Denis Opudo
There has been a significant increase in the number of African innovators and entrepreneurs looking to come out and grow their businesses in the recent past. However, the main challenge facing entrepreneurs has been getting the best location for putting up their shops. Location plays a vital role in the growth of any business. When thinking of the right location, many things ring in one’s mind such as access to raw materials, how conducive the environment is, availability of like-minded individuals to learn and develop a valuable network and grow while creating a business community. That is the importance of Nigerian owned startup Workstation.
Founded by Fareed Aroguandade in 2016, the startup offers shares workspace with technology firms, subculture communities, large enterprises, small businesses, startups, freelancers, and entrepreneurs. The founder has his roots in Osun State, Nigeria. However, he was born and went through his primary and secondary education in Lagos. Later on, he moved to the Howard University’s School of Business in Washington D.C., the USA where he studied Finance. He stayed in the US for almost one year after graduation where he worked for Austin Capital Partners. He used that period to come up with his plan to develop an out of home advertising firm in Nigeria. He went on and founded Twenty-One Media Limited that operated their advertising venture in Port Harcourt and Lagos.
While sourcing for a good office for his business, he realized that there was no need of renting out a whole building office to himself he, therefore, put up a virtual office. He shared the idea with his friends and close relatives and his brother advised him to look at what Cove and Wework international companies were doing. Fareed came up with an idea to create a real estate or hybrid sector hybrid office to cater for his real estate firm and the upstream energy firm, and that is how he came up with Workstation. Initially, it was not planned as a coworking space which it has grown into.
The station which opens for 24 hours a day for seven days a week gives plans that cater to everyone like evenings only, weekend only, three days a week and daily check-ins. It has Valet parking which the only parking available at N500 per day or one can go for a more expensive weekly parking fee. Furthermore, they offer high speed, fibre optic internet and power is always available at all time. Additionally, customers have access to an ultramodern fitness hub that has a gym, meditation room, and washroom. Apart from those it has a café, two meeting rooms, and a conference room designed with a telephone and video conferencing, whiteboard and a projector. It also has a Digital Member Network, a web app that allows members to link with space from anywhere globally. This is more than just a co-working space. It offers some Advisory and tech development services in addition to the Workstation API. Workstation API is a property management software that is still in the process.
Since its launch Workstation has managed to push for a great relationship between startups offering them the right environment where they can get whatever they need for the growth of their business. Moreover, Workstation has managed to sign more than 2,000 businesses and individual members onto their digital site. The company has an immediate plan of expanding into Lagos, Ikeja and Maryland mall. They are also planning to expand to Accra, Port Harcourt, and Abuja shortly.
