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?