Collaborative workspaces offer wealth of facilities to nurture start-ups

While start-ups have been proliferating in the business and, of course, tech landscape, so have collaborative workspaces such as Wynd in Central and Cocoon in Tin Hau, to name just two.

On top of providing a rentable hot desk and useful networking, these spaces host events and workshops that benefit members and attendees by offering advice, support, training and inspiration – without beneficiaries having to take a degree in computing or an MBA.

Wynd hosts a series of events and workshops called “happenings”. These vary in length, time of day and cost, although some are free. The topics are wide-ranging, from how to draft a business plan, to the relationship between mainland China and Hong Kong. Meanwhile, Cocoon’s roster includes pitch night and hackathons – both with real cash prizes on offer – while a number of events are hosted by well-known organisations such as The Women’s Foundation.

General Assembly stands out as an education provider rather than a workspace. However, as such, it offers a great space for students to join in activities, field trips, networking and making the most of alumni support.

While General Assembly was founded in New York, and has campuses in Britain, the US and Australia, the focus in Hong Kong is on digital industries such as business, tech and design. Courses include web development immersive, digital marketing, mobile development, data science and user experience design.

Riley Batchelor, senior regional director (APAC), explains the thinking behind the institution: “We focus on relevant business application and practical knowledge, designing courses in response to the skills that employers want or that individuals need to get hired.”

The goal is to give people the skills to be promoted or pursue a new career at a fraction of the cost of graduate school. Partnering with over 4,000 employers to curate the right curriculum and provide real-world experiences helps General Assembly get its courses just right.

Based in Sheung Wan, Paperclip has quite a different approach. There is a co-work space available but founder and entrepreneur, Deepak Madnani, says Paperclip is about the community, because it’s the engagement and personal experience that makes for lessons, not just understanding the ideas.

Offering workshops that can benefit any early-stage company – including tech – mentors include venture capitalists, serial entrepreneurs, accountants and legal experts. “We focus on sharing best practices – not education. Our workshops centre around what is being found useful or is common practice in Silicon Valley, or tools that might be known at key universities but haven’t hit Hong Kong yet,” Madnani explains.

Given that Paperclip is useful for any early-stage company, including SMEs and corporations, networking is also more varied and the method is “lecture light, practice heavy”. Madnani adds: “It’s about using the ideas we offer and making your idea work. Our workshops are very interactive – with about 60 per cent doing.” Mentors are also available for follow-ups.

Madnani stresses one crucial point for start-ups: “Why do I say we appeal to early-stage companies? Because you will fail – I have failed twice – and there is a stigma against failure. We design around failing forward. Going bankrupt isn’t about shutting the door.”