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An accelerator works as a program that accelerates the process of the growth of externally developed ideas. Usually, they offer workspace, capital, coaching, networking, and administrative services. The main difference between accelerators and incubators is that accelerators work with externally developed ideas, take a lesser amount of equity, and usually work on a 3–4 month basis. The Read More
An accommodation address is a service similar to post office boxes to deliver mail in the name of a person or business for retrieval. Small businesses that have no fixed business address use accommodation addresses instead of post office boxes because such a proper address helps them build a credible business image.
Taking ownership of another business. Acquiring another company.
An adventure capitalist is an entrepreneur who helps other entrepreneurs financially and often plays an active role in the company’s operations such as by occupying a seat on the board of directors, etc.
A typical agile workspace strays away from the desk setting and allows residents to work anywhere in the coworking space. This could be a comfortable soft seating, meeting room, or a standing desk. The idea is to allow members to get into their comfort zones and create a distraction-free environment that enables them to bring Read More
Amenities at a coworking space are the facilities and services provided to enhance the working environment. They include workstations, meeting rooms, community spaces, productivity-enhancing features, business support services, tech infrastructure, wellness facilities, and networking opportunities.
Once, an unrelated individual investing monies in a business venture, often later than founders, friends and family (the “3F’s”), but before larger corporate investors such as venture capitalists (“VC’s”). The term “angel” arose in the entertainment industry, where investors would bankroll a production for a share of the profits. Now, with wealthier individuals able to Read More
A round of investment into a startup company from angel investors not previously affiliated with the founder. Typically the first money invested in a company after the founders own money, and the founders friends and family.
Baby boomer term (first used in 1970 in a Washington Post article) refers to people born between 1946 and 1964 during the post–World War II baby boom. This demographic cohort follows Silent Generation and precedes Generation X. Baby boomers make up a large part of the global population. People belonging to the baby boomer generation Read More
Starting your business the good old fashioned way: with little (own) money and sweat capital, and reinvesting your earnings.
Brokers help match businesses or individuals with available flexible workspaces globally. They work as a third-party agent in the tenant/landlord or client/operator agreement process; they usually charge a fee to the operator when a contract has been signed.
Concept that is being on debate at the moment and is related with startups and other companies investment.
The amount of cash that a company consumes each month in order to continue operations. Occasionally refers to total expenses, but more commonly used to refer to cash receipts minus cash expenses when the difference is negative. Example: My company has a burn rate of $00,000 and $1,000,000 in cash on our balance sheet, so Read More
A business centre is a professionally managed commercial facility that offers an end-to-end business infrastructure for short, medium, and long-term durations. In other words, it’s a building or a part of it in which serviced offices are housed. Companies can choose from a wide range of flexible options based on their specific space and infrastructural Read More
Business continuity is a service offered by most business centre locations. This is actually emergency planning and assistance should a disaster occur to a company. They can provide a business in trouble with an office, internet access, telephones, and help to keep it running.
A business lounge is a purpose-built facility (like a room at an airport for business class passengers) in a flexible space environment. Business lounges are ideal for people that don't require a fixed workspace, or due to work travel all the time. They are generally situated in or close to city and transport hub locations Read More
A document utilized by management and relied upon heavily by some investors, that entrepreneurs use in detailing their business concept as well as their company’s overall strategic and financial objectives. In recent years the Business Model Canvas has become increasingly popular with both entrepreneurs and managers as a guide or framework for the startup’s efforts, Read More
A report that details the inflows and outflows of cash for a business. This is different from an income statement because it includes items outside of revenue and expenses that impact cash, such as investments and financings. Example: Even though our income statement shows that we lost a million dollars last year, our cash flow Read More
Cloud computing is the on-demand availability of computer system resources, such as data storage (cloud storage) and computing power, without direct active management by the user. The term is generally used to describe data centres available to many users over the Internet. Large clouds often have functions distributed over multiple locations from central servers. Clouds Read More
An analysis in which customers are separated into groups (cohorts) based on common attributes, most commonly the date of their registration or first purchase. Example: We ran a cohort analysis to determine if our newer customers were behaving differently than our older ones.
Co-living is a residential community living model that accommodates three or more biologically unrelated people. It is a type of intentional community that provides shared housing for people with similar values or intentions. The coliving experience may include group discussions in common areas or weekly meals, although will oftentimes extend to shared workspace and collective Read More
One of the definitions for community according to Oxford Dictionaries is: “a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals.” In the flexible workspace industry, community is the relationship that staff, workspace, and members have with each other. A strong workspace community is one that is inclusive, helpful, Read More
The role West Quay Offices staff take on through enabling our member community to be able to make use of our space and services. Typically at West Quay Offices, you’ll find a Community Manager at the front desk – available to help make use of our complimentary cafe, book meeting space and studios, receive guests Read More
A conference call is a telephone call in which one person talks to several people at the same time. The conference call may be designed to allow the called party to participate during the call or set up so that the called party merely listens to the call and cannot speak. Conference calls can be Read More
Coworking is a state of being and a methodology whereby people and/or groups of people that don’t belong to the same organization or project work alongside one another. When somebody says they are “coworking,” they basically mean they are working in a building where multiple tenants (such as entrepreneurs, start-ups, or nonprofits) rent working space Read More
A coworking contract is a paperwork required for coworking rentals. Coworking contracts are way simpler than traditional office rental agreements. Operating a coworking space instead of a rental agreement, you enter into a service contract with your clients. Coworkers pay not only for space but also for the communal areas, access to networking, internet connection, Read More
A membership plan that gives you 24/7 access to coworking space services/amenities (like complimentary drinks, lounge area and hot desk access, mail reception service, lockers, discounts on meeting space etc…) for a low monthly fee – charged per person/member.
According to Wikipedia, a coworking space is an arrangement in which workers of different companies share an office space, allowing cost savings and convenience through the use of common infrastructures, such as equipment, utilities, and receptionist and custodial services, and in some cases refreshments and parcel acceptance services. It is attractive to independent contractors, independent Read More
A coworking trip is a type of travel where people work remotely from various locations, often using shared workspace facilities or coworking spaces. It is a way for people to combine work and travel, allowing them to experience new places while still being able to earn a living. Coworking trips can be taken independently or Read More
A day pass at a coworking space refers to a temporary access option that allows individuals to use the facilities and amenities of the coworking space for a single day without committing to a long-term membership. It provides flexibility for those who require a workspace on a short-term basis or want to experience the coworking Read More
A slide-based presentation that can be transferred digitally. Typically associated with investment pitch presentations. Example: The VC told me to send him our deck and he'd call us if he's interested.
A dedicated desk is a personal desk in a shared workspace environment. The option is offered by coworking spaces at a higher price than shared desks. Having a dedicated desk guarantees that a member can find the same spot available every day. A dedicated desk is an option for members that value the security of Read More
In sports, having a deep bench means having a large number of very talented players. As not all players are playing at the same time, very talented players will be sitting "on the bench" waiting to play. For startups, this means having a very smart, hardworking team and not relying on the founder to be Read More
Demo Day refers to an event typically held in a coworking space or startup accelerator where entrepreneurs, founders, or teams present their business ideas, prototypes, or products to potential investors, mentors, and the wider community.
When the valuation of a company at the time of an investment round is lower than its valuation at the conclusion of a previous round.
Often used to describe a company that is not yet large enough for the purpose at hand, such as an acquisition or fundraise. Example: I like the team but I'm not going to invest in the company because it's early.
An approach to angel investing popularized by author Basil Peters, in which the goal of an investment is the sale of a company within a few years without requiring additional large investments from VCs, thereby providing high relative returns without requiring companies to be home runs. 
Used to describe companies that have not yet reached meaningful scale. Example: We were considered an early stage business until we had about ten million dollars of revenue. 
Stands for Earnings Before Interest, Taxation, Depreciation and Amortization. This is a calculation of company profitability that excludes a number of factors. In some cases, this is a preferred way of looking at company profitability than net earnings because it removes non-cash expenses and expenses that are tied to a business's capital structure. Example: The Read More
Economies of agglomeration or agglomeration effects are cost savings arising from urban agglomeration. The term economies of agglomeration is used in urban economics to describe the benefits that firms obtain by locating near each other ('agglomerating'). This concept relates to the idea of economies of scale and network effects. In simple words, as more firms Read More
Enterprise coworking refers to the practice of larger companies or organizations using coworking spaces to accommodate their teams or departments. It involves leasing or renting a significant portion of a coworking space or even an entire floor or building to create a dedicated workspace for their employees. Enterprise coworking offers companies the opportunity to enjoy Read More
Event space is a space for rent provided by operators both to members and non-members. Event space is an extra source of profit for flexible workspace managers. It has all the benefits of a meeting room but the event space is usually larger and can fit more people (10+). Event space can be an open Read More
noum. A local fabrication laboratory which aims to democratise access to people and collaborative invention using digital technologies to make “almost anything”.
Typically the term used to describe a company's balance sheet, income statement, and cash flow statement. Example: As part of due diligence, we had to give our new investor financial statements for the past three years.
Is the money provided to entrepreneur who has a proven product, to start commercial production and marketing, not covering market expansion, de-risking, acquisition costs.
An investment round in which the pre-money valuation of a startups round is the same as its post-money valuation from the previous round.
A flexible office is a private office suite within a business center or a coworking space. It’s separated from other offices to maintain privacy. A serviced office comes fitted-out with cabling, desks, chairs, storage cupboards, electrical outlets, and desk telephones, as agreed between the operator and the client. Managed offices are available to rent on Read More
The ability of a workspace to enable agility. West Quay Offices was founded in 2020 to enable flexible ways of working and offers great options for companies to offer their employees new ways to get together or work independently.  For example, a company may keep a private office with 5 workstations for folks who live in the Read More
Flexible workspace is a fully serviced office with dedicated workspaces, amenities, and furnishings available to companies and professionals via flexible lease terms that can run from monthly memberships to short-term and longer-term leases. Flex space is an umbrella term used to describe a wide range of office solutions that include coworking spaces, private offices, on-demand Read More
The General Data Protection Regulation or GDPR is a legal framework that sets guidelines for the collection and processing of personal information from individuals who live in the European Union (EU). Since the Regulation applies regardless of where websites are based, it must be heeded by all sites that attract European visitors, even if they Read More
Generation X or Gen X or the "MTV generation" is the name given to the generation of Americans born in the early 1960s and the early 1980s. This demographic cohort is following the baby boomers and preceding the millennials. Members of this group are approaching the middle of their working careers and potential peak-earning years. Read More
Generation Y also known as millennials, are the demographic cohort following Generation X and preceding Generation Z born between 1980 and 2000. Generation Y is the latest in a series of demographic cohorts which have been given slightly odd names in a bid to define them as a collective cultural group. Millennials largely came of Read More
Generation Z or Gen Z is the demographic cohort after the millennials — generation Y. Generation Z, colloquially known as Zoomers, is the demographic cohort preceding Generation Alpha. Researchers and popular media use the mid-to-late 1990s as starting birth years and the early 2010s as ending birth years. Those born since the millennium and have Read More
The amount of revenue left over after subtracting cost of goods sold. Can be represented as an absolute number or a percentage. Example: Our gross margin is about 40%, so for every $100 of sales we end up with $60 of net revenue. 
A role at a startup characterized by driving growth through tactical execution and technical projects. Example: The month after our growth hacker came in, our conversion rate went up 20%. 
A hackerspace is a community-operated physical place, often "not for profit" in the United States, where people share their interest in tinkering with technology, meet and work on their projects, and learn from each other. In other words, it’s a workspace where people with common interests, such as computers, machining, technology, science, digital art, or Read More
An enticing offering used to lure in a specific audience. Example: Our free whitepaper is a honeypot that generates leads for our other products. 
Hospitality is the relationship between a guest and a host, where the host receives the guest with goodwill, including the reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers. The hospitality industry is a broad category of fields within the service industry that includes lodging, food and drink service, event planning, theme parks, and transportation. It Read More
Hot desking is an office organization system that involves multiple workers using a single physical workstation or surface during different time periods. The trend of hot-desking arose around the 1990s. In offices or workspaces, workers take whatever desk is available instead of having one assigned fixed or dedicated desk. The term may have derived from Read More
A hybrid workplace model mixes in-office and remote work to offer flexibility and support to employees. In a hybrid workplace, employees typically enjoy more autonomy and a better work-life balance and are more engaged as a result. Employers benefit by building a more productive, healthy, and stable workforce.
A report showing a company's revenue, expenses, and net earnings or losses over a given time period. Example: If you look at our income statements over the past three years, you'll see that we've consistently doubled revenue. 
An incubator is typically a low or no-cost space for startups. The incubator owner may take a small equity stake in the venture, provides mentoring and coaching along with access to financing. Many business incubators receive government funding and are aimed at encouraging entrepreneurship. They are often affiliated or partnered with a university. The National Read More
An incubator, on the other hand, brings in an external management team to manage an idea that was developed internally. Those ideas can gestate for much longer periods of time and the incubator takes a much larger amount of equity [compared to accelerators]. 
IT or information technology refers to anything related to computing technology, such as networking, hardware, software, the Internet, or the people that work with these technologies. The Information Technology Association of America defines IT as the study, design, development, application, implementation, support, or management of computer-based information systems. As to the flexible workspace industry, the Read More
s. masc. Someone who believes in ideas, that puts himself on the line and helps others make the idea come true.
The Internet of things (IoT) describes the network of physical objects —“things”— that are embedded with sensors, software, and other technologies for the purpose of connecting and exchanging data with other devices and systems over the Internet. By leveraging IoT and integrating other technologies, coworking operators can transform their flexible workspaces into smarter, dynamic, and Read More
Jellies or Jelli is an informal regular gathering of independent workers who convene or choose to 'hang out', in a cafe or 'free' workspace for a day, and work or converse from the local Wi-Fi connection. Similar to coworking, it provides a community vibe and allows workers to escape the loneliness of working from home. Read More
A legal entity created by two or more businesses joining together to conduct a specific business enterprise with both parties sharing profits and losses. It differs from a strategic alliance in that there is a specific legal entity created.
Professional management attracted by the founder to run the company. Key employees are typically retained with warrants and ownership of the company.
A stage of company growth characterized by viable products, a developed market, significant customers, sustained revenue growth, and both profits and positive cash flow from operations. Later-stage companies would generally be candidates for an IPO. Investments in the C round or after qualify as later stage. 
Learning is not an exclusive of schools and academia anymore. The ubiquity of the Internet brings learning to unusual spaces like work spaces, public spaces and digital ones of course. Education can now be built by every one of us (hack, in fact). We also learn by peers and that learning process is boosted by Read More
A license agreement is a contract agreed between a client and the workspace operator. It usually sets out the initial terms of the agreement in a simple and flexible way, which should negate the need for a legal representative. Both parties agree and sign the agreement, and the contract may be renewed on a rolling Read More
A term in a venture capital deal that allows investors to get their money back before others receive proceeds from a sale of the company. Liquidity preference typically only comes into play when a company is sold for less than the post-money valuation that the investor paid. Example: Our investors only owned 10% of the Read More
Mail forwarding is a mailing address service that allows your mail to be sent to a business address and then forwarded on to you. West Quay Offices offer members a mailing address and mail forwarding service. We will hold member’s mail until they come to pick it up or forward the mail to a member Read More
s.masc. A dreamer that makes it happen. A resilient, energetic and believer person who makes the dreams, plans and ideas come true. 
A meeting room is a set-aside meeting space for people to get together and hold business and informal meetings, discuss issues, set priorities, and make decisions. Flexible workspaces offer a range of conference rooms that can accommodate groups of various sizes. These meeting rooms have the necessary technology for conferences, video calls, and presentations. In Read More
A member is someone that belongs to or is a part of a group or an organization. To become a member of a coworking space, a person needs to sign up for one of the four most common membership options: hot desk, dedicated desk, private office, or weekend plan. No matter the selected membership subscription Read More
A micro-enterprise is generally defined as a small business employing nine people or fewer (usually 1-5) and having a balance sheet or turnover of less than a certain amount. Microbusiness is the newest trend in the entrepreneurial world. It requires less than $50,000 to start the company.
Occupancy at a flexible workspace refers to the number of offices/units that are occupied by customers. For instance, if your center has 10 offices and 5 of them are occupied then your occupancy is 50%. Workstation or fixed desk occupancy is the number of permanently occupied desks as a percentage of the total number of Read More
Open space is a completely open area at a flexible workspace. It is usually outfitted with part-time desks, private desks, skype rooms, and phone booths. The benefits of open space are accessibility, community, openness, and sustainability. Some of its downsides include the lack of silent zones and limited privacy.
An operator is a person who maintains, manages, operates, controls engages in, conducts, carries on and/or owns a business. A flexible workspace operator is a primary force driving a team working towards the fulfillment of a company vision. A business can’t run without an operator as they are part of one another.
Platform as a service (PaaS) or application platform as a service (aPaaS) or platform-based service is a category of cloud computing services that provides a platform allowing customers to develop, run, and manage applications without the complexity of building and maintaining the infrastructure typically associated with developing and launching an app.
A field of investing that focuses on investing in the equity of companies through negotiated transactions rather than buying stock on a public exchange. Venture capital is a type of private equity, as are leveraged buyouts and mezzanine financings. Usually, however, a private equity firm refers to one that focuses on late-stage companies and transaction Read More
Someone who doesn’t need to be in a specific location to perform their work – typically you need a great Internet connection and ability to focus as a starting point.
REVPAW or Revenue per Available Workstation is the amount of revenue generated from the total number of workstations listed across your center (and all locations). REVPAW can be calculated like this: Total Revenue divided by the number of available workstations.
REVPOW (Revenue per Occupied Workstation) is the total amount of revenue generated from each occupied workstation and is generally a weighted average over the year. REVPOW can be calculated like this: Total Revenue divided by the number of occupied Workstations
A measure of performance that is used to evaluate or compare the efficiency of a use of capital. It is typically calculated as net profit / investment. Example: The return on investment of data-driven marketing can often be over 10X. 
The amount of time until your startup goes out of business, assuming your current income and expenses stay constant. Typically calculated by dividing the current cash position by the current monthly burn rate. Example: After raising another $50 million, our company now has enough runway to last us through the heat death of the universe.
Software as a service is a software licensing and delivery model in which software is licensed on a subscription basis and is centrally hosted. It is sometimes referred to as "on-demand software", and was formerly referred to as "software plus services" by Microsoft.
A person who has started many companies, usually one after another. Example: Elon Musk's multiple successful IPO's cemented his reputation as a serial entrepreneur.
Services To Rent Ratio is the total ratio of rental income to service income. All income with the exception of Rent or license fees is deemed as service income. It is an indicator of the % of service revenue.
A shared office is an office space where two or more companies work and share the cost of the rent. Shared offices are usually shared by companies, not freelancers, entrepreneurs, or other self-employed individuals. Shared offices have no collaborative culture employees there tend to only work alongside colleagues from their own company. When a traditional Read More
An outcome for a troubled startup that prevents them from going out of business. Often allows investors to get some portion of their money back, team members to get new jobs, and the founders to save face in the press. Example: After their product failed to take off, they started looking for a soft landing Read More
A company, usually of small size, that started little time ago.
Super flex office is a workspace for companies with a hybrid workforce. For example, a company with 100 employees can rent an office with only 30 desks. Employees book a desk with the help of a desk booking system and come whenever they need to collaborate and meet, never exceeding the limit of thirty persons Read More
Support services are pay-as-you-go secretarial support services provided by flexible workspaces. They range from having help with photocopying or binding documents for a presentation to providing staff cover for that urgent project.
Team space is a technology solution to link together team member professionals who are separated from one another either by organizational structure or geographically. Most often a team space is an online platform that enables members within a team to post and retrieve files, share information, and carry out group activities.
Telephone answering is a professional service for businesses and their customers. The service provides telephone answering and message forwarding to create a professional image to the customer, which is especially important for small businesses, for entrepreneurs that work from home or travel frequently.
Third Space is a place between work and home in which workers ‘touchdown’ — such as a meeting room, a coffee shop with Wi-Fi, a hot desk, a business lounge, or a coworking space. The third space concept first emerged in 1989 in Ray Oldenburg’s influential book The Great Good Place. He refers to ‘first Read More
The technology, media, and telecom (TMT) sector is an industry grouping that includes the majority of companies focused on new technologies.
The touchdown area is a quick check-in spot, not designed for long meetings, and perfect for sharing ideas, quick chats, when you don’t want to disturb anyone in the office space. It’s a laptop centric, informal setting such as a private concentration room, lounge, presentation room, or a collaborative area. Touchdown spot is usually an Read More
The revenue a company earned in an immediately previous period, usually the past twelve months. Example: Our trailing revenue is much lower than our run rate because we have been growing quickly. 
The revenue a company earned in an immediately previous period, usually the past twelve months. Example: Our trailing revenue is much lower than our run rate because we have been growing quickly. 
A unicorn is a start-up company valued at over $1 billion. The billion-dollar technology startup was once the stuff of myth. 
Value-added services are those offered on top of coworking membership plans. They go as à la carte propositions, which means members can order them separately. A regular coworking space membership always includes workspace in some form (hot desk, private office) because coworking is about workspace first of all. Additionally, coworking spaces provide a whole lot Read More
Video conferencing is a technology that allows users in different locations to hold face-to-face meetings without having to move to a single location. This technology is used by business people in different cities/countries because it saves time, expenses, and hassles associated with business travel. Video conferencing is frequently used for holding routine meetings, negotiating business Read More
Viewings to sales is a new sales measurement. This is the total number of viewings to the number of new deals. It excludes virtuals, renewals, and upgrades, etc.
A virtual workspace is a coworking space that exists only virtually. The amenities offered by virtual offices and digital workspace are very close to those of actual spaces. For instance, they provide entrepreneurs with: the physical address,reception,call answering, and more. Virtual offices are advantageous solutions for businessmen working from home. They can use a professional Read More
A virtual office is a service that provides the customer with a mailing address and telephone answering service. The virtual office service is typically offered from a flexible office space location. It is frequently used by remote companies along with dedicated office space and meeting rooms where businesses and individuals can meet with their clients. Read More
Virtual PA is a service that offers a personal assistant that works remotely. A PA can provide a wide range of support services to a business. Some of the typical tasks a virtual assistant might perform include scheduling appointments, making phone calls, making travel arrangements, and managing email accounts.
A visitor management system is a technology that can record the usage of the facilities by specific visitors and provide documentation of visitor’s whereabouts. In other words, the core of any VMS is to quickly and efficiently check-in visitors, capture key visitor information, and let hosts know of visitor arrivals.
Voicemail mail messaging is a service that allows customers to record a message on a professional voicemail. The message is then stored on the system which you can access any time of day. Some companies also offer an email service where the recorded message can be automatically emailed to you.
Low resolution descriptions of a user interface or website. Used to formulate high level functionality and layout before the full design effort is completed. Example: We have put a lot of effort into wireframes, so we hope that our design team will know exactly what we need them to do.
A physical area designated to focused work – which could be a meeting spaces, private office, dedicated desks or bank of hot desks.
A workstation is usually a desk, chair, and in most cases an under desk drawer unit. It can also be the amount of space a business center allocates to one person. To start using a workstation, an individual needs to bring their own equipment (laptop, tablet, etc.) and set it up for a day, a Read More
Yield per occupied square foot is the total income that a building is receiving per occupied square foot. It includes meeting rooms and all services income. It is the total monthly income (not billed revenue) divided by let square footage. Yield per occupied square foot is the ultimate indicator of how an operator makes the Read More
Yield per square foot is the total income that a building is receiving per square foot whether it is fully occupied or not. It includes meeting rooms and all serviced income. It is the total monthly income (not billed revenue) divided by square footage and the end of the month. Yield per square foot is Read More
A VC firm that can't raise a new fund, and thus can't make new investments.
A company that shows little to no growth in web traffic in the past year that claims to still be operating. Example: They claim to be a big deal, but they've had almost zero growth in the last two years. What a zombie startup.