Why is the South of Portugal a great place for Coworking?

Have you ever asked yourself : what if, I was able to work on the international marketplace while living in paradise. Well, its true that if you asked yourself this question ten years ago, the answer would be, STOP DREAMING AND GET BACK TO WORK !!

However, the world has changed a lot in 10 years and the internet , associated to mobile devices has completely changed the way we communicate with each other and as well the way we manage business with one another. And this is basically why the answer the question above today is, ABSOLUTELY YES !! And Coworking is a great enabler for this ….

Just to tell you a little bit about myself: I studied in the South of Portugal in a city called Faro during the late 90s early 2000s. When I concluded my degree in Engineering, I really tried hard to find opportunities that could enable me to work and live in the South of Portugal, for me one of the sunniest places I had ever seen and with a breath-taking coast filled with fabulous soft sandy beaches. But, unfortunately I could'nt find the opportunities I was searching for. On top of that starting my own business was also not an easy thing as an initial investment was needed to get an office space, computers and other basic equipment and this was out of reach for a newly graduated student.

Actually, in the difficulty I faced myself, more than 10 years ago, lies the inspiration to start a Coworking space in the South of Portugal which is considered for some, as a completely wrong strategy. However, I really feel that giving people the opportunity to start their own professional activity, as entrepreneurs or just independent workers, and to be able to do this at a extremely low cost, can give people that little push that is needed to make their projects a reality. And hopefully enable them to live and work in paradise while connecting their products and services to customers anywhere on the planet. Something I actually wished for myself, many years ago.

Well, contrary to Coworking gurus belief, I truly believe that Coworking is a perfect fit for smaller cities and places like the Algarve. In these smaller cities people have limited resources and collaborative working spaces can help small business become very competitive by reducing significantly the fixed costs of having your own office, and all the hassles that come from that. Especially in periods of crisis, it is clear that owning your own space doesn't make your business more successful, but on the contrary, it consumes many of the financial resources which you could invest in making your business grow.

Coworking is clearly here to stay !! Other very remote places in the world have established Coworking as a means to root populations and to share resources. Why should the Algarve be any different.

If your thinking about starting a professional activity today, you should definitely look into Coworking. Compare prices, costs and measure the advantages vs disadvantages. And above all, remember, its all about solidarity, collaboration and openness. Try out a Coworking space today, I am sure you won't regret it.

Cheers !

MP