Due to the soaring prices of real estate rentals, it isn’t always easy for startups to set up shop at a private office establishment. In recent years, however, the market has made way for what has come to be known as a ‘co-working space.’ A co-working space basically involves sharing an office with multiple companies. Unlike a typical office, those in a co-working space are usually not employed by the same entity.
That being said, the things we do to find a place with strong Wi-Fi, and a healthy working environment are mind-blowing. Yet we still fail to find a place where our needs are met on a regular basis.
Forget about going to an inconvenient cafe to do your job, conduct a meeting, or study. The days of limitations are vanishing with the likes of Urban Station, as shared working offices and spaces are becoming more effective and suitable. I personally headed off to Urban Station to get the low down on what it feels like at a co-working space and plan to do more of that in the future.
For starters, the place is divided into two parts. A co-working area that is divided into cubicles on the first and second floors of the building, in which you can choose to sit based on the level of quietness and facilities you want. The second part is located on the sixth floor, and it includes offices, for those who want to rent an office, like small and medium sized enterprises.
“Urban Station is one of the very first co-working spaces in Egypt, and we aim to serve our members with all of the services they need. We provide them with a place to work, without the hassle of finding a place, and wasting their time and energy,” Urban Station’s Marketing Manager, Tulip Ali stated.
Via Urban Station
The station provides its clients with all their needs, such as a fast internet speed that reaches 20 megabytes per second, an office manager, receptionist, kitchens, stationary, and many other facilities and services, Ali added.
Co-founders of Urban Station, Khaled Abdelrazek and Abdullah Sallam initially wanted to open a cafe with a friendly work environment. Until their idea developed to better serve the community, and they brought the Argentinian multinational franchise to Wadi El Nile Street, in Mohandeseen, in 2016.
Since then, the co-working environment has become one of the main preferences for many startups, freelancers, and corporate entities; such as Glovo, which paved its way into the Egyptian market from their offices. Glovo is a Spanish on demand courier service that launched in 2015, and is now operating in around 20 countries, including Egypt.
“At our co-working space you get exposed to a community that enables you to grow your connections and potential clients, as well as find people from different job backgrounds that could help you in areas outside your expertise,” Ali claimed.
In addition to the aforementioned points, the members of the Urban Station community get to benefit from their membership even if they are outside of the country, as they can get discounts or even enter for free in some cases, when they access another branch in a different country. These countries include Argentina, Colombia, Chile, and Mexico.
Via Urban Station
“Not only do we provide our members with a high quality work environment, but we can also help them with marketing, recruitment, suppliers, and printing services. Members have the option to benefit from these facilities and many more, based on the package they subscribe to,” adds Ali.
Members of the community can access lectures, boot camps and networking events. This ultimately helps them enhance their knowledge and connections. The station also helps artists sell their paintings, by showcasing them at their spaces to increase their reach.
“One of the biggest advantages that we have is that a large amount of our community members are entrepreneurs, employees and freelancers. Unlike some of the other co-working spaces that are filled with high school students or people who are just looking for Wi-Fi; our work environment is more professional,” Ali added.
Urban Station provides its customers with a wide variety of options, to best fit their needs and wants. Work space users can access the station by paying per hour, or by subscribing to a membership that fits them. They also offer a diverse selection of office rentals.
Via Urban Station
“The place is convenient and the division of the co-working space is great. The staff members are also really friendly, which is a plus. The internet speed is also a very big advantage but my only concern is that sometimes, in certain areas, there is a little bit of noise; as these areas don’t have proper sound isolation,” stated Freelancer Mostafa Attia.
Also a Freelancer, Yasser Ezzat stated that staff members and the operation system at Urban Station are very professional, the place is always quiet and the price in comparison to the services provided is very reasonable.
