Finding the perfect office space is a major problem startup businesses face in the beginning. Getting an office space can exhaust resources that could be used in other important activities of the business. Shared office space, although a new trend in Nepal, is a widely accepted concept abroad.

Krishant Rana, Co Founder of The Platform Inc, is the one who introduced the concept of shared space in the city. Rana realised that he needed a place to work out from and working from home never felt right. That is when he and his partner came up with the concept of co working space. “It is beneficial to use a fully facilitated office space which helps me with networking and building contacts,” he shares.

“As it is a new concept in Nepal, we still get a lot of enquiries about co- working space. But, because we were pretty confident about it we went ahead and made it happen,” Rana says. In every business startup, there is a decent share of challenges. He recalls that they faced a hard time educating the market about co-working space and the advantages of open working environment. Opportunities come to those who dare to dream and work hard to achieve their goals. He says that his company is just the right place for such dreamers and doers.

Their clients range from young enthusiastic individuals who have started their own venture to some independent freelancers. “Entrepreneurs have their own vision and dreams and they can completely focus on their business and never have to worry about running the office,” he shares. He further adds that they provide clients with a professional environment with necessary facilities and services with membership as a low investment to start a venture with co working space. According to him, the office opens by 8 am and closes by 6 pm; however, because of their electronic keys members are free to come and leave when needed. That gives the members flexible working hours. “We are promoting our business through Facebook, organising events, holding meetings and collaborating with entrepreneurs for feedback and improving the quality of our services,” shares Rana.

He claims that they provide all the necessary services required for a complete office including office equipment like printer, scanner, photocopy, projector, desks, conference room, mini library, café, 24/7 power backup, personal ele tronic key, Wi-Fi internet, cleaning, security et cetera. He says that they started the business with an idea, the idea turned into a proposal and then they researched the business. With an investment of Rs 1.5 million the plan and concept was excecuted into a real business that it is today.

“In future, we are looking forward to creating more opportunities by taking feedback from our clients and we will expand the horizon of our business,” he shares.