How to make your coworking space stand out and thrive in the New Year
It’s officially that time of year again, we’re kicking bad habits and drafting our self-proclaimed promises for a fresh start in 2018. But besides hitting the gym or eating healthy, the new year marks a great opportunity for small businesses to take a good look at company progress to date, and plan how to grow and succeed in the New Year. In light of drafting some goals for your coworking space in 2018, here are some of the best hacks on the market.
1. Take Advantage Of New Technology
When it comes to the latest digital trends 2018’s innovative new tools, coworking spaces are where it’s at. The coworking industry itself was created on foundation of the remote revolution (we can now work from anywhere – thanks, internet), and millennials defying traditional workforce norms. It’s basically a coworking space’s job to be innovative, ahead of the curve, and just plain cool. Be sure your space has a presence on popular social media platforms for keeping the community members connected, and consider a tool like Slack as a more ‘private’ group communication forum where you can keep members up to date on all things happening around the office. Community managers are also taking advantage of brand new technologies like DropDesk, which is essentially an all-in-one toolkit for coworking spaces. The tool allows coworking spaces to run all their daily operations and host their inventory for free on their coworking management system. Aside from the coworking management software, DropDesk offers important community tools to help these spaces retain users, market and attract new members under ONE portal.
2. Get Feedback From Your Members
Just like any industry this time of year, it’s time to review. Ask for feedback from your members through a simple survey which can be blasted via email, or opt for a face-to-face community meeting. Listening to your coworking space member’s concerns, suggestions, achievements etc. during his or her time as part of the community is crucial in determining how to progress and make any necessary changes. A simple survey from current members also provides invaluable insight for attracting potential new customers—through questions like: Is this space a good value for money? Close to my home? Accessible by transport options nearby? Populated by likeminded people? These factors undoubtedly contribute to the decision-making process for a prospective coworking space member choosing their new office.
3. Start a Blog
If your goals for 2018 include anything marketing or communication, consider starting a coworking space blog! In the marketing world, blogs serve a few functions. For starters, a blog linked to your space’s website significantly boosts your search engine rankings by increasing the amount of relevant search terms or keywords—a practice more commonly known to marketing gurus as search engine optimization, or SEO. In short, blogs give you more written content with keywords that a potential customer might search for on the inter-webs, meaning your website and therefore coworking space will be easier to find. Secondly, blogs open up a platform for current members and external audiences which is informative, quirky, and conversational. Blogs are a great way to showcase your space’s unique personality and tell a story. Don’t know where to start? Ask one of your members to write a guest post about a day in the life at the office, or simply offer some of your own insight you’ve gained through being a community manager.
4. Optimize Collaboration Within The Space
In any community, collaboration is at the forefront of success. Do a quick audit of your coworking space’s layout to ensure you are encouraging collaboration within the office. Are there plenty of communal spaces for brainstorming and impromptu meetings? Does the furniture in common areas enable teamwork (i.e. wheels on chairs and tables that can be easily joined)? Aside from the physical space, make sure your coworking space’s calendar has a variety of scheduled networking events and social gatherings outside of typical office hours. Give your members and potential new coworking space dwellers plenty of opportunity to interact both in a professional and social capacity.
