech startup to enjoy the comforts of a tech startup. (And by startup, we mean one with a splashy IPO.) Ping-pong table? Check. Kombucha on tap? Check. Stylish furnishings and an atmosphere buzzing with entrepreneurial energy? Absolutely.
The vibe varies by location, but count on top-notch design that inspires. At the Tower Place location, which used to be a Crunch Fitness, WeWork transformed a former basketball court into a room of communal desks, preserving the scoreboard and the lofted perimeter track where members now host walking meetings and conquer creative block.
2. The world is your office. No matter what membership tier you choose, be it a communal “hot desk” or a private office, you have access to any WeWork location in the world. That’s 242 locations around the globe and counting.
Photograph courtesy of WeWork
3. You will get stuff done. With all due respect to coffee shops, WeWork isn’t one. At the core of every location is a network of private offices, which vary in size. Glass walls let in natural light and create a sense of openness. Even members who work in communal spaces have access to private phone booths and quiet seating nooks.
Of course, it’s not just privacy that fosters productivity but also pleasantness. Just ask Dan Westmoreland, inbound marketing director for Atlanta-based software startup Deputy, which operates out of Tower Place and just signed a long-term lease at Terminus. “Deputy used to be in one of those corporate spaces with manila walls and brown carpets. You know the spaces I’m talking about,” he says. “Since moving to WeWork our employees are in the office more and longer—not because they’re forced to be but because the space is relaxing and inviting.”
Photograph courtesy of WeWork
4. Networking is natural. Even if you never attended the frequent WeWork-staged gatherings (your loss), you’d rub shoulders with fellow members at the coffee bar or printer. Need legal advice? Ask the lawyer across the hall. Looking for a graphic designer? Introduce yourself to the independent contractor whose work you’ve been admiring. A WeWork app also lets members connect electronically.
5. Grow (or shrink) with ease. WeWork’s month-to-month plans allow you to be flexible with your footprint. WeWork is also a no-brainer solution for companies in need of a satellite location. Case in point: Microsoft’s Atlanta hub is in Alpharetta, but the company took over a large corner space at WeWork Tower Place for its Bing sales team, which meets frequently with intown clients.
6. No more dealing with WiFi contracts, ink cartridges, and other pesky office necessities. At WeWork, printing stations and office supplies are available on each floor, and an enthusiastic “community team” handles everything from guest check-in to mailings to technical (and moral) support. They might even babysit your dog while you run out to lunch. Because of course WeWork is dog-friendly.*
Photograph courtesy of WeWork
7. Two words: community bar. That’s WeWork–speak for the staffed stations on each floor that are stocked with complimentary micro-roasted coffee; tea; cold-brew and kombucha on tap; and pitchers of fruit-infused water. Packaged snacks and drinks are available for purchase in the “Honesty Market,” and you can stow home-brought meals in communal fridges (standard etiquette applies). Craft brews may be coming soon; the Georgia locations are working on their liquor license.
8. The conference rooms are next-level. Members reserve the rooms using monthly credits. Some are furnished for presentations, others for brainstorming, others like a boardroom. The stylish decor (think patterned wallpaper and mod furniture) will score you cool points with clients.
Photograph courtesy of WeWork
9. Did we mention the perks? For all the focus on productivity, WeWork’s community teams spend a lot of time trying to lure members out of their offices. Free yoga and massages, frequent catered food, lunch-and-learns with successful people, wellness rooms for breastfeeding or meditation, and regular happy hours are just some of the benefits members enjoy.
Photograph courtesy of WeWork
Visit WeWork.com to learn more about the company, and check out the new WeWork Terminus location opening in Buckhead in June. Schedule a tour at WeWork Terminus before May 31 to get exclusive pre-opening pricing. When you schedule a tour, enter “Terminus” in the notes section and a member of our team will be in touch.
*Some building management companies don’t allow dogs. Furry friends can’t come to Colony Square but are more than welcome at Tower Place and 1372 Peachtree.
