10 Coworking Membership Plans to Grow Your Business

Coworking membership plans are the backbone of your monthly revenue strategy… but where do you even start?

We’ve helped thousands of coworking space operators set up plans for their space using Optix. We’ve seen firsthand what types of coworking membership packages work well for coworking spaces, and which ones fall short.

In this article, we’ll break down everything you need to know about setting up and structuring monthly membership plans for your coworking space, including how to price them and the ten common types of membership plans that coworking operators use today.

By the end of this article, you’ll be well-equipped with the knowledge you need to run a successful – and profitable – business. Let’s dive in!

What is a coworking membership plan?

A coworking membership plan refers to any arrangement wherein a member pays a set amount of money in exchange for a set amount of resources, services, and/or access. Typically it occurs across a set amount of time, such as monthly, quarterly, or annually.

Common examples of membership plans in a coworking space include:

• Unlimited access to the space and all amenities for three months
• Access to a private office for one year
• Virtual mailbox membership and access to all virtual resources with limited in-person space access monthly

These plans are created by you to meet the varied needs of your members while still driving revenue and profitability.

The importance of a coworking membership plan

Offering coworking membership plans guarantees recurring revenue for owners and operators, making them an essential part of a coworking business plan. However, they also serve to benefit members as well.

Benefits of membership plans for coworking members

From a member perspective, a recurring membership plan serves as a cost-effective option for joining a community, as membership plans are often more budget-friendly than daily or hourly rates.

It also helps provide a much needed sense of community, stability, and predictability for members who are seeking to be a part of something more long-term.

Benefits of membership plans for coworking owners and operators

From an operator perspective, membership plans serve as a primary driver of recurring revenue, fostering financial stability and aiding in long-term financial planning. 

Membership plans can also help to:

• Attract clients via unique membership offerings
• Retain clients via custom created plans and passes 
• Remain competitive in the market

Scalability, market competitiveness, customization, and accessibility are all advantages of offering diverse membership options, ensuring your business remain agile and responsive to changing industry demands.

Types of coworking membership plans

The two most common questions we get when it comes to membership plans is, what type of plans should I offer and how should I price them? 

Before we dive into pricing plans, let’s take a look at ten membership plans that you can offer in your coworking space, from most affordable to most expensive.

1. The virtual office membership plan

Cost: $

The virtual office or virtual coworking membership plan gives members a physical mailing address, office related services, and a community to engage with without coming into the physical space. 

Depending on what kinds of services you offer, virtual memberships can either be a simple way of driving recurring revenue with minimal overhead – or they can be a resource intensive activity. 

If you’re supplying a virtual mailbox (ie. letting people use your coworking space as their business address), then there is likely to be significant time and resources invested into sorting and distributing mail, faxing, shredding, and remaining compliant. Virtual mailboxes are a very popular service and many operators find that despite the resources involved in running them, they can be a significant revenue driver. 

If you’re just offering access to a virtual community (such as a Whatsapp group or Community Feed) and intermittent access to your space, your overhead will be quite a bit lower. However, it may be a less compelling offer, depending on your demographic.

Who is it for?

Virtual offices are appealing to solopreneurs and new business owners who need a professional address but may not have the capital to finance a full-time desk in an office. They may also attract those who want access to a community without a large commitment.

What can this package include?

• Mail service and a business address
• Discounts on meeting room rentals
• Access to your digital community
• Additional receptionist services such as call handling 

Pro-tip: 

Attend events in your community targeted at new entrepreneurs to find prospective members who may benefit from a virtual office. You can also host an event for entrepreneurs in your own space and invite current members to attend to create a networking opportunity for prospects.

2. The community membership plan

Cost: $

The community membership plan gives members access to the coworking community, without requiring them to commit to the space long-term. It provides great value with a low cost of entry.

The value of a community membership plan is it gives members priority access for everything that a coworking space has to offer, without requiring a commitment. The cost is usually quite low from a revenue perspective, but the low commitment makes it a great entry point for new members.

Who is it for?

This package appeals to prospective members who may be interested in participating in the coworking community but aren’t looking for regular access to a workspace. It’s also a good option to those new to coworking who aren’t sure what they want of the community yet. 

It’s a perfect option for those who are unlikely to frequent your space for work days but still want to be part of your community.

What does this package include?

• Access to your venue’s digital community
• Discounts on event and workshop tickets
• Discounts on meeting room rentals
• 1 day of hot desk access per month
• Discounts on additional hot desk access

Pro-tip:

Price your coworking community membership plan to come out to about $5-10 above the price of a drop-in pass. This creates an easy way for you to upsell visitors to your space and ensure your community remains vibrant and ever-changing.

3. The weekender membership plan

Cost: $$

The weekender membership plan includes use of your coworking space during non-peak hours, such as on Saturday afternoon or Sunday morning. From an operators’ perspective, it can be a strategic way to maximize the use of your space and get people into the building outside of typical working hours.

From a member’s perspective, the weekender membership plan is a cost effective way of accessing a workspace and all of the amenities it has to offer. As the needs of members change, they can often upgrade to full-time or weekday plans if they require more extensive access to the coworking space.

Who is it for?

This coworking package appeals to side hustlers, cash-strapped entrepreneurs, and those looking to get their business off the ground outside of their 9-5.

What does this package include?

• Unlimited weekend-only access to hot desks (option to include weekdays 6pm onwards)
• Access to your digital community
• Discounts on event and workshop tickets
• Discounts on weekday hot desk and meeting room rentals

4. The night owl membership plan

Cost: $$

Similar to the weekender plan, the night owl membership plan is designed to fill your space on less popular times, namely in the evenings outside of regular working hours.  

This kind of plan caters to individuals who thrive in the evening hours, whether due to alternative work schedules, creative pursuits, or the need for a quiet and focused workspace after regular business hours.

Note that this plan will either require you to staff a community manager on-site after hours or use an access control system like Kisi to create a 24/7 accessible coworking space. 

Who is it for?

Sides hustlers and those who are most productive, creative, or focused during nighttime hours.

What does this package include?

• Unlimited hot desk access on weekday evenings after 7pm
• Access to your digital community
• Discounts on event and workshop tickets
• Discounts on weekday or weekend access to the coworking space

Pro tip:

As the needs of your members evolve or change, give them the option to upgrade to full-time or daytime access plans at an exclusive rate. Market the night owl membership plan as an entry point for other higher commitment plan offerings, and provide a 10% discount for those who switch.

5. The part-time hot-desk membership plan

Cost: $$

The part-time hot-desk membership plan offers access to a coworking space for a specified number of days or hours per week or month. It provides a level of commitment, while still enabling flexibility from members.

Many operators offer different tiers of part-time memberships on an hourly basis such as 10, 20, and 25 hrs of space access a month. There is a great opportunity to offer a variety of part-time membership plans for your members and see what they respond to most.

Who is it for?

Remote workers and part-time entrepreneurs who only need access to a coworking space a set number of times a week. 

What does this package include?

• Access to the open area seating of your space (ie. 10 hr, 15 hr, or 20 hr a month)
• Discounts on meeting rooms or access to meeting rooms a set number of hours a month
• Access to all amenities and member perks

Pro tip:

If offering part-time membership plans, discount the plans slightly from tier to tier in order to encourage upselling. You can also choose to include access to more amenities at increased tiers, such as 5 hours of meeting room access a month when you sign up for a 25 hr hot desk plan.

6. The full-time hot desk membership plan

Cost: $$$

The full-time hot desk membership plan is the original coworking space package. It typically includes unlimited access to a hot desk each month.

Some operators choose to translate “unlimited” into truly unlimited access, while others put restrictions on it, such as unlimited access up to 1 check-in a day or 7 check-ins a week. 

Some light restrictions can prevent abuse from members, while still allowing individuals to maximize their time in the space. How you choose to translate unlimited is up to you and should fit the needs of your members.

Who is it for?

This plan is a great option for those looking for a new home base. It’s often attractive to small business owners and entrepreneurs who are looking to get their business off the ground and need some place full-time to work. 

What does this package include?

• Unlimited hot desk access a month
• 5-10 hours of meeting room access a month
• Discount on overage hours for meeting rooms
• Access to your digital community
• Discounts on events and workshop tickets

7. The dedicated desk membership plan

Cost: $$$

The dedicated desk membership plan gives members a desk in your open area to call their own, just like in a traditional office setting. On set agreed upon days, they essentially “own” that desk. Typically members can leave things on the desk or in a private dedicated locker space. 

Dedicated desks are often lesser known outside of the coworking world, so there may be some education involved to let members know what a dedicated desk is and the value they can get out of it. 

Our guide to hot desks and dedicated desks will cover everything you need to know about dedicated desks and hot desks in coworking spaces, including how to strike the balance of each kind of desk in your space.

Who is it for?

Your most committed solopreneurs will love the dedicated desk membership. It’s also a good fit for start-ups who don’t need their own private office and others who work for themselves and want to get out of the house.

What does this package include?

• A dedicated desk on a part-time or full-time basis
• 5-10 hours of meeting room access a month
• Discount on overage hours for meeting rooms
• Discounts on event and workshop tickets
• Locked personal storage

8. The private office membership plan

Cost: $$$$

Private office memberships give members access to the security and privacy of their own office while still being a part of your coworking community. Private offices are what most people think of when they think of leasing an office space.

Private offices have been growing in popularity since the pandemic. More and more remote workers look to coworking spaces to fill the need of the “third space”, but require quiet spaces to take phone calls and be on Zoom.

For this reason, many spaces are finding private offices easiest to fill out of all of their product offerings. 

Who is it for?

This package is a popular option for start-ups, remote workers, and entrepreneurs across a wide variety of industries who need a quiet and private place to work. It could also be suitable for therapists, tutors, lawyers, and others in need of privacy.

What does this package include?

• 24/7 access to a private, secure office
• 10-15 hours of meeting room access included
• Discount on overage hours for meeting rooms
• Access to your digital community
• Discount on event and workshop tickets

Pro-tip:

Private offices are a fairly safe bet as a product offering, as there always tends to be a need for private spaces in the world of offices. However, understanding the demand for private offices in your market is key before beginning your buildout as private offices are the trickiest to add in later on down the road.

9. Team membership plan

Cost: $$$$

Designed for small teams or startups, the team membership plan offers multiple dedicated desks in a shared area. It’s designed to support a small start-up team of two to four people to help get their business off the ground.

The benefit of a team membership plan is that it provides a central location where all members of a team can learn and grow with one another, while still being cost effective for budding start-ups. You can also offer meeting room hours so that teams have the ability to come together in a private space as needed.

Who is it for?

Young start-ups or small teams from a larger organization that are getting their business off the ground and need a central place to come and work with one another.

What does this package include?

• Team access to a set of dedicated desks or a single larger private office
• 10-20 meeting room hours a month
• Discount on overage hours for meeting rooms
• Access to your digital community
• Option for additional guest access availability 

Pro-tip:

Reach out to local incubators in the community to create a partnership wherein you offer team membership plans to start-ups at a discounted rate. It’s a great way to get your target demographic in the door. Plus it can be the beginning of a larger coworking partnership. 

10. Corporate membership plan

Cost: $$$$

Tailored for larger companies, this plan provides a bulk number of memberships at a discounted rate, often with customization options. 

Corporate membership plans are your bread and butter when it comes to generating a large amount of recurring revenue. Although they can be tricky to acquire clients for, once you’re able to, they can be massive in bringing predictable revenue into your business.

Who is it for?

Corporate businesses that are fully remote and looking for new ways of supporting the well-being of their employees.

What does this package include?

• Bulk membership access to your coworking space for a set number of people (ie. 5 or 10 people)
• Access to all amenities
• A wide range of customization options and additional add-ons available

Pro tip:

Reach out to remote businesses and educate them on the benefits that coworking can have on their employees. Begin to build relationships with business owners that can grow into fruitful partnerships and long-term partnerships.

Pricing your membership plans

Now that you know what kinds of membership plans you can offer, next is figuring out how to price them.

Pricing coworking membership plans effectively is essential for attracting members while ensuring your coworking space remains financially sustainable. 

Landing on the right price for your business will come down to continuous experimentation and collecting feedback from members. Here are some tips to help you determine an effective pricing strategy.

• Understand your costs: calculate your operating expenses, including rent, utilities, staff salaries, maintenance, insurance, and amenities. Understanding your costs is crucial for setting profitable pricing.
• Conduct market research: research competitors in your area to understand their pricing models and what they offer at various price points. This helps you position your offerings competitively.
• Regularly review your offerings: regularly review your pricing strategy to ensure it remains competitive and aligned with market changes. Adjust prices as needed to reflect demand and occupancy rates.
• Keep it transparent: ensure that your pricing is transparent and easy to understand. Avoid hidden fees or complicated pricing structures that can deter potential members.
• Listen to member feedback: listen to feedback from your existing members. They can provide insights into what’s working and where improvements can be made in your pricing and offerings.

Again, the only way you know what price of each membership plan will work for your business is to experiment until you find the right fit. Which brings us to our next point.

Create flexible membership plans in Optix

When it comes to creating plans, nothing is set in stone. Using a coworking management software like Optix allows you to test out plan offerings and measure key performance indicators to determine which plans are worth keeping.

At the end of the day, finding the right combination of membership plans for your coworking space is an iterative process. With a bit of time and experimentation, you’ll find what works best for your space and your community’s needs.

We’ve invested a lot of time and energy to build a coworking management software that gives coworking operators the flexibility they need to run a successful business.

If you’re interested in learning more about what’s possible with Optix, reach out to a member of our team to learn more.