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Shared workspaces are growing trend in Austin

Coworking is a growing trend in Austin and several of the shared workspaces are popping up across the city.

Coworking is a growing trend in Austin and several of the shared workspaces are popping up across the city.

When Brandon Copely launched his digital gift card startup, Giftnix, money was tight and options for offices were limited.

"Getting an office for ten people with a kitchen and all of those kinds of things was just far too expensive," Copely said.

That's why he started looking into coworking spaces which offered him the chance to work in a shared work environment with other entrepreneurs.

"Coworking is just fantastic for a startup, especially on the month to month rent," Copely said.

Coworking is becoming a very popular office option and by the end of this year there could be 10,000 of these spaces globally, according to DeskMag data.

In Austin, there are more than 15 spaces and access to them costs anywhere from $15 a day to $4,000 a month, depending on what you're looking for.

Developer Frank Gordon uses one himself.

"It's a fabulous option for someone who works alone and doesn't want the obligation of a five to ten-year lease," Gordon said.

He's in the process of building Cityline at MLK Station, which could be used for a cowork space.

"This would be a spectacular location for coworking because of its proximity to the rail and because of its closeness to downtown," Gordon said.

For a monthly fee, Copely gets access to an office at Tech Ranch which has a number of amenities.

"There are conference rooms, kitchens, bathrooms, all of the things a normal office would have along with a number of different events," Copely said. "They're fantastic."

He said it's especially great for networking with other startups.

"We can ask questions about the problems we're having and hopefully someone else has already been there for us," Copely said.

With more than 60 startups calling Tech Ranch home, he's in good company and doesn't see himself leaving this place anytime soon.

If you are interested in coworking, there are several spaces available in Austin.

These include: Capital Factory, Chicon Collective, Createscape Coworking, Fibercove, Industrious, Link Coworking, Orange Coworking, Patchwork Austin, Tech Ranch, TechSpace, Urban Co-Lab, Vessel Coworking, Vuka, We Work, Cityline at MLK Station.

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