Coworking spaces are the new offices of the future. People are craving a space to work where they can be in a community with other like-minded individuals, and coworking spaces provide that opportunity.
But what is co working? You may have heard about coworking spaces but don’t know where to start or what they entail. That’s why this guide is to help you create your own coworking space or amplify an existing one by following these simple steps.
Know your demographic
To start a coworking space, you must know your demographic. If you want to start a business that caters to freelancers and entrepreneurs, then you will need to attract people who fall into those categories.
If you are starting with absolutely no knowledge of your demographic, that’s okay. You can start with just sheer enthusiasm alone. However, if this is not enough for you and your brand identity is important to the success of your space, then it is recommended to proceed with caution.
Determining what type of coworking space will succeed in any given city or town requires research into visualizing how exactly these places operate in other parts of the world with similar climates and demographics.
Establish your niche
It’s important to know how you can differentiate yourself from other coworking spaces. You’ll want to be authentic and consistent, two things that will help make your business successful over the long term. This is why it’s so important for you to know who your audience is – this way when people come into the space, they’ll feel like they’re in a place where their needs are met authentically.
Start small
When you’re running a coworking space, it can be tempting to think big from day one. But there are some benefits to starting small:
● Starting small gives you a chance to test the waters—and see whether or not your grand idea works. If you start with a small space and it doesn’t work out, then at least you know that before investing too much money in something else. This will also give you time to assess what sort of demand there is for coworking spaces in your area and how much competition exists for such businesses.
● Starting small means that the initial costs aren’t as high. You’ll have less overhead since your space will be smaller (and require less rent), which means that if things don’t go well, less money could get lost in the process as well.
Pay attention to ergonomics, storage, and other little touches
The details are just as important as the big picture. While you’re starting to plan, keep an eye out for things like ergonomics and storage. What will your members need most? How can you make their experience seamless?
For example, if there are a lot of people who will be working together regularly and need to share files, consider putting in a file-sharing system such as Dropbox or Google Drive. You might also want to think about small touches that make guests feel welcome—like providing them with water bottles or coffee mugs.
Make sure there’s coffee and snacks
Even if they’re not paying for the space, your clients deserve to feel welcome. Don’t skimp on the coffee and snacks. If you’re creating a brand-new coworking space, make sure there are plenty of outlets for people to charge their devices. You don’t want anyone going home because they spent all day at your place without being able to keep their phone charged.
To avoid any awkward moments around food allergies or preferences, it’s best to keep things simple: offer bagels with butter and jam; muffins with peanut butter or Nutella; granola bars; bananas (for potassium); apples (for fiber); oranges (for vitamin C), and pretzels (because everyone loves them).
Create a community
The most important thing you can do for your coworking space is to create a community of people who are interested in what you are offering. To accomplish this, start by creating some sort of event that lets people know about the space and allows them to get involved with it. If possible, try to make it something that will appeal to both potential customers as well as other entrepreneurs or freelancers who might want to partner with you on future projects.
Conclusion
A lot of people think coworking spaces are just for freelancers, but they’re not. They can be great for any kind of business that needs to collaborate with other businesses on projects or work together. Coworking space is a way for you to get away from home and focus on the work at hand without distractions like kids or pets. It’s also a great way for teams from different companies to meet up in person instead of just communicating through email or Skype calls all day long.
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