Coffee shops are gaining popularity amongst working professionals in recent times due to the benefits they offer such as flexibility, comfort, networking opportunities and a welcome change in environment. Having said that, there are also some drawbacks to cafes, especially when it comes to meeting for professional purposes. While some people may feel that cafes are cheaper options compared to professional meeting rooms, that may not be necessarily true.
For the sake of convenience, let us consider a coffee shop that provides facilities including high-quality coffee, snacks, and wi-fi. Here is the break-up of what four people would spend in a cafe as compared to a meeting room in Converge.
*Total cost of four people meeting at an upscale cafe
**Total cost of a meeting room for four people, costing an average of Rs. 400 per person
A comparative analysis of how much one ends up spending at a cafe vis-à-vis renting a well-equipped space at Converge reveals that one ends up spending more at a cafe, yet benefiting less, both in terms of the tangible or the intangible aspects.
Cafes Vs Converge: Breaking Down the Difference
| Facility | Neighbourhood Cafe | Converge |
| Coffee | Subject to purchase | Complementary and unlimited |
| Snack | Subject to purchase | Complementary and unlimited |
| Internet (Wi-fi) | Complementary but patchy and sketchy | Complementary, unlimited with a high bandwidth |
| Data security and privacy | Unsecure connections with privacy breach concerns due to public access | Secure lines, with provision to offer dedicated on demand* |
| Ambience | No control over the music or the background noise | Option to meet in closed meeting rooms, or open-air patios, or expansive community spaces with minimal disturbance* |
| Audio or video calls / F2F meetings | Compromised quality of calls or F2F meetings with prospective clients due to unreliable Wi-fi or noisy environment | Seamless teleconferencing tech and soundproofed meeting spaces for confidential conversations |
| Presentation Facilities | Unavailable | Wireless presentation via HD screens |
| Office stationery and essentials | Unavailable | Complementary and unlimited – pens or pencils, cello-tape and glue, scissors, punchers, staplers or clips, envelopes et al |
| Professional support services | Unavailable | Printouts, scanning or photocopying plus on-demand IT support |
| Networking | Limited to location | Opportunity to connect to the entire CoWrks community across the country |
*T&C apply
Conclusion
Coffee shops have their advantages and are even good places to have a casual meeting with people who share a deeper relationship. They are also great places to get a certain type of work done. However, if you are looking at having more serious business conversations and making important decisions, it requires a professional setting such as meeting rooms at Converge.
Looking for meeting and event spaces? Check out Converge by CoWrks here.
