RESEARCH SESSION 1 - Online Market Research
Date: scattered across last week
Topic: co-working space viability

random notes:

- Global co-working market growing at 15% CAGR (found this on statista, need to verify)
- But wait, post-COVID numbers might be different... hybrid work changed everything
- WeWork collapse scared investors but independent spaces actually grew?? need to check
- "Third place" concept - not home, not office, something in between. People WANT this.
- Pakistan specific: co-working growing fast in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad. Saw an article from 2023 saying 40+ spaces in Karachi alone now
- Average price point I'm seeing: PKR 15,000-25,000/month for a dedicated desk
  - Hot desks cheaper: 8,000-12,000/month
  - Private offices: 40,000-80,000 depending on size
- TARGET MARKET unclear... freelancers? startups? remote workers for foreign companies?
  - Each has very different needs!!
  - Freelancers want cheap + wifi + coffee
  - Startups want meeting rooms + registered address + community
  - Remote workers want stable internet + quiet + good ergonomics
- Coworking is about community not just desks - all the articles emphasize this
- But is that true? Or do people just want cheap office space? hmm
- Occupancy rates: saw 65-80% as "healthy" for established spaces
- New spaces take 12-18 months to reach sustainable occupancy (if they survive)
- WAIT - found contradicting info. One source says 6-month ramp-up, another says 18 months. Huge difference for financial planning.
- Amenities that matter (ranked by some survey I found):
  1. Fast reliable internet
  2. Meeting rooms
  3. Printing/scanning
  4. Coffee/tea
  5. Parking
  6. Event space
- NOTE TO SELF: need to figure out location. Downtown vs. residential area. Very different cost structures.
- Interesting: some spaces are niche (tech only, women only, creative industries). Do niches work better?
- TODO: look into whether there's a community angle that could differentiate from existing spaces
