Updated August 28, 2026
If your coworking community is limited to the people inside your space, you’re missing a huge opportunity.
As a coworking space operator, the best thing you can do is position your space and community as a resource for your entire neighborhood, town, or region. Doing so is not only a great way to generate leads and introduce people to your space, brand, and mission, it’s also a genius way to build a resilient community.
Your members have networks that extend beyond your coworking space. You and your team have networks that extend beyond your coworking space. So why would you limit the coworking magic only to your members?
From Sustaining to Thriving
This may sound counterintuitive because people pay for access to your space and offerings. And, of course, you’re right.
Coworking is a business. To make the change we want to see in the world, we need spaces to be not just sustaining, but thriving. But to assume that the walls of your community being porous and welcoming means that people won’t become members is not accurate.
Letting people into your space and extended community doesn’t detract from your coworking business, it strengthens it. Not everyone needs what you have but everyone knows someone who needs coworking. And, frankly, there are people in your local community who will never become a member. But some of those people will tell dozens of others about you. They’ll become advocates and amplifiers for what you’re doing in your space.
What’s that worth?
Quite a bit.
Become the Place to Be
The more you can position your space and community as the place to be for information, networking, education, innovation, belonging, connection, inspiration and guidance for freelancers, startups, remote workers, small businesses, entrepreneurs, and everyone else who thrives through coworking, the stronger your brand and business will be.
The more engaged and active your extended community is in and around your space, the more valuable being a member becomes. So creating a sense of belonging for your entire community is perhaps the most powerful marketing and brand building you can do.
Your Unfair Advantage
Positioning your coworking space as a resource, gathering place, and educational hub for your target market (and beyond) is the goal. And if you can nail it, it’s an incredible, unfair advantage. People can outspend you on Google ads, and they can out-fabulous you with nicer amenities, but they can’t copy your community.
So expand your notion of your coworking community to include your neighborhood, town, and region. And if you already have your great-fit people (and ambassadors) coming into your space, you’re ahead of the game.
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