1851

Although the idea of “flexible work” has become essentially ubiquitous following the pandemic, the actual model has been around for quite a while, thanks in large part to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.iwgplc.com/en-gb/develop-a-location?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=did-covid-19-accelerate-the-workspace-shift-for-business-investors-2722275" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">International Workplace Group (IWG)</a> the 3,300-location flexible workspace global powerhouse founded in 1989. IWG is the parent of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.regus.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=did-covid-19-accelerate-the-workspace-shift-for-business-investors-2722275" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Regus</a>, a professional workplace brand;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.spacesworks.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=did-covid-19-accelerate-the-workspace-shift-for-business-investors-2722275" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Spaces</a>, a creative workplace brand;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hq.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=did-covid-19-accelerate-the-workspace-shift-for-business-investors-2722275" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">HQ</a>, a hassle-free workplace brand; and Signature, a luxurious workspace brand.“Prior to the pandemic, we were living in an era where more and more people — workers and organizations — were moving towards flexibility,” said IWG CEO of the Americas&nbsp;<a href="https://ca.linkedin.com/in/wayne-berger-174a3a5?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=did-covid-19-accelerate-the-workspace-shift-for-business-investors-2722275" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Wayne Berger</a>. “Back in 2019, over 50% of the world’s workforce was working from somewhere other than a traditional office at least one to two days a week.”So, how much did COVID-19 actually accelerate this flexible work trend? According to IWG’s lead generation, quite a bit. The pandemic accelerated requests by 30%, offering 1.3 million requests annually.&nbsp;“When the pandemic first hit, the first questions building owners had were: How do we make sure air systems are clean? How do we make sure everyone is safe? That is still a critical requirement, but the conversation has shifted towards flexibility,” Berger said.Today, this mass adoption of flexibility has resulted in 88% of organizations instituting flexible working policies and 90% of workers demanding flexible models, Berger says. And that trend shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon.“Many people thought we were going to go back to the way we worked pre-pandemic,” said Berger. “But that isn’t true. People don’t want to waste time and money aimlessly commuting to an office, regardless of what they have to accomplish. People really value their time, both at work and outside of work. No one wants to go back.”Moving forward, organizations’ decisions are going to be based on three critical factors, Berger says: How they attract and retain employees, how they can focus on the environment and how they can become more dynamic.&nbsp;“Flexible working is better for people, better for profits and better for the planet,” Berger said. “People can work how they want to work, organizations can raise profit by rationalizing their commercial real estate portfolio and the planet benefits because cutting down on commutes is a very powerful way to reduce CO2 emissions and achieve sustainable goals.”But the pandemic didn’t just accelerate the hybrid trend for employees and employers. As a real estate investor or landlord, this complete shift is not something to ignore, Berger says. With employers embracing flexible models, the need for more traditional capital leases simply is not there and vacancy rates are increasing across the country.&nbsp;By partnering with IWG, the building owner can invest in their existing space to convert it to an IWG space. IWG’s best-in-class technology, networks and marketing allow it to promote the space three to five months prior to the expected opening date, yielding an immediate return on investment for the partner.“Suddenly, there is a real dramatic shift in how companies are looking at where they deploy their workforce and what working looks like every day, and in turn, savvy investors are finding ways to meet that demand and drive long-term returns,” said Berger. “Building owners can take a percentage of their portfolio, partner with IWG, invest capital to convert that space to a flexible workspace and start earning income from day one.”Learn more by watching the full&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAT-VQsqrq0&utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=did-covid-19-accelerate-the-workspace-shift-for-business-investors-2722275" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">webinar</a> between 1851 Franchise Publisher&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/powills?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=did-covid-19-accelerate-the-workspace-shift-for-business-investors-2722275" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Nick Powills</a>, IWG Regional Director of Partnership Growth&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryansemler15?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=did-covid-19-accelerate-the-workspace-shift-for-business-investors-2722275" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Ryan Semler</a> and IWG CEO of the Americas&nbsp;<a href="https://ca.linkedin.com/in/wayne-berger-174a3a5?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=did-covid-19-accelerate-the-workspace-shift-for-business-investors-2722275" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Wayne Berger</a>.For partnership opportunities, visit:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.iwgplc.com/en-gb/develop-a-location?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=did-covid-19-accelerate-the-workspace-shift-for-business-investors-2722275" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">https://www.iwgplc.com/en-gb/develop-a-location</a>. &nbsp;

Did COVID-19 Accelerate the Workspace Shift for Business Investors?

1851 Franchise

Half of the workforce was working remotely at least one day a week prior to the pandemic, but the growing popularity of the trend is undeniable — 90% of workers today demand flexible models, and IWG is helping landlords and investors give them what they want.

This brand page has been paid for by 1851. Content within this page that is paid will showcase a Sponsored icon. This means the brand has engaged 1851 FRANCHISE to write the content. Content without the Sponsored Icon is aggregated media placements the brand earned. Questions can be sent to editorial@1851franchise.com

did-covid-19-accelerate-the-workspace-shift-for-business-investors

Crust Pizza Co.

Crust Pizza Co. Provides Multiple Streams of Revenue in the Pizza Industry

crust-pizza-franchise-revenue-streams

Image Studios

Kansas City Franchise Owner Turns Real Estate Know-How Into a Thriving IMAGE Studios Business

image-studios-purposeful-careers

BooXkeeping

BooXkeeping Founder Max Emma on the Future of Bookkeeping, Franchising and Freedom

booxkeeping-max-emma-interview

Jollibee

Design with Peter Wright headshot and photo of Jollibee fries

Peter Wright Joins Jollibee as Vice President of Franchising to Lead U.S. Expansion

franchise-growth-peter-wright

HomeTeam Inspection Service

Photo of home inspectors speaking with another person outside of HomeTeam Inspection Service vehicle

From Inquiry to Ownership: How HomeTeam Inspection Service Paves a Clear Path to Franchising

hometeam-franchise-path-to-ownership

Buying a Franchise Masterclass

 Franchise Opportunities

Get Support Buying a Franchise

How to Buy a Franchise White Paper

How to Buy a Franchise

How to Sell Franchises

How to Grow a Franchise

Find a Franchise Supplier

1851 Franchise Opportunities

Franchisor News

Franchisor Power Rankings

FranCamp Mastermind Summit

Franchise Development Website Builder

Franchise Resources

What ALEC-Laffer's Report Means for Franchising

Website Awards

Power Rankings

About 1851

Advertise on 1851

Contact 1851 Editorial

Terms of Use

1851 Login

GROWTH CLUB LOGIN

facebook

instagram

twitter

linkedin

youtube

Authority Brands Enters Q4 with Record Momentum

Authority Brands Enters Q4 with Record Momentum, Surpassing 200 New Franchise Owners in the First 10 Months of 2025

authority-brands-enters-q4-with-record-momentum-surpassing-200-new-franchise-owners-in-the-first-10-months-of-2025

Franchises, work-life balance, millennials in franchising, millennials work-life balance

The Best Franchises for Millennials Wanting Work-Life Balance

best-franchises-millennials-work-life-balance

Photo of Papa Murphy's Take 'N' Bake Pizza franchisee Lily Wilford

Entrepreneur: This 18-Year-Old Saves Babysitting Money for College — Then Decided to Buy a Business Instead

18-year-old-franchise-owner-lily-wilford

Amazon outage, AWS outage, Amazon AWS logo

The Day the Cloud Stalled: How Amazon's Outage Impacted Franchise Economy

amazon-aws-outage-franchise-impact-travel-dining-failure

Thursday 1851 Franchise Agg - NASAA’s Noncompete Push

NASAA’s Noncompete Push Puts Franchise Growth on Uncertain Ground

franchise-noncompete-nasaa-advisory-reasonableness-standard

NJCAR v. Ford - New Jersey Supreme Court Limits Standing Under Franchise Practices Act

New Jersey Supreme Court Limits Standing Under Franchise Practices Act

new-jersey-franchise-practices-act-njcar-v-ford

Health Care Hiring Slowdown Highlights In-Home Care Franchise Opportunities - 1851 Franchise Agg

Health Care Hiring Slowdown Highlights In-Home Care Franchise Opportunities 

health-care-hiring-slowdown-in-home-care-franchise-opportunities

A Practical Playbook: Who To Call First When Franchising Your Business

franchising-your-business-who-to-call-first

image of jerome hanway from right at home Las Cruces, New Mexico 1851 franchise franchisee spotlight

Jerome Hanway Is Building His Right at Home Franchise Around His Mission To Serve

right-at-home-franchise-las-cruces-jerome-hanway

image of michael panos and michel panos, owners of mellow mushroom in Atlanta

The Panos Family’s Role in Preserving Mellow Mushroom’s Character — and Expanding in Atlanta

mellow-mushroom-franchise-panos-restaurant-group-metro-atlanta

image of franchise deep dive from 1851 franchise on doody calls franchise authority brands

DoodyCalls Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data for 2025

doodycalls-franchise-deep-dive

Graphic with arm, holding graduation cap, coming out of stack of books

Did COVID-19 Accelerate the Workspace Shift for Business Investors?

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS