Golden Square - Joy at Work

Small businesses are the backbone of a progressive economy, and they are defined by small teams that run them. As per recent YourStory article on a KPMG survey , India has 51 million small businesses that employ nearly 40% of the workforce and this number is only set to grow. Small businesses are mostly run by small teams, SME’s that work on new technologies, breakthrough ideas, and new methodologies. Their work is defined by product and service innovations that will impact the future of major industries in the years to come. Given the fact that so much rests on the performance of small teams and small businesses, it is important to understand the kind of ambiance and workspace they need to ensure maximum productivity with minimum resources. Productivity is a relative term. For retailers it means selling goods & services regularly and profitably. For businesses, it means ensuring their employees are working to their maximum potential and providing quality in the hours allocat...

Work is worship is what we’ve all grown up listening to, and by this very definition it is an exercise that is meditative, absorbing and indulgent. The purpose of work as defined by us has undergone a significant shift through the years. What began as a single-minded practical means to earn a livelihood, then became one of engagement and collaboration with fellow workers. The definition of work today isn’t just about earning for the self, but also ensuring that we are happy doing what we do. Being productive is therefore about getting the maximum done out of the few hours we put into work everyday. Different people work in different spaces and there are varying factors that affect productivity. While some work all by themselves and love their flexible timings, others work with organisations that focus on specific tasks and goals. Co-working falls midway between these two extremes. It allows professionals to go about their own tasks but also provides the opportunity to collaborat...

To create a platform and ecosystem for startups, India Japan Startup Community in collaboration with Golden Square who are into Co-working spaces, hosted a pitch event on 10th March 2018. Ten Startups got a chance to pitch in front of 14 Japanese Investors and 2 of Indian Investors as well. We are proud to say that among the 10 Startups, 3 were Golden Square Co-working Space Members. The event was graced by Mr. Takayuki Kitagawa, Consulate- General of Japan as the chief guest. It took over a month to plan just the event day. A lot of preparations and the support of volunteers led to the successful event with rehearsals, among various other things. The three startups from Golden Square who gave their pitch were: 1. Svingo 2. Bookmytrainings.com 3. Pristinesoft We wish this is just the stepping stones to all the good things this community and our collaboration with them is going to bring. IJSC plans to do 3-4 events a year to create a regular platform to reach investors with innov...

In the last two decades, co-working spaces have undergone a sea change in infrastructure and functioning. From small, crowded rooms with people hunched over desktops, to large, well-appointed spaces that bring together a collection of people across industries, these places have truly come of age. There was a time when entrepreneurs and start-ups were the ones who opted for them. Today, however, large companies form part of a significant chunk opting for them as a viable space option to run entire teams and business verticals. Startups have always gone for co-working spaces, and the reasons for it have always been obvious. Lack of financial resources, the pains of starting up, the effort to do more with less yet give the team a place they can call their own made such spaces a viable work option for companies who were just starting out. It helped give them access to new talent across industries, helped them mingle with fellow entrepreneurs, incubate ideas and helped foster a sen...

A startup entrepreneur and a corporate executive have a similar set of tools, strategies, and skills to execute their tasks. Yet, placing them in a similar environment and exposing them to the same ambiance, may turn out to be counter-productive. Could this be because of the environment they are exposed to? Office design is never considered a factor when designing spaces for employees. Like medicines that are prescribed as a ‘one size fits all’ concept, so too has office design been implemented so rigorously and dogmatically that it often ends up defying its very purpose. A number of research papers have proven that standard office design catering to a wide set of individuals, teams, and companies often ends up hampering work, affecting productivity and harming well being in the long term. Take the ‘open office’ concept which is so prevalent today. Initially conceived as a way to engage, collaborate and streamline work and increase transparency, this concept cannot be applied ever...

There was a time when setting up a traditional office was a sign of having arrived. Business owners were therefore pushed to outdo themselves in setting it up, from getting interiors done to ensuring the space had all facilities and was equipped with quality furniture and decor. On the flipside, this involved plenty of expenditure especially on rentals, not to mention the time involved in setting it up and effort that went behind it. Cut to present times, and the traditional notions of doing business have changed drastically. Businesses are increasingly working within flexible time frames. Work from home options and enhanced technological advancements have meant employees can work remotely, and the concept of pay per seat has ensured companies optimize every spend they make. Co-working spaces are great for today’s companies. They have changed the entire concept of the way companies do business. The flexible format, the ‘pay per resource’ concept and large savings on time are encou...