All these led to the birth of coworking spaces: a business services provision model involding individuals working independently or collaboratively in a shared office space. Co-working spaces are fast catching on in Kuching, tapping into the needs of entrepreneurs, freelancers or just the general public in need of workstations equipped with the right tools and facilities to aid them in the course of running a business. Why are co-working spaces becoming so popular these days?
According to co-founder of The Learning Curve, Kenneth Chai, Kuching is a unique place where business concepts should match the needs and expectations of the local economy, market and demographics. This is the trend seen worldwide as the proliferation of start-ups and other small entreprises boosts the growth of coworking spaces. “As part of our revamp and rebranding process for The Hills, we got inspired to redefine work spaces in downtown Kuching where the central business district is,” chief operating officer Lionel Ho told the BizHive Weekly in an email interview.
On how The Hills sets itself apart from others with its co-working space, Lionel explained that they are conveniently situated at The Hills Community Lifestyle Hub, “Right in the heart of Kuching centre which gives our business visibility and a hard-miss-address”. Even as the authority sets out to ensure there are digital innovation hubs in every division, Hazwan stressed that SMA’s focus is not so much on just providing co-working spaces but more on developing the startup ecosystem.