TL;DR
For many coworking operators (especially small spaces just starting out), their biggest challenge often lies in finding ways to increase revenue without extra staff.
Hiring more people is expensive, and payroll quickly becomes one of the largest costs for a coworking business. Yet without support, staff can get bogged down in manual work, leaving little time to focus on growth or member experience.
This is where coworking software changes the game. By automating repetitive tasks, streamlining daily operations, and even creating new revenue streams, automation acts as a force multiplier for your business. But what exactly does it look like in practice? And how can you get started right now?
In this article, we’ll explore how automation can be used across all parts of the coworking user journey to help you unlock new opportunities for growth.
As a coworking space grows, so does the complexity of running it. More members mean more invoices to process, more bookings to manage, and more leads to follow up on. The natural instinct might be to hire additional staff to handle the workload.
But staffing is one of the highest costs for coworking operators, often accounting for upwards of 25–30% of total expenses and adding people too early can erode profitability.
This is where automation becomes the force multiplier. With the right coworking software, operators can set up workflows that run in the background, handling repetitive tasks with accuracy and consistency. Instead of choosing between hiring more staff or burning out the team you have, automation enables you to do more with the same resources.
Take Adam Hyman, founder of KoWorks coworking space in Sydney, Australia. Despite the scale of running three coworking locations, Adam manages his entire operation with just one person.
He knew headcount was a major expense for coworking spaces, and he wanted to be able to scale sustainably. By leveraging Optix Automations, Adam has been able to automate many of the repetitive tasks he once relied on community managers for, allowing Adam to grow his business profitably without a large payroll.
For many coworking operators, the day-to-day workload is filled with repetitive administrative tasks. Over time, these tasks limit your ability to focus on what really matters, building community and driving revenue.
The solution is to lean into automation. By setting up automated workflows, operators can ensure these essential processes run smoothly in the background, freeing staff to focus on higher-value initiatives.
When operational processes run automatically, your team spends less time chasing paperwork, sending reminders, or manually updating systems. Instead, they can focus on revenue-driving tasks like hosting events, developing partnerships, and improving the member experience.
In short, doing the things that humans should be doing, rather than the work that is better suited for technology systems.
With Optix Automations, operators can build workflows that keep operations humming without staff involvement. Examples include:
Automation in action:
A new member could sign up online, automatically receive a welcome message, gain access to the app and doors, and have their monthly allowances applied—all without staff lifting a finger. That’s the power of automation in action.
Cash flow is the lifeblood of any coworking business. Yet many operators struggle with late or missed payments, creating revenue gaps and unnecessary stress. According to Deskmag’s Global Coworking Survey, around 40% of coworking spaces cite delayed payments as a top financial challenge. Every unpaid invoice drains staff time chasing down members instead of focusing on growth.
This is where automating coworking financial processes makes all the difference. By automating the financial side of operations, you can transform billing from a headache into a predictable, reliable process.
With Optix, billing is seamless for both operators and members:
This eliminates the manual back-and-forth, reduces errors, and ensures a steady flow of revenue each month.
For many coworking operators, revenue is tied to desks and offices. But to truly increase coworking revenue, spaces need to think beyond square footage.
Digital offerings like day passes, meeting room credits, events, and add-ons allow you to monetize your community in flexible, scalable ways. The challenge is managing these extras without overwhelming your team.
That’s where automation comes in. By automating the sales, tracking, and billing of these services, you can introduce new revenue streams without adding administrative complexity.
Upsell services like printing, mail handling, or storage, with charges automatically added to invoices.
At the end of a booking, automatically send a message to a member inviting them to book again to increase revenue per member.
Promote a promo code in your next marketing campaign, and automatically add members to a workflow when they use a promo code.
Ensure you capture revenue whenever members miss a payment, helping to tighten up your financial processes, while generating more revenue.
Retention is one of the most powerful drivers of profitability. According to Bain & Company, a 5% increase in customer retention can boost profits by up to 95%. For coworking spaces, this means that keeping members engaged and satisfied is just as important as bringing in new ones.
Automating parts of the member experience can help retain coworking members by:
Steve Krueger, founder at ECOMsquare, was able to build a thriving community-driven space while managing it completely remotely. By using Optix to automate repetitive tasks, the team has created a system where members feel supported and connected, without requiring constant manual oversight.
Automation ensures that every member interaction feels seamless and intentional, strengthening the community while keeping operations lean.
Let’s put together everything we’ve talked about so far to give you a 7-step framework to using coworking software to increase revenue.
Use Optix Automations to instantly follow up with new leads. For example, when someone signs up for a trial, trigger a personalized welcome email or offer a discount code. This reduces drop-off and increases conversions—without your team needing to manually chase leads.
With Optix’s booking system, you can set conditional resource pricing and encourage higher utilization of spaces at underutilized times. You can also incentivize members to book during slower times, which directly boosts revenue.
Automated invoicing and recurring payments ensure you capture all revenue on time. Optix also allows you to add invoice items automatically, so things like extra hours or consumables never slip through the cracks.
Revenue is as much about getting new members as it is about keeping members longer. Use Automations to trigger personalized messages when a member hasn’t checked in recently, celebrate milestones, or remind them of unused allowances. This keeps engagement high and churn low.
Tasks that once required staff, like onboarding new members, granting access, or sending reminders can be automated in Optix. This allows your current team to handle more members without burnout, effectively scaling revenue per staff member.
Growing a coworking space doesn’t have to mean growing your payroll. By weaving automation into every aspect of your business, operations, billing, revenue generation, and member engagement, you can increase revenue, streamline workflows, and deliver a premium experience without the overhead of hiring more staff.
With Optix, you get an all-in-one platform purpose-built for automation. From automated invoicing to action-oriented workflows, Optix helps operators do more with less—making it possible to run lean and still thrive.
Discover how Optix Automations can help your coworking space grow profitably without growing your staff.
By automating tasks like invoicing, room booking, lead follow-up, and member engagement, coworking software reduces manual admin and opens new revenue streams, allowing your space to grow profitably with a lean team.
Common automations include membership management, billing and payments, meeting room booking, access control, lead nurturing, and member onboarding. These workflows save time, reduce errors, and enhance the member experience.
Yes. Automated coworking billing software generates recurring invoices, enables autopay, and sends payment reminders. This ensures reliable cash flow and reduces revenue leakage from missed or late payments.
Absolutely. Automated onboarding workflows, event notifications, allowance top-ups, and personalized re-engagement messages all help members feel supported and connected—without requiring extra staff involvement.
Optix Automations allows coworking spaces to streamline operations, billing, and access while unlocking new revenue streams. Operators can set up workflows for everything from allowances to follow-ups, creating a seamless and scalable member experience.
