Coworking is not just about a desk and a chair any more. The industry is evolving rapidly. Coworking spaces are now spaces of innovation, creation and new business opportunities. As a coworking space user or owner, you need to keep up with the changing dimension of this evolution to improve workspace efficiency, strengthen your brand, build your community and upscale your business. Those days are gone when the entire building was occupied by a
single company or organization. As a manager, when it comes to a fully functional
coworking environment, it is also important to keep your team motivated and keep your
members inspired.
The concept of coworking is not new per se. Traditional flexible players have been in the
market since decades now. But something has changed in the past five years. It has now
transitioned from a low-cost, SME centric businesses to the first choice of workspace for
large enterprises, organizations and start-ups. Around the world, more than 2000 co-working
spaces were opened in the year 2018 alone, which takes the total number to 16000. The
number is expected to reach around 26000 by 2022. Every 23 days, a new coworking space
opens in Bangalore. There are about a 1000 coworking centers across the whole country.
There is definitely something special about coworking spaces. According to some date by
researchers, employees in a coworking space thrive much higher than the average of
employees who do their jobs in regular offices. But what makes coworking spaces thrive? It
is the diverse group of freelancers, remote workers and other independent professionals who make it a place that is likable to work at. It is said, that people who work in a coworking
space sees their work as more meaningful. Keeping aside the type of work they’re doing- for
example, freelancers taking up projects they really care about, - the people who were
surveyed reported finding meaning in the fact that they could bring their whole being to
work.
Talking about space management, within the domain of property and facility management, space management has always been an important topic. After all, every workspace needs to consider space when running its core business. To ensure that your space meets the workers’ needs, your space management strategy needs to be closely linked to your coworking strategy to contribute to the achievement of your goals.
Space management has become more important than ever before, as it helps Facility and
Space Managers to not only use their spaces in a more cost-efficient way, but to also create
the best possible employee experience. This is extremely important nowadays, as the need to having a good employee experience is above everything else.
Put Community first!
It's critical to be community-focuses for coworking space success. It’s important to decide
First, who are your target customers? Each audience comes with their own set of
requirements, which means the management structure and followed actions will change
accordingly. For example, if you are targeting freelancers and nomads, desks and shared
tables in an open area are enough to make it work. A coffee machine would definitely be an
added bonus. If you want entrepreneurs and big companies, then provide them with a
dedicated space organized in separate rooms, meeting rooms, and a possibility of customizing their own space. There should also be a brief list for this audience, like Wi-Fi, photocopy, reception, small kitchen, restroom, a possibility to guest entrance.
It is definitely challenging to create a quality community at a workspace. But this is one of
those challenges you will have to overcome if you want to grow your business.
Hire the right people!
Once you know who your customers are and what they want, it’s time to hire the golden team. The number and skills of the staff you hire will depend on the size of the space and the
services you offer. It’s important that the members feel seen and understood which is why
one should invest in training the staff to understand the community. A better understanding of members make it easier to connect with everyone and add value. The minimal list of essential positions that you can hire or outsource are as follows:
A technology expert who can help customers in solving problems with Wi-Fi access,
configuration etc. and can possibly develop and manage the website.
A coworking space manager could be you or another person who runs the core business,
develop it according to the vision, solve problems with the members, etc.
A reception desk manager who will be responsible to manage daily and weekly payments,
phone calls and potential customers.
A community manager who is responsible to build, engage and expand the community
It is completely okay to hire people who have no previous experience with coworking spaces.
Ideally, look for people who are motivated with a strong work ethic and a helpful attitude.
Tools for coworking space management!
It is kind of impossible to run a modern coworking space without dedicated space
management software. Every business needs it to keep the things organized, build revenue
and community and make the everyday usage of the facilities easier for customers. It could
be challenging to pick out the best from the available options, however, if you compare and
carefully select, and make a proper decision, the software can take a ton of workload off from
you and the managers. It will improve productivity and add value to the experience of the
members. A coworking space management software does pretty much everything, you know. But, you may be interested in a few additional tools for email and social media marketing, passwords management, IT support for websites and blogs, etc.
Managing a coworking space is a challenging task but when you have a detailed business
plan and you follow it, you reach your goals faster and more smoothly. By giving members
the optimal working conditions, you lift their moods and help to unlock their potential. Since
we know that coworking concept is relatively new, it usually attracts the young, connected
and motivated workers. They are keen to use new technology, so one should fit your space
with digital software and devices and create a genuinely connected space.
In a lot of ways, office environments are like their own ecosystems. There is a natural flow to
how things are moving and changing in the workspace. This process happens best when it
happens on its own, without anyone doing the strings. If we leave a group and expect them to come up with a system on their own, that doesn’t always work. Systems that spring up
organically aren’t always the most efficient. An unplanned, unmanaged office space doesn’t
magically transform into a well-organized ecosystem of productivity, right? If you really
want a workspace as productive and functional as possible, you need to have a strategic plan
with some space management tools and technique, and most importantly, have an intention in mind to do space management. It’s important to understand space management and planning to make the best use of real estate and the coworking environment. This is just a start, make way for more to come.