MALAYSIA-BASED co-working space operator Common Ground is expanding in the Philippines, with the launch of its hub at the Arthaland Century Pacific Tower in Bonifacio Global City.
Erman Akinci, co-founder of Common Ground, said what sets their co-working space apart from other providers is that they make sure that they are able to partner with more companies. They believe that through those partnerships, they can help their member-companies, big or small, further grow.
“What we realized is that a lot of our competitors they were focusing on maybe a small handful of partnerships and benefits… Businesses don’t work that way. You don’t just have one partner that going to fit or suite everybody in that whole space or across that whole network,”
Mr. Akinci said during the launch of Common Ground at Arthaland Tower last Nov. 22.
At Common Ground, they built a software that allows them to cater to multiple partners to establish their network. Through this, Mr. Akinci said their hubs in Malaysia have 20 local accounting firms, 15 law firms, three or four Human Resource (HR) companies, among others.
“It’s growing… That’s what you’re plugging into when you join Common Ground, that deep local value that’s going to help your business grow, help your business evolve, and we felt that’s way more powerful than just one partnership,” he added.
One partnership in the Philippines is with AirAsia, where members can book their flights and enjoy extra privileges like access to business lounge in airports, discounted rates, flexible change of flight schedule, among others.
Ana Lucia Aguila, Common Ground community manager, said the company is pushing for more partnerships to cater to the diverse needs of its members.
“Under one group, the community is really diverse we really are trying to cater to absolutely at the entire community,” she said.
Unlike other co-working spaces, Common Ground also holds a range of events from yoga sessions to workshops. These events are held at the 158-square meter (sq.m.) space called “grounds,” which can hold up to 100 people for corporate set ups.
“What is different about Common Ground, what sets us apart is we really think what our member companies and our member individuals really want out of that work space… They want to collaborate with each other. They want access to events from educational events all they way to business talks,” said Juhn Teo, co-founder of Common Ground.
Spanning 2,300 sq.m., the BGC co-working space also offers hot desks, fixed desks, private offices, meeting rooms, a cafe,, a lounge, pantries, call booths, WiFi, and printers.
The price range per desk ranges from P12,000 to P16,000 per month, while private offices start at P21,000 per month. Membership ranges from a month to three months.
Common Ground is also planning to open another hub at the IBP Tower in Ortigas by December, and another at 8 Rockwell in Makati City by February 2019.
By the end of 2019, the company targets to have ten Common Ground hubs in Metro Manila.
Founded in March 2017, Common Ground launched its first co-working space on Damansara Heights, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Currently, the company has 13 co-working spaces in Malaysia and has around 2,000 members. Talks to open hubs in Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam are on-going.
Common Ground is in partnership with MVP Global Infrastructure Group (MVP Global), a private investment firm present in Malaysia, Vietnam, and the Philippines. — Vincent Mariel P. Galang

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