How to Manage a Coworking Space

TL;DR

• Managing a coworking space consists of two parts: managing your operations and managing people
• When it comes to managing your coworking space operations, technology like coworking software is the most effective tool you have
• People management will ultimately come down to how you lead your team and how you empower your members to interact in your space

Our team has been working on creating the very best coworking space management software since 2016. In that time, we’ve come to understand just how important space management is when it comes to the success of a coworking business.

We’ve also seen how easily operators can become overwhelmed when managing their business. From administrative tasks to membership management to what space management software you’ll choose, there is plenty to keep track of in a coworking space..

In this article, we’ll walk you through our best tips for managing a successful coworking space, including how to manage a team, how to keep your community happy, and how to leverage management software to improve the entire experience.

By the end of this article, we are confident you’ll have all of the knowledge you’ll need to successfully run your business. 

What are the key components of coworking space management?

When it comes to managing a coworking space, there are two key components: space management (operations) and people management.

Space management (operations) is how you manage your day-to-day business operations. This includes things like:

• Processing billing and payments
• Managing check-ins
• Cleaning the space
• Refilling coffee
• Buying office supplies

When most people think of managing a coworking space, they think of managing the operations.

People management is how you manage your members and your team. This includes things like:

• Taking care of your members
• Handling disturbances
• Supporting your team to do their best work

If you’re a small team of one or two people (as so many of our clients are), you may be wondering how you can get all of this done by yourself. Don’t worry, we’ll answer that as we go along.

What is the role of software in managing a coworking space?

Technology is an essential part of efficiently managing your coworking space. Having a solid coworking technology ecosystem in place can help:

• Save time on manual work: software makes every aspect of space management easier by helping you automate manual, redundant tasks
• Increase member engagement: coworking software is built with member engagement in mind, helping to foster community through digital tools
• Grow sustainably: by automating more manual tasks and leveraging features to grow your business, coworking software can help you get ahead (and stay ahead)

Therefore, the very first step in your coworking journey should be selecting the right space software for your business. Once you have the right system in place, you can start to look at how to apply it across every area of your business and management processes.

Let’s take a closer look at how to manage your coworking space operations, members, and team efficiently, as well as how to use coworking space management software along the way.

How can I manage my coworking space operations?

Coworking software is the best tool to help you manage your day-to-day operations. Thanks to advancements in technology, many of the daily operations in coworking spaces can now be automated, making management easier than ever before.  Let’s break down a few tips to successfully manage the operations of your coworking space.

1. Automate as many daily operations as possible 

The modern coworking space is autonomous. Introducing automation into your space will help you:

• Make your business operations more efficient
• Save time and money on staffing and mundane tasks
• Improve the security of your space
• Expand your hours of operation

Start by looking for repetitive tasks in your space like billing, invoicing, and bookings, and see how you can make them more automatic – hint: this is where coworking technology can become hugely beneficial.

We wrote a guide to automated coworking spaces for Coworking Resources if you’d like to learn more about creating autonomous coworking spaces. At the core will be selecting the right system of tools to enable autonomy – think, coworking software like Optix, an access control system like Kisi, and a payment gateway like Stripe – and linking them all together. This is what Mitchell from Suite Genius did to help him automate 6,500+ bookings.

2. Integrate your technology platforms

Modern coworking space management is built upon creating an integrated tech stack. It’s not about having a bag of tools – rather the best space operators are dedicated to bringing these tools together to improve their business strategy.

Not only can integrating your tech stack be extremely helpful for streamlining operations, it can also reduce operational costs, create a better experience for potential members, and generate new growth opportunities. According to LXA’s MarTech Report, poor technology integration is the #1 barrier to investing in tech.

When it comes to building an integrated coworking technology system, here is what we recommend:

• Start with what you need your technology to accomplish (your goals)
• Select the right solutions to fit your business
• Integrate your solutions with one another using the documentation provided by the software platforms you’re using
• Keep an eye on the integrations and troubleshoot as needed

You can check out this page on integrations for more information on integrating coworking technology.

3. Develop fool-proof systems and processes from the beginning

Technology is only as good as the systems behind it. Spend some time setting up Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) at the very beginning of your coworking journey to avoid headaches down the road. 

This could mean:

• Using a project management tool like Asana or Task Management in Optix to manage work
• Creating spreadsheets to help you keep track of what needs to get done and when
• Setting aside an hour every Sunday night to map out essential tasks for the week

Figure out what you want to accomplish on a yearly, monthly, weekly, and daily basis and create a system that helps bring you closer to your goals.

How can I manage my coworking space members?

Much like managing operations, managing and directing members comes down to having the right systems in place and setting clear expectations. Taking care of your members is the building block for a healthy and vibrant community. Here are some tips to do just that.

1. Set clear rules and expectations

The best thing you can do for member management is set clear rules and expectations and communicate them effectively. This is often referred to as your coworking house rules.

Your house rules are a 1-3 page document that outline:

• Basic need-to-knows (hours, parking, payments, etc.)
• How to access amenities in the space (using a printer, using an access control system, etc.)
• Rules and regulations (dog policy, guests, coming in after-hours, etc.)

When creating this document, make sure it is accessible in multiple places  including on your website, emailed to your members directly during their onboarding (PS. you can do this automatically using Optix Automations!), and in your space itself.

You can also link your house rules in your white-labeled app or space management software so members can easily access them on their personal device from any location.

2. Have a plan for when there is a disturbance (and clear consequences)

Dealing with a disturbance is almost always going to be uncomfortable. Having a plan will help mitigate this discomfort.

Have some general guidelines on how to handle common disturbances in your community as a team. Here are a few examples of things you’ll want to have an action plan for:

• A member is behaving in a way that repeatedly disturbs another member or makes another member feel uncomfortable
• A member behaves hostile towards you or a member of your team
• A member has not paid their bill for some time

Map out a few of the most common member situations that can happen in your space and have a specific plan of how to handle them. This will make both you and your team feel significantly more prepared.

Be sure to outline any consequences in your house rules as well, and enforce them when disturbances occur. The enforcement of clearly outlined rules will help ensure less issues in the future.

3. Collect member feedback often

Member feedback is invaluable to improving your coworking space. A great coworking member survey can help you get all of the information that you need.

Develop a habit of asking your members how they feel about their experience. This can help you be proactive in your member management strategy and become an effective leader. You can automatically send surveys in Optix at the one, six, and twelve-month membership mark to receive feedback on their experience.

How can I best manage my coworking space employees?

Finally, it’s worth thinking about how you will manage your team of coworking space and community managers to run a successful coworking business. Here are a few best practices to help you along the way.

1. Be clear on your values 

A cohesive team is built in part by a shared value system. Before you even begin hiring for your space, think about what you stand for as a company and nail your mission statement. This could be:

• We want to support working parents
• We want to build a community for women in tech
• We want to foster entrepreneurship, innovation, and forward-thinking initiatives

Many of our clients are mission-driven, like Elizabeth from OneSpace who wanted to support working moms through an integrated coworking and childcare space. This mission was accomplished with the help of the right coworking space management software.

2. Have clarity on each other’s roles and responsibilities

Clarity is one of the best things you can provide as a team leader. Humans love structure and expectations – without them, we struggle to see how what we do fits into the bigger picture. How do you go about creating clear roles and responsibilities for your team?

• Have an org chart stating each person’s name and key responsibilities kept somewhere on file for people to refer to
• Consider using a RACI chart for bigger projects – these map out who is responsible, accountable, consulted and informed on what task for any given project
• Craft a clear job description that outlines the roles and responsibilities of each position so it’s clear before someone joins the team

It can be easy to ask a lot of your team, especially if you have overachieving community managers. However, part of being a good leader is respecting boundaries so you can enable them to be successful.

3. Lead with empathy

Perhaps the most important part of managing a team is being an empathetic leader. Practicing empathy in business has been shown to:

• Increase productivity
• Improve sales and revenue
• Expand engagement and collaboration

Being empathetic is about listening to and rewarding your team members, along with making a concerted effort to understand who they are and where they’re coming from.

It’s about showing respect and recognizing them as an individual person…and not just your employee.

Successful management is the key to successful coworking spaces

Effective management is built upon having the right systems in place.

Whether you’re opening your coworking space or looking to grow your coworking business, thinking about coworking space management in terms of operations and people early on can do wonders in terms of your efficiency, your user experience, and ultimately, your bottom line.

Better yet, implementing the right software from the very beginning will help make the entire management process more efficient.

Looking for a technology system that can support you in your journey and an experienced thought partner with coworking expertise?