On the face of it, you may not expect a group of strangers thrown together in a small office complex to get along, let alone share work, often for free.

But there is a bit of a workplace social revolution taking place on Queen Street, in Hamilton, where that is exactly what happens.

The shared office space at nineteen has become a community, where the members (who range from re/insurance to public relations, to office furniture supply and dry walling) help each other with problem-solving, advice, collaboration and new business.

Examples of collaboration include one person providing help and advice over the transcription of more than three hours of voice recording from a re/insurance conference, others include proofreading, and IT help.

More often than not the advice is given for free — with the recipient returning the favour, for free. It is a symbiotic relationship that works.

And unlike a conventional office, there are no office politics. There is mutual respect, no knives drawn ready to be plunged into someone’s back. It makes for a very pleasant and relaxed atmosphere.

Tim Miller, who runs nineteen, said: “It has been a really interesting experience, watching the social interaction between our members.

“I was not sure what was going to happen initially, but from a collection of strangers at the beginning, I am now really seeing a community coming together.”

There are three self-contained office spaces at nineteen but the bulk of the space is taken up by one large desk, split into eight work stations. There is also a hot-desking area, a shared boardroom, as well as kitchen and reception area.

The office space is Wi-Fi enabled and everyone has access to a printer, photocopier and fax machine.

Recessions tend to breed an entrepreneurial spirit and start-ups coupled with the community office idea has the potential for meeting two needs, said Mr Miller.

He added: “Start-ups need cheap, but good office space. Landlords need to fill their empty office space. It really could be a win-win situation. I definitely see this as one way forward.

“By itself it is not going to cure Bermuda’s ills, but it could be a launching pad for some small businesses while at the same time giving landlords some extra income.”

The shared office space could also be the way forward for other sectors of the business community. For instance, imagine the idea being transferred to retail, said Mr Miller.

“I think there is potential to expand the range of businesses that use office space. I don’t see why the concept could not be expanded to include small retail firms.

“Every day we see small retailers selling their products by the side of the road. Why not put them all under one roof, with shared facilities and shared rent? The format already exists at Dockyard, but why not expand it to Hamilton and St George’s?

“It is a way for those fledgling business to get started without facing enormous costs, it allows them to share ideas and expertise and it helps repopulate some of those empty offices and buildings.”

For more information contact Tim Miller at tim@ncompass.bm or on 333-0357.