In a recent Q&A with my friends and partners at Coworks, I shared three challenges indie coworking space operators face right now, as we move post-pandemic and deeper into the massive growth of the workspace industry.
1. Educating people about coworking
Educating people about coworking continues to be a big challenge and opportunity for indie operators. I’ve been talking about coworking with anyone who will listen for many years now, and I still meet people every week who aren’t clear on what coworking actually is.
In fact, a young guy I met in a coworking space, when I mentioned coworking, said, “What the F is that?” I burst out laughing and said, it’s what we’re doing right now!
2. Differentiating
Differentiating is increasingly important for all operators, but especially the indies. Coworking is growing far too fast to just be a desk rental and meeting room facility.
Operators have to understand who they serve, why they serve them and how they serve them in order to stand out in what is an increasingly busy and noisy industry and to attract their great-fit members.
3. Understanding the value of coworking
Understanding the value and potential of coworking, and sharing that through storytelling, community building and education across all of your channels, is now a must-do for indie operators.
The flexibility, human touch and nimbleness of being an indie operator is a huge advantage. Operators need to lean all the way in to this advantage.
Bonus: Why should operators learn from each other? Isn’t it competitive?
The Lab is the best example I know of how leading with a collaborative and generous approach, which is part of coworking’s DNA, makes everyone better.
We have 200-plus years of combined coworking experience in our community and everyone’s perspective, experience and insights are essential to the community as a whole.
Operators with 10 or more years of coworking experience have so much wisdom to share, and operators who just launched this year also bring a whole different dimension of insights and expertise to the conversations.
Your community is your greatest differentiator
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