#6 Things to Keep in Mind While Opening a Coworking Centre These things would certainly result in a viable, sustainable and efficacious coworking space

Current trends in work culture indicate that we are rapidly moving towards the gig economy, which coworking spaces easily enable. Coworking has worked both for large businesses and for the nascent ones. With over 3000 operational spaces worldwide and multiple others mushrooming every day, it is the need of the hour to improve & innovate with your co-working spaces' offerings.

Although we have enough data based on interactions with the coworking space operators and insights from influencers and honchos in the space of collaborative consumption, it's still very difficult to jot down the exact magic mixture which makes a coworking space perfect.

While the definition of perfection might be different for each individual, if the following aspects are kept in mind, it would almost certainly result in a viable, sustainable and efficacious coworking space.

Location:

Like for a residence, location is key when it comes to conceiving a coworking space; a cardinal pillar to be kept in mind. Once you have identified your market, have the work style of your clients in sync with the location you have opted for. It could be at the center of the hustle-bustle corporate hub or a quitter base for nurturing those from the creative domain. There could also be a possibility that your identified market is based on geography solely, thus, making a centrally located place your obvious choice.

Whatever be your metric, remember to pick a location which best suits your target market's work styles and preferences.

Interior Design and Branding:

We are aware of the maxim; the first impression is the last impression! The first thing that prospective clients would notice is your aesthetics, branding, interior designing and furniture. They may decide how they feel about the space in the first few seconds of the tour, thereby, making it important to keep the décor vibrant, comely and use palettes that aid productivity. The design of a place goes a long way towards establishing the work environment; managing member moods and creating avenues of networking and collaboration.

Have a mix of flexible and permanent desks, dedicated space for brainstorming and hosting meetings, a quiet place on the flow where people might collaborate for strategic discussions. Pay attention to the artwork and branding, guaranteeing it to not be distracting but inspiring. It's true what they say; The devil is in the details.

Community Building and Culture:

It's no new news that the differentiator between a coworking space and a shared office is the networking opportunities that you could tap into from the enriching community. A lot more goes into building a successful coworking space than just having an operationally sound space giving the clients WiFi access. Building a community is the key to retention.

Host community engagement events, send regular newsletters informing the clients about the various advancements in the space, promote member special offers and engage with clients on social media; it is essential to take steps that foster an inclusive community built on common interests, preferences and values.

Amenities:

A prospective client in any coworking space would expect basic amenities to be present at the centre. This must include ergonomic chairs & desks, coffee/tea machines, basic kitchen utilities, wireless internet, copier and printer and whatever you may think would be the minimum requirement from the client.

Don't limit to providing just these facilities. If you wish to stand apart, you may need to think out of the box. Whilst not increasing your own operational cost, don't shy away from investing in stuff that would make your clients' life simpler or maybe add the extra zing into their daily work life.

Flexibility and Pricing:

Another reason why modern millennia are moving towards coworking spaces is the affordability. Coworking spaces, for all intents and purposes, need to be flexible and easy on the pocket. Although being a part of a community and collaborating with other brilliant minds is a plus for prospective clients, price and convenience usually rank highest while choosing a perfect workplace.

Create flexible packages best suited for client needs with the option of a daily, short term, monthly and yearly membership. This bouquet of price points would certainly go a long way in keeping your business running while your community stays happy.

Seamless onboarding and bill management:

In the current digital age, we need to do away with manual bulky paperwork as a part of the onboarding process. One looks for automation, wherein registration processes, access controls, bookings, invoicing and payments can happen online. You could use office management tools or come up with innovative ideas to seamlessly register a client with you.

These are a few points that have helped us build a better space for our co-workers. Go ahead and inspire, innovate and tell us what worked for you.

Happy Coworking!