How Coworking Software Can Help You Run A Successful Coworking Space

This is a guest post from Daniel Climans, Senior Manager of Digital Marketing and Partnerships at StickerYou.

There are many details to consider when opening your own coworking space.

How should you set up the office space? What furniture should you buy? What amenities do people expect from a premium workplace? 

In this article, we’ll look at the most important features of successful coworking spaces, along with some examples of what those features look like in real life, and how you can use coworking software like Optix to help you run a successful coworking space.

Engaging Your Community

According to Harvard Business Review, when the needs of individuals within a coworking space are met, they are happier, more productive, and feel a sense of belonging. How you engage your community, however, is one of the greatest challenges of running a coworking space.  

You can engage your community by holding events, administering surveys, and providing a personalized experience for your members. All of this is made easier with the help of coworking software like Optix. 

A white-labeled app can make it easy for members to interact within the community, share their thoughts, and provide feedback. It can also be used as:

• An event calendar, so members know what’s happening in the space on any given day 
• A Directory to connect members with one another through direct messaging
• A social newsfeed to share news and updates in your space.

This helps keep people engaged because they feel like they are a part of something bigger than themselves – a strong community of like-minded individuals. 

Managing Access Control

Access control is a great way to manage coworking security and keep track of who’s coming and going in your space. All successful coworking spaces have a tried and true way of managing access in their space that is automatic, seamless, and easy for their members.

An integration between coworking software and an access control system can help provide the seamless access control that you’re looking for. Once integrated, it can be set up so only members or guests with access rights can enter the space. After they log in, the system can record their name and the time they entered or exited the space. 

This will allow you to monitor who comes in during business hours, when work should be done, and what time people leave, maximizing productivity.

In addition, this kind of integration will also allow you to: 

• Establish hours for when certain spaces will be available
• Create specific days for certain events
• Block out whole weeks for periods when no one is allowed in
• Track visitor information, such as when someone enters as a guest or member and what floor they’re on, if applicable, and other relevant information

Understanding access in your space will not only create a more secure working environment, but can also help you better predict your recurring revenue and have more successful business outcomes.

Event Planning or Organizing Events

Coworking events are an important aspect of every successful space. They are often available to members as happy hours, lunch and learns, open houses, fitness classes, and so much more. 

Most operators find it difficult to promote events and ensure their members know exactly which events are coming up and when. Coworking software can play a big role in making this happen through integrating third-party calendars such as Facebook or Eventbrite.

Through these third-party integrations, you are able to update your events in real-time and display them directly to your members via the home screen of your app. In turn, members are able to sign up or RSVP directly in the app as well.

Together, this creates a more seamless event management system in your space and helps ensure you know exactly who is coming to your events and when. 

Desk Reservations

What you offer, whether that’s hot desks, private offices, or dedicated desks, will provide the backbone for revenue in your space. Most operators choose to offer a mix of options, and what this mix is will define whether your space is successful or not.

Managing desk reservations is a cumbersome manual task that most seasoned operators choose to automate with coworking software.

With coworking software, you’ll be able to:

• Provide more flexibility by offering desks to your members to book on-demand on their mobile device
• Assign desks or resources to users for long-term use
• Drive more revenue by making desks easier to book

Optix gives you lots of flexibility with how you manage your desk reservations – from dedicated assignments to on-demand desk booking and more. 

Personalizing The Working Space and Amplifying Your Brand

One thing that sets the best coworking spaces apart is the ability for members to personalize their space. 

One way you can do this is by use of custom stickers and labels. You can also use custom stamps and labels in your space, such as name tags. The idea behind it is to create brand awareness, allowing for valuable interpersonal interactions within your community. 

Personalizing the workspace also creates a sense of belonging for your members. A desk with a personalized label creates a sense of ownership, which in turn creates a sense of belonging.

Not only are stickers and custom labels a fun way to brand your space and delight your members, but they’re also important for creating an organized space that is easy to navigate — a sure-fire way to guarantee success. 

Helping Communities Stay Connected Across Different Locations

Coworking spaces are an important venue for collaboration. They’re more than just desks and chairs – they’re hubs for different communities, from entrepreneurs and freelancers to creatives and digital nomads. 

In fact, many coworking spaces have their own Facebook group or Slack channel, which helps members worldwide.

Coworking spaces are crucial for collaboration, connecting people across different locations in real-time. They’re a part of a larger social movement that fosters creativity and sharing through communities. That’s why it is important to create communities within your coworking space. 

Coworking software can enable this sense of community through important tools and features, including:

• A Directory of current members with a filtered and sortable profile
• A CRM for providing more personalized experiences
• A Community Feed for sharing essential information in your space

Reducing Administrative Burdens

According to a study, administrative tasks can consume up to 16 hours of work, making it the equivalent of two working days. 

Therefore, it’s important to make sure that these tasks are as seamless as possible. A good option for simplifying administrative tasks is using software like Optix. The software can be used to: 

• Manage membership information via Custom Properties
• Automate monthly invoices
• Accept billing and payments

It also provides a centralized database of all members’ information which facilitates finding members quickly when they’re needed on-site or at another coworking space. 

Automating administration tasks can significantly reduce operating costs and allow more time for real-time strategic management.

Saving Time by Automating Payments

Coworking space managers often spend hours at the end of each month painstakingly reconciling every member’s invoice and collecting payment from those who owe. 

This can be simplified by using an invoice as the itemized list for charges, then adding members’ credit card information to make payments. Coworking software is great for automating the entire invoicing process.

With this method, you can automate payments and make sure everyone is submitting their payments in a timely manner. 

Not only will this save time, but it’ll also ensure that members are paying the correct amount and don’t receive any surprises when they look at their statements at the end of the month. 

Conclusion

In summary, coworking spaces have transformed from what was once a place for freelancers and entrepreneurs to work remotely into thriving communities where professionals share knowledge and collaborate. 

With the right software, it’s easy to implement features that will make your space more successful and productive. From booking desks and conference rooms to tracking visitor engagement and measuring ROI on marketing campaigns, Optix is the go-to platform for making all aspects of running your workspace easier than ever. 

Get a free 14-day trial today to see how Optix can change the way you think about coworking spaces.