EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

In recent months, we have developed WorkAway, a Start-Up revolutionizing the concept of workations. WorkAway offers packages allowing employees to explore the world while still working. Our core service involves delivering customized packages for companies, combininghotels, co-working spaces, and transportation. With WorkAway, we take care of all the details, ensuring that both employees and employers can immerse themselves in a worry-free experience, focusing solely on relaxation and the joy of a well-balanced workation.

Goal

Our company envisions a future where individuals and teams seamlessly integrate work and vacation to maximize productivity, creativity, and well-being. In response to the shift towards remote work, the company is developing innovative solutions to simplify workations and eliminate planning challenges. Their mission is to connect employees, co-working spaces, hotels, and companies, offering tailored accommodations and coworking spaces to promote work-life balance. By advocating for the benefits of workations, they aim to diversify working experiences and provide a competitive edge in talent acquisition for companies. Simultaneously, the platform empowers co-working spaces and hotels by showcasing their offerings and attracting a broader customer base. The ultimate goal is to make workations accessible to a larger number of employees, demonstrating the mutual advantages for individuals, companies, co-working spaces, and hotels.

Methodology

The development of our Start-Up followed the Lean Start-Up Methodology, a strategy focused on actively engaging with future customers to gather feedback early in the development process. Instead of creating a physical prototype, given that our product is a service, we continuously adapted and refined our service based on customer feedback. A series of in-person interviews were conducted to ensure a thorough understanding of customer needs. These interviews provided valuable insights into customer preferences and expectations. Simultaneously, a prototype for a website was developed to visualize and refine the service's digital interface. Recognizing the significance of potential collaborations, we extended our research to include in-person interviews with prospective customers and distributed surveys to companies we aimed to partner with in the future. These efforts targeted to gather comprehensive feedback, ensuring that our service meets the expectations of both end-users and potential collaborators. By employing the Lean Start-Up Method, we iteratively adapted our service based on real-world feedback, fostering a customer-centric approach that enhances our product's overall effectiveness and relevance in the market. This methodology allowed us to build a service that aligns closely with the needs and expectations of our target audience and potential partners.

Results

To support companies in implementing workations and enhance employee recruitment and retention, we developed a platform. This platform streamlines the process by facilitating easy booking of European hotels and coworking spaces. The focus is on ensuring listed locations meet specific workation requirements, such as accessibility and accurate representation on the platform. The platform also prioritizes clarity in comparing options. Additionally, the platform aims to provide assistance with legal issues. The overall goal is to simplify the workation experience for companies, ultimately boosting employee satisfaction, aiding in recruitment, and enhancing long-term employee retention.

Cooperation Partner

• WorkAway

Contact Person

• Philipp Dörfler - philipp.doerfler@s.wu.ac.at

Student Team

• Michael Benedikter

• Anna Hansl

• Philipp Dörfler

• Stephan Magyary-Kossa

• Stefanie Mayr

• Kathrin Nömayer

Project Manager

• Thomas Pannermayr, MSc

• Dr. Marco Masia