Coworkies’ Post

How to Build a Thriving Coworking Community Before Opening Your Space This is all about getting people together before you start your coworking space and gathering them around a table to work. And it doesn't have to be precisely the building you will be in. It can be a bit crappy compared to the coworking space you will build to offer people when you open. But gathering people together is where you'll get fantastic information and learn how to help people meaningfully. For instance, Indy Hall, the coworking legend in Philadelphia, started in a bar called Garage Mechanics, and then they became Indy Hall. If Alex and Geoff had conducted a survey beforehand, they would have received different responses. But when you spend months sitting around a table, working with each person, and truly understanding their needs and aspirations, you get to know what matters to them. And this is about building a community that will be part of your space. And obviously, some of those people will then become members of your coworking space. It's important to remember that building a community is not just about creating an automatic sales funnel. People can sense it when you treat it as such, hindering community bonding. Authenticity is critical in this journey, and it's what will make your community thrive. 🔔Boost your coworking & community-building skills with my 2-minute daily email: follow the link in my bio. Have a remarkable day. Be careful out there. It is a jungle. #coworking  #communityisthekey #coworkinglondon 

“When you want to stand out in a crowded field of coworking spaces, look for opportunities to create engineered serendipity, where members come together and form mutually beneficial relationships.”, writes David Walker, Founder of CoworkingConsulting.com. “Unfortunately, owners of coworking spaces often ignore unmonetized areas where that serendipity can happen because they aren’t monetized, believing that they aren’t worth the effort. On the contrary, investing in unmonetized areas can significantly enhance overall revenue by driving monetization in private offices and other spaces, such as meeting rooms. The best way to keep everything in balance is to create monetized spaces that cover your expenses and then focus your attention on creating spaces that foster a sense of community for your members.”, he continues. Read the rest of David’s insightful article to explore trending strategies to help you monetize your coworking space without sacrificing the collaborative environment - https://lnkd.in/dPsQmv54. – #coworkingmonetization #communityculture

Thanks Kisi for the shoutout and the link to the article I wrote. 🤝 🚀 ⁉ Are the goals of monetization and community culture at odds in the coworking space industry? It continues to be a catalyzing topic to ponder on for both new coworking developers and existing operators alike. For those that didn't get a chance to attend the Coworking Resources panel discussion where Bernie Mehl, Anne Olsen, James Crenshaw, Daniela M., and I discussed this same "culture vs monetization" topic together, here's the link to the video recording https://lnkd.in/gMzQqk3P As the coworking industry continues to scale, how coworking spaces 'do coworking' will vary greatly based on the mission and strategy of their owners. #coworking #business #innovation

Build a Thriving Coworking Community: Why Gimmicks Fail They might work in discounts, slashing prices, and free beer, which will get people in the door in the short term. But the type of people attracted by that will be around in less than five years. It would help if you had people who would contribute to the local community and coworking space. - They will be a foundation for your space's growth and evolution. - They'll bring people along with them. - They'll be generous with their time and information. While you can't sell the intangible benefits of connection and collaboration, these elements make a coworking space thrive, creating a unique and magical environment. When looking for members for your coworking space, spend time with them, listen to their needs, and ask insightful questions. You will start to identify those likely to contribute to your community. Before your coworking space opens, invent ways to connect with your future members. These early times will lay the groundwork for a solid community vibe. Creating a solid coworking space is a valuable community asset for both the people members and the local area. 🔔Boost your #coworking &community building skills with my 2-minute daily email: follow the link in my bio. Have a remarkable day. Be careful out there. It is a jungle. #coworking  #communityisthekey #coworkinglondon 

Have you ever wondered why having a vision for your coworking space is crucial? You need a vision for any business, project or adventure; you don't need to do a three-day retreat and a bucket of Ayahuasca. But it would help if you had at least thought about it; it's good for planning and your mental well-being.    As I'm going around town, many shiny new, well-funded coworking spaces are opening up. And then other more established coworking spaces are saying, Oh, it's not fair they're coming in doing this! 😥I know what it feels like to be in this position; when 'A man called Adam' opened his coworking spaces near us in Euston, London, it crushed us. But these new well-funded spaces are killing it with marketing because they're willing to invest. But it's not the money. That company is willing to invest because they have the vision. The older company's unwillingness to invest results from being complacent and scared simultaneously. You can smell the doubt. 'What if it turns out not worth it?' It's like BlackBerry versus Apple or Microsoft versus Apple when the iPhone comes out. They're relying on their position in the market to see them through. But there's this smell around the whole space of no vision. And you have to have a vision. One of my favourite lines ever is by Maxi Jazz of the legendary British band Faithless, where he says: 👀"You don't need eyes to see. You need vision." I'm constantly around a few people with a vision that is a cast iron-gold-plated-bullet proof- Elvis-on-backing-vocals-Stormzy-on-drums kinda level vision. And just sitting next to them on a shit day makes you glad to be alive. Because when you have the vision, you can see where you're going. Everyone else can sense where you're going and whether it's worth going with you. And that's why you need a vision. 📩 Sharpen your coworking edge in 2 minutes a day. Subscribe to Bernie's Better Things for a daily, no-fluff, no-pitch newsletter—the link in my bio. Have a remarkable day. Be careful out there. It is a jungle. #communityisthekey #betterthings #coworkinglondon

Prioritising Values and Community Over Branding for Small-Town Coworking Spaces So, I was talking to someone who wants to start a coworking space in their tiny village. They were getting all wrapped up in brand, identity, and marketing. In those types of situations, you need to get going. It's where you quickly start a pop-up coworking space, you get some people together, and it grows. Legendary coworking communities, such as COWORKLISBOA in Lisbon and Indy Hall in Philadelphia, started like this. Many other spaces that are very locally focused started with some people getting around a table and doing stuff together. People need to understand brand identity with values. I did a Coworking Values Podcast with Sir Caleb Parker the other day about this. Your brand is what you stand for. Because, like my friend Chuck D said, if you stand for nothing, you'll fall for anything. And that is vitally important, particularly in a very intimate, rural, close-knit village setting. Being all big and shiny, hiring Felix Baumgartner to do space jumps for you and everything like that is for big brands. Your brand needs to be very personal, connected and relatable. 🔔 Boost your coworking & community-building skills with my 2-minute daily email: follow the link in my bio. Have a remarkable day. Be careful out there. It is a jungle. #coworking  #communityisthekey #coworkinglondon

I'm issuing you a challenge... to consider the needs of the diverse personalities who make up your coworking community ⭕️ This topic was something I explored recently, after sharing my struggles relating to concentrating in coworking spaces with my coach, Claire Carpenter. See, I joined my first coworking space when I lived in Edinburgh to overcome a sense of loneliness I felt during lockdown. I loved it, and when I moved down to London a year later, felt I simply had to join another coworking space to meet new people and settle there, which I did. But now, whenever I go into coworking spaces, especially spaces where I feel part of the community, I get easily distracted and pulled away from tasks. This also happens in large open-plan spaces where I see everything going on (and believe me, I see everything) 👀 But interestingly, I know many people who are super focussed when they're working in a professional workspace. Many different types of people make up the fabric of a workspace community. Tomorrow, I'm bringing the topic of Workspace Design for Diverse Personalities up for discussion 💡 What’s working in your coworking spaces, and how are you engaging with your community to support diverse personalities? Feel free to comment below 👇 Join tomorrow's Coworking IDEA conversation - Wednesday 4th December, 5-6pm GMT. Link below👇 It's free and all are welcome! I can't wait to be part of this ✨ #coworking #coworkingcommunity #coworkinglondon #inclusivecoworker

No one gives a damn about your coworking space. The real value of a coworking pace: it's about the people, not the building or perks. No one cares about your coworking space, and you're a little mad if you think they do. So many of you believe that people come to your coworking space because of the furniture, the amenities, and the coffee. Most coffee at coworking spaces could be better out of a costly machine. But why do people come to a coworking space? People don't come to a coworking space for the furniture or the coffee. They come for the connection, the meaning, and the change it can bring to their lives. They come to be connected to and find other people like them. They come on the off chance of building community and trust. That is the true magic of a coworking space: human connections and the sense of community that it creates. So stop talking about your space and talk more about the people in the space. Instead of focusing on the coworking space, I encourage you to talk more about the people who make it what it is. Share their stories, their successes, and their challenges. That's where the magic is. All that energy you put into screen-grabbing everyone else's universe would be better spent focused on the people you have. Word-of-mouth referrals are the best place to find new members and new business. 🔔 Boost your coworking & community-building skills with my 2-minute daily email: follow the link in my bio. Have a remarkable day. Be careful out there. It is a jungle. #coworking  #communityisthekey #coworkinglondon 

Are you feeling like your coworking space doesn’t measure up? Stop doubting your coworking space! Here’s why you’re more powerful than big brands! I’ve met countless small coworking space owners at coworking conferences and events who say, “Oh, I’m not a real coworking space; I shouldn’t be here.” It’s heartbreaking because they do fantastic work but don’t see their value. That mindset is like a beautiful family-run guesthouse in Brighton saying, “We’re not a real hotel because we’re not Hilton or Best Western.” It’s ridiculous - in'it? 🤪 Yet, smaller coworking spaces often fall into this same trap. Here’s the truth: some of the most successful coworking spaces I know are smaller, deeply connected to their local communities, and more consistently profitable than the big, flashy brands. You matter. Your space matters. To your members, to your community, and the economy. So stop invalidating yourself. Please stop playing small—because the work you’re doing is enormous. Does this resonate with you? Let’s hear your story in the comments!👇 #coworking  #communityisthekey #coworkinglondon

Why Are Local Coworking Spaces Thriving? Are You Missing Out? There was a time when 80% of the coworking spaces in London were in zone one. And only the truly visionary and daring would open a coworking space in zones six, five and four. I've spent most of my life living in London's zone four, and finding a local coworking space has been difficult. But now they're everywhere. And a coworking space is not just a place to go and work. It's more than that; it's the potential linchpin of the local community, a place for people to come to work, connect, and make a real difference. There's also an active conversation about how climate change and coworking connect. The potential for coworking spaces to adapt to this change is significant. As people travel less and become more local, these spaces can serve as new centres of work and community. If you were one of those coworking spaces that opened years ago and were local, now is the time to go for it, connect with the local community, and play and expand your role. You've probably been waiting to do it for years, and now is your chance to make a significant impact. 👉🏽 What are you waiting for? 🔔 Boost your coworking & community-building skills with my 2-minute daily email: follow the link in my bio. Have a remarkable day. Be careful out there. It is a jungle. #coworking  #communityisthekey #coworkinglondon