This is a guest post by Zach McNamara, CEO of isofy, a network management platform for coworking spaces. See the full tech support for coworking series.
Let’s face it: running a coworking space in our ever-changing digital landscape is no small feat.
You’re constantly balancing member needs, technological demands, and industry trends. Ask coworking operators for ideas on boosting sales, and it’s unlikely that you’ll hear “network management.”
In my experience, however, a robust network management solution can help meet these challenges head-on and increase revenue at the same time.
Let’s explore how this often-overlooked tool can enhance your member experience, simplify operations, and ultimately drive sales.
1. Enhanced member experience
At the heart of any successful coworking space is a satisfied membership base. You’ve done the hard part of getting members into your space, now it’s time to focus on creating raving fans and lifetime members.
Members and guests of coworking spaces are looking for seamless connectivity, reliable security, and a tech-enabled environment that supports their productivity. Like an agile superhero with x-ray vision, a network management solution can provide your coworking space with real-time visibility, protection, and insights, giving you the flexibility and power to see the unseen.
This not only enhances your members’ productivity and experience but also drives retention and referrals, transforming your space into a powerhouse of collaboration and success.
2. Simple and convenient connectivity for members and guests
Wi-fi is like the oxygen of coworking spaces. Just as you can’t hold your breath forever, a coworking space can’t thrive without reliable Wi-fi.
Ensuring a dependable connection is crucial for member satisfaction and supporting your workspace. Businesses rely on your network for their day-to-day operations, especially professionals who need a stable connection for video calls, cloud-based work, and data-intensive tasks.
Effective network management—whether it’s monitoring bandwidth usage, device health, or identifying potential connectivity issues—allows you to proactively address network problems and respond quickly. This heightened awareness ensures that every member experiences seamless and reliable connectivity, enhancing productivity and satisfaction.
By minimizing downtime and optimizing network performance, you’re directly supporting your members’ productivity goals—a key factor in retention and word-of-mouth referrals.
3. Advanced security measures build trust
In any superhero story, the hero must protect the city from the constant threats from villains. Your network management system acts as a protective shield for your occupants, safeguarding them from network breaches, data loss, and service interruptions. With cyber threats on the rise, robust security measures build trust and position your space as a safe haven for businesses of all sizes.
To protect users, a network management system can address these concerns by creating individual, isolated networks for each user, monitoring network usage in real time, and proactively flagging potential threats.
For instance, a private VLAN will protect members’ proprietary information by isolating their network and ensuring that connected devices are kept secure and safe from data leaks. Advanced systems can also allow your users to safely connect to data ports anywhere within your space, offering them flexibility and peace of mind without any additional hassle on your end.
This commitment to security not only enhances your reputation but also attracts security-conscious clients, making your network management system a key differentiator and sales driver in a competitive market.
Many enterprises and companies now require their employees to adopt intensive security practices to mitigate risk. By offering strong security measures, you enable these employees to utilize your workspace and feel confident their sensitive data remains protected.
If you’re not sure how well your current network security is working, check out isofy’s network security evaluation to spot any weaknesses and figure out how to boost your network’s defenses.
4. Operational efficiency and data insights
Beyond member-facing benefits, a network management system can transform your internal operations and decision-making processes, positively impacting sales goals. By providing real-time insights into network usage patterns, it enables you to allocate resources efficiently and make strategic decisions.
Imagine anticipating member needs before they arise; a robust network management system makes this possible by offering detailed data on network use. Analyzing usage patterns, peak hours, and popular areas lets you tailor your offerings, optimize space, and refine your expansion strategy. This could involve creating new membership tiers, adjusting pricing, or identifying opportunities for value-added services.
Such insights help reduce operational costs, enhance service quality, and improve customer satisfaction, all of which can positively impact your sales.
5. Scalability and cost management
Your network management platform should operate as the ultimate partner for you, growing alongside your business expansion goals. No superhero works alone! Neither should you within your coworking space.
An efficient system empowers you to easily add access points, manage multiple locations from a central dashboard, and seamlessly integrate with your daily operating systems—all while maintaining consistent, high-quality service. This scalability can support your expansion goals by ensuring your network grows with you.
By automating routine tasks like member access, the right platform saves you time and money. This allows you to redirect your focus to operational priorities and boost profit margins without compromising service quality, creating an affordable, simplified, cohesive, and well-coordinated environment that positions your coworking space for success.
6. Building additional revenue streams
The power of a network management system can extend beyond security, serving as a secret weapon to create additional revenue streams. By leveraging this technology, you can unlock new opportunities to enhance your offerings and generate more revenue for your business.
For example, you can start with an open, non-isolated network that has a “default bandwidth” level. In this setup, every new member is placed into a secure “members” network with each device enjoying the same connection speed.
For an enhanced offering, you could also create a service package for an isolated network and enhanced speeds. Giving members the option for enhanced security and improved internet speed performance not only caters to diverse member needs but also creates additional revenue opportunities for your coworking space.
Ultimately, you can transform your network management system from a basic operational tool into a powerful asset for driving business growth and member satisfaction in a competitive market.
7. Is your network management solution working for you?
The right network management system is more than just a technical tool—it’s a strategic asset that can significantly boost efficiency and sales in your coworking space. By enhancing member experience, providing valuable insights, and supporting scalable growth, a network management system can empower you to create a more secure, efficient, and profitable coworking environment.
With the right system in place, you’re well-equipped to thrive in the competitive coworking market, meeting and exceeding both your members’ expectations and your business sales goals.
Learn about isofy’s approach to simplified network management and how it can boost your operational efficiency while creating new revenue opportunities. Schedule a free consultation with the isofy team to explore network solutions tailor-made to your space and needs.
🔗 Learn more at isofy.tech
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