Month: August 2019

Coworking is about people, and if you run a coworking space, your top priority is on how to attract and maintain members in your coworking space. Since this has become one of the most common challenges as the coworking business continues to increase. Though coworking has become a trend nowadays, many space owners still struggle with finding effective ways to attract new clients and maintain members as well. There may be various solutions that you can find from different sources and people, however, it is important to remember to put purpose in the core of your strategy. According to Harvard Business Review, a compelling purpose clarifies what a company stands for, provides an impetus for action, and is aspirational. Purpose helps your coworking staff team understand the whys and get on board with the new direction. 

If you want to build positive vibes in your coworking space, it is vital that the members from different companies will interact with one another. Since coworking is about people, the primary way to maintain your members is to create a culture of community rather than on focusing alone in physical structure. It is the responsibility of the space owner or the manager to create this culture by building a rapport with, and between, its members. 

What is Rapport?

Rapport forms the basis meaningful, close and harmonious relationships between people. It is the sense of connection you get when you meet someone you like and trust, and whose point of view you understand. In an organization setting, rapport isn’t just a tool for building relationships; it is also often the foundation of success. 

Benefits of Building Rapport with Space Members

Sales

• Because members are naturally attracted to pleasant experiences, maintaining rapport with them can help boost sales. Space members who feel they have a solid relationship with the owner or to the whole staff may feel more comfortable expressing their needs and they will be more likely to renew membership and be more receptive to upselling. 

Internal Relationships

• When space members feel they have a comfortable relationship with the staff, they tend to be happier in the workplace. Good rapport with space members can translate into higher member satisfaction which can create a positive customer experience. A good and positive experience will most likely result in productivity and teamwork with colleagues and other members as well.

Ways on how to Build Rapport with Space Members

Relate on a human level

• One way to build rapport with your members is to build meaningful relationships by being human and avoid the trap of over-professionalism. Learn to empathize and listen to your members’ needs, even if it requires postponing another task or responsibility for a moment.

Communicate your values

• Let your members know is important to you and they will also do the same. Communicating with your members doesn’t necessarily have to be in a formal setting, but it can happen over small talks while photocopying papers or over a coffee machine. Feel free to be yourself and share your interests with your members. You will never know how you might be able to relate to them. 

Know what they need

• In order to know what they need is by asking them. Don’t assume that it will be the same for everyone. Every member has a distinct need, and find the common ground where your team can possibly take action to address their pressing needs. 

Connect members with each other

• As the space owner or manager, it is one of your responsibility to connect members with each other as a form of hospitality you offer to them. Through this, it will alleviate loneliness and connect with people they might be able to collaborate with.

Give people options and be honest

• When you want to organize events, give people what they want and not what you think they might want. If you have some ideas already, present to them the options and show them that you value their ideas and insights. Also, be honest with what you can do and don’t make false promises if you know that you can’t cope with their requests. 

Create a welcoming environment

• Design and layout can facilitate a rapport-building within workspaces. Having breakout areas where people can chat easily such as sofas or lounge areas where people can feel relaxed and open to sharing. 

Treat your members as colleagues

• Don’t just lock yourself in the office or behind the reception desk all day. Building rapport entails conversation and that will not happen if you just stay behind the corners. It is helpful to see your members as an extension of your team, you can chat with them in breakout spaces and exchange ideas with them.

Final Words

There are many effective tips on how to build rapport in a workplace setting. But going back to purpose, leaders must constantly assess how purpose can guide their strategy. When a business has a strong purpose, the members are most likely to trust it and are motivated to interact with it. What are your other ways to build rapport with space members? Comment it here below. We would love to hear from you. Lastly, don’t forget to share this article with your fellow space owners.

Coworking spaces are full of fellow freelancers, entrepreneurs, small business owners and independent professionals who would rather work around other people than by themselves. Letting a coworking space have a 24/7 access will be so nice since people would come and go as they please, however, 24/7 access is generally expensive to the members and even to the space owners. For some, this is an essential feature, while others debate if it is necessary, and if so, how to do it.

Securing your coworking space is essential to the safety of your members and also to the success of the business. Here are some of the best tips on how to do it:

Set up a Camera System

During business hours, you can expect more foot traffic in your coworking or shared space. It’s important to have a good camera system that covers up an open space, front and back doors, and any hallways leading to private offices. Cameras can be linked to your access system, so every time a door is opened, you can see what happens 10 seconds before that event to seconds after that.

Set up a Door Access Control System

Most spaces’ first line of action is to lock the front door for security purposes. But if you want to remain it unlock especially on business hours, it’s highly recommended to hire a receptionist to monitor the visitor and member stream. 

For enhanced security, you can require members to present a credential key, which is either a key card or mobile phone, to access the door and then they will be greeted by a receptionist. Through this, it allows you to track with software who comes into your space and at what time. You can connect your coworking space to KISI software. The KISI access control software allows you to control all of your locations from anywhere. This would entail for you to invest in radio-frequency identification (RFID) or Bluetooth on every door, including private offices, conference rooms, and front and back doors. The capital may be costly, but on the good side, you will never have to deal with locksmiths and changing locks when someone leaves.

Secure your Space after Normal Business Hours

Mostly, there are only a few members who have access to the coworking space 24/7. Even so, securing your space during these off-hours requires more consideration for the technology you will need. Systems will need to be put in place to offer complete visibility and control. After working hours, there should be only one primary “after-hours” door that authorized full-time members can access after hours. Using the access control system mentioned above, you can add your full-time members to who can access after hours. In that way, you will see who unlocks which doors and which times.

Final Words

If you’re operating a coworking space or planning to have one, security is of the utmost importance. If you don’t have cameras installed and you hand out physical keys to everyone, you will have no way to monitor who accesses your space, and when. To keep it at the minimum level, you should only offer a 24/7 membership level to those that you can control. If there is no proper access system in place, it might put you up to many risks. The benefit of offering 24/7 access is increased revenue, as well as local positioning and differentiation. If a neighboring coworking space doesn’t offer 24/7 access and yet you did, it doesn’t matter how creative the other space is, people with the need for full-day access will go to your coworking space. So, what do you think? What other security measures would you provide to ensure 24/7 access to your coworking space?

Many coworking spaces thrive nowadays. The creative environment of coworking spaces invites freelancers, entrepreneurs, digital nomads, and small companies to kick start their business and dodge expensive rent agreements. However, coworking spaces have their own set of difficulties, specifically when it comes to management. There will always be a need for a community manager who will single-handedly maintain and grow space’s membership, reduce turnover, and even improve the lives of coworkers. 

In theory, community managers operate, regulate, and engage with the company’s online community to build and increase brand awareness and loyalty. They stand as relationship builders since they interact and engage with customers and key members within the community. 

In a coworking space, community managers do almost everything! They are responsible for building a sense of community, that ranges from making connections between members to running coworking events that foster relationships. They make sure the coffee is flowing, space is clean, manage or take care of countless other responsibilities.

Responsibilities of Community Manager

• Welcome visitors and members
• Maintain the cleanliness
• Keeps everything in good working condition, from copier to Wifi
• Schedule and plan events
• Manages mailroom, delivery packages, lunch orders and more
• Coordinate fun and social events
• Billing

Looking at the responsibilities, a good community manager has an impact on the success of the coworking space. They build a healthy and engaging environment for the coworking space where members can work and socialize together. Whenever coworkers need assistance, they are the go-to people for a boost of energy. The members will feel assured and supported knowing that someone on the staff that they can approach and whose focus is on forming bonds and meaningful relationships. Community managers are often the unsung heroes that make or break a coworking space.

Qualities of a Good Coworking Space Community Managers

Helpful – You want to have a good reputation of having a helpful person in your staff who “did” this or ”that” for the members of the space. Being helpful and friendly will build a strong community in your coworking space. Having a helpful community manager invites potential members especially people want their needs to be met.

Accountable – A good community manager can be trusted in everything he or she does. As they handle responsibilities, they should be trusted with everything that is on their shoulders.

Events and Party Organizer – They should be well versed in organizing events such as seminars and workshops. A good balance of educational experiences and a fun and entertaining coworking events for community members socialize and network among themselves. 

Good Salesperson – Consistency in encouraging and inviting new members. Community managers will look for ways and new ideas to increase potential members of the space. At the same time, they know how to protect and maintain the existing members of the space.

Authentic – Lastly, a good community manager must be true to themselves so they can build deep and long-lasting relationships. Members would appreciate genuine gestures rather than doing it just for the sale of the role. 

Summary

It’s very important to have a community manager who helps to establish a flourishing and vibrant coworking space. If you are looking for a good community manager, skills and character are important to look at. The real key to the amazing success of your coworking space is community managers. They bring life to your growing coworking community. How do you describe your community manager?