WIM Co-working – expanding work horizons

Mike Foster — Thu, 20 Sep 2018 14:28:48 +0000

WIM co-working has recently opened its doors in Mérignac – boosting your professional networking in carefully designed, flexible office space.

Bordeaux Expats caught up with Alice Neve to find out more!

Networking

In this day and age there is really nothing more important than networking. Whether you are a giant corporation, a freelancer, a start-up, a nomad or something in between, feeling connected to the outside world is vital to the growth and evolution of your business on the one hand and the promotion of self-development on the other.

Many of us sit at our workstations all day long and are able to have fully formed business relationships entirely online. We can reach people on the other side of the world with a click and a tap, which is miraculous, but also potentially impersonal and isolating.

Most of us crave real person-to-person human interaction on a daily or at least weekly basis; and studies have shown that lone workers are more likely to suffer from emotional and health-related issues. So what is the solution to this problem as we head further and further into the nomad era?

Co-working

Co-working is a new way to work, which allows people to spend their days in a carefully designed, flexible office space working beside other like-minded people from a variety of different industries.

Whether you’re a fashion designer, a freelance writer, a tech start-up or in commerce and sales, there is room for almost everybody in the co-working movement.

Co-working is more than just a place to work, it is very much a lifestyle and a bonded community of people encouraging one another to reach their own goals and targets in their professional lives.

WIM (Work In Merignac)

This brings me to the community and atmosphere we are working on creating here at WIM. My name is Alice Neve and I moved to Bordeaux almost exactly one year ago. Before this, I was living in London, trying to launch my own fashion label while working for a private bank.

After moving to Bordeaux my parents-in-law decided to embark on creating a co working space just next to the airport here in Mérignac. Whilst I was learning French from scratch, they invited me to help with this. Through a combination of the mathematical and design-orientated mind of my mother-in-law (Isabelle Fabre), the management and sales skills of my ‘beau-père’ (Dominique Fabre), and my own artistic and organisational flair, we have created a truly unique and individual space.

The co-working area as a whole stretches across two floors and has a feeling of openness, with high ceilings and pervasive natural light. It is the most perfect space in which to create your own way of working.

We have a wide range of open seating arrangements for individuals and groups, as well as closed offices and large conference rooms. In addition, the space, under my management, is fully bilingual!

I know how isolating it can be working on projects alone, and that this can be highlighted by feelings of being a foreigner abroad. I want WIM to be the perfect place for the expat community to come together, share ideas and thrive here in our beautiful city of Bordeaux. WIM is in the heart of the business district, surrounded by other businesses and places to eat. There are direct links into the town center and to the airport.

We have super-fast fiber internet, free coffee and tea, AC, water dispensers and sweets (for motivational purposes!). We have a peaceful outdoor area with benches where you can work, eat your lunch and socialize. The tariffs start from just 20 euros a day (HT) and 250 euros per month (HT) which gives a great deal of flexibility and attracts a diverse range of professionals to our space.

We are extremely passionate about helping our members create an environment in which to maximize their productivity and sense of well-being. We hold events and seminars which provide further opportunities for networking and socialization as well as helping with self-development; and we are happy to personalize our members’ work spaces as they wish.

If you would like more information on WIM please contact me: alice@wim-cowork.fr and visit our website www.wim-cowork.fr