In the course of talking to some awesome coworking space owners from the US and Europe, I uncovered an interesting trend when it comes to what they wish they’d known when they got started.
I was expecting logistical things. Technical things. Business things! But what I got was, almost universally, an emphasis on identity:
“We’ve been open for 6 (!) years now (7 in June), and what I wish for has changed over time.
When we first opened, I wish we had a better focus on what the Workantile community actually was. We couldn’t figure out if we were a community of entrepreneurs, small startups, freelancers, remote workers, small businesses looking to network, people needing cheap office space, a community event space, all of the above, some of the above, none of the above.
This caused a lot of tension and even open acrimony among members since priorities for the physical space and its use were different, as were ideas on the sort of people who should become members.
We have since figured out that we are a community of freelancers, independents, and remote employees who find working at home or coffee shops isolating socially and professionally.
Figuring out our identity helped clarify our space planning and usage, and our outreach.”
– Tom Brandt, Workantile
These kinds of issues can be huge when you’re getting started, because as an owner you have to be making decisions every time someone walks in the door.
“Is this a place for startups?”
“Yes! Well… maybe?”
“Is this a place for artists?”
“Yes! Well… maybe?”
“Who is this place for?”
“It’s for startups! And artists! And lawyers! And… well… I’m not sure how to say it!”
You can focus on one niche, or you can focus on being agnostic, but either way it helps a lot if you can own it and communicate it in a clear and resolute manner. How much better is it if you can say:
“We’re open to anyone working on anything, and we’re damn proud of it! In fact, we count on our diversity to give members unique opportunities to meet people who they can collaborate with. People from various walks of life collide in the most amazing ways here every single day.”
Right?
“Given at the point of launch, I had never run a business before, or even stepped foot into a coworking space, I feel a bit like everything was a huge lesson.
The key is to know your identity… understand what kind of culture or community you are looking to attract, how to speak to them, and how the brand and its reputation speaks to them when you can’t. That has really helped us ensure that our enquiries are a fit before they even make the call.
Let me know if you need anything else, I could probably write a dissertation on things I wish I had known!”– Gareth Jones, Welsh ICE
This takes us back to the purpose for why you’re doing what you’re doing. What made you decide to start running a coworking space in the first place, anyway?
It’s SO incredibly easy to lose sight of that amidst the torrent of pressures and decisions that come with leasing, building out, and operating a physical space.
It’s also very easy to tie your space’s identity to yourself, which might be effective at first but can ultimately cost you down the road. Consider Nico’s experience when he got started in Nice, France:
“Definitely, I would have welcomed any advice on community building. Even though I started Les Satellites building the community – even though we were seven on the first day when we opened the space – I know I could have done better.
Here is an example : at first, the original members were all very young, close to my age at that time because I am sure I was responsible for this lack of diversity : I tended to talk more easily to people of my age. I am shy and at that time I thought « they won’t be interested, let’s talk to my people ». Today I know I was wrong thinking like this. I guess now the best thing I wish I would have loved knowing is putting aside my fear and talk about coworking to everyone.
Also, having friends like you, Susan or Alex, that I first secretly called « mentors » was exceptional. You made me learn so much. It would not have been the same without you.”
– Nicolas Bargé, Les Satellites
Who can you be talking to about coworking? How can you be talking to them in a way that gets to the root of the why that drives you to do what you’re doing?
And how can you be constantly developing and refining an identity that is completely in alignment with that why?
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