How would you describe the development of coworking spaces in Novi Sad in recent years? What trends do you notice in this area?

Over the past two years, as I have been following the coworking scene, I can notice that the coworking trend has expanded significantly. I think that until recently, people did not have much of an idea about what coworking actually is, and who and what it serves. Now, awareness about it is much more widespread in Novi Sad.

Can you give us an insight into the space offered by "Office Space for Work"? What makes your coworking space special and attractive to users?

In our Office, coworking differs in one key aspect, and that is the large open space, and the fact that all 42 desks are located in one large room, which is a great advantage in creating a community and thus networking opportunities.

Additionally, our space has been a "work in progress" from the very beginning. When we opened the space, we only had the necessary things for work, such as desks and chairs, a kitchen, 1 meeting room, and 2 Skype booths. Over time, by listening to and examining our members' needs, we added necessary elements - primarily 2 more Skype booths, replaced all the chairs in the space to be ergonomic and maximally comfortable for work, and introduced monitors for our users. So, what I can say makes our space attractive is 100% orientation towards our members and their needs.

Who is your coworking space intended for? Do you have a specific target group or does the space adapt to different user needs?

Our space is intended for everyone who needs it and wants to be part of such a community. What I have noticed is that parents with small children at home, programmers, designers, and architects stand out the most. Now that we have also opened the upper floor with private offices, small and medium teams are also noticeable.

What support and benefits do you provide to your users to facilitate their work and enhance their experience?

Besides the space itself, which, as I said, is 100% oriented and adapted to the needs of our members, we offer in-house services of lawyers and accountants/bookkeepers, and recently, we are developing a mini business incubator and support for promising young people.

We also emphasize various workshops, from creative to business ones.

You recently opened an additional 250m2 of space. How do you see these new spatial capacities in the context of the growing demand for coworking in Novi Sad? What innovations does this expansion bring?

In March of this year, we opened an additional 250m2, which, unlike the lower space, is not open space, but private (serviced) offices. The difference between coworking and serviced offices is that the offices are intended for teams of 4 to 10 people, where our members have the opportunity to have their own office at more than affordable prices. Still, they also have all the advantages of the upper and lower floors, such as 6 phone booths, 2 meeting rooms, a Chill Zone with a TV and various consoles. The price of the offices includes all utility costs, daily cleaning, and a receptionist every day - so they literally have no other obligations.

From what I have understood so far, this type of office suits small teams and companies whose main office is not in Novi Sad but in another city, so they send their team to us and don't have to worry about anything else.

How does "Office Space for Work" stand out from other coworking spaces in Novi Sad? What competitive advantages do you offer your users?

Besides all the mentioned characteristics of the space, what I can tell you for sure is that we emphasize community and a sense of belonging. We constantly strive to organize various types of gatherings for our members, from lunches to competitions - we avoid that corporate way of doing business.

How do you see the future of the coworking industry in Novi Sad and beyond? What are your plans for further development and improvement of coworking spaces in the city?

I see a great expansion in the near future and significant competition, but I think that is a natural sequence of events when something relatively new appears on the market. As for us, we have a five-year plan for our space, but I don't want to get ahead of myself. But I can tell you that there will be everything.

 

Based on the conversation with Luka, it is clear that the coworking scene in Novi Sad is experiencing significant growth and evolution. "Office Space for Work" stands out with its adaptable approach to user needs, community building, and continuous space improvements. Their capacity expansion and introduction of additional services indicate a commitment to providing an optimal working environment. Given the growing demand for coworking spaces, it is expected that this approach will contribute to further development and popularization of the coworking culture in Novi Sad, enriching the city's business scene.