Check out how this co-working space inspires budding entrepreneurs

It also provides mentors for startups.

Coming up with fresh ideas that would propel co-working spaces forward is not an easy task, especially in Singapore where there had already been several co-working spaces existing. To revolutionize and redefine them, ERC Holdings, the management firm of a co-working space located on Prinsep Street leveraged their existing assets in the area of education, entrepreneurship, hospitality and real estate

BIG Work was designed by entrepreneurs Andy Ong, Chairman of ERC Holdings and Yen Ong, founder of the co-working space. Both are passionate about the start-up scene and had their fair share of the growing pains that comes with each and every new business. With BIG Work, they want to achieve three goals. First, they want to offer their gargantuan domain expertise in the few pillars that they own; Secondly, they want to lighten the burden that comes with starting up your own business because rental fees of office space is high; and lastly, they want to give back to the entrepreneur community that has been a strong pillar of support for them.

The 3,200 square feet co-working space is vibrant and colourful, seeking to offer encouragement and support to budding entrepreneurs. Yen Ong, founder of BIG Work said that the main ethos the co-work space embodies is its“community”, and the layout of the co-work space is designed to create that, with many meeting spaces, shared desks and seats, and facilities. There is also a gymnasium which gives free access to BIG Work customers and childcare centre encouraging BIG Work users with work-life balance, and to speak to one another and discuss ideas, expertise and information.

As an added value to customers, BIG Work offers domain expertise whereby established academics can offer their input and provide feasibility checks and product development expertise.”These leaders in education, entrepreneurship, hospitality and real estate function as mentors that are not only accelerating the process of starting up a business, but also to guide and help fine-tune ideas that makes them even more unique and purposeful,” said Ong.

According to Ong, BIG Work also has ready market leaders, industry experts and resources to offer immediate solutions and business leads to entrepreneurs through the areas of entrepreneurship, education, hospitality and real estate assets that ERC Holdings currently owns. This is on top of the existing networks and expertise that entrepreneurs can tap on to bring their ideas in a cost-effective and highly productive manner.

Furthermore, these institutions also partner with BIG Work to provide an even greater reach. For example, Ong said that they are partnering the University of Wolverhampton to run a booster programme that features reciprocal rent-free co-working space and assistance for entrepreneurs looking to branch into UK.

Ong also claims that BIG Work is the first co-working space dedicated to maintaining a regional presence for their users. “ASEAN has currently implemented the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), where trade barriers between ASEAN countries are removed to encourage free trade and flow of ideas. BIG Work aligns ourselves with the AEC, being a privately-led initiative in that direction, geared towards providing businesses the most cost-effective solutions,” Ong explained.

BIG Work also has co-working space in Ho Chi Minh and Bangkok. They will be expanding to ten cities within the next three years.