This is part of a series on how to start a coworking space. If you haven’t done so already, read How to Start a Coworking Space, Part 1: The Commitment. Then head back here!
“People don’t buy coffee. They buy the smell of coffee.”
I’m going to let you in on a crazy secret. It’s not really a secret, but in any case most people don’t know about it. Want to know what it is?
It is the 100% guaranteed way to ensure you build a coworking space that won’t fail.
Too good to be true? Stick around. There’s a trick, and I’ll show you how.
What do you picture when you think about opening a new community? For a lot of people, it’s doing research on a space, finding investment money, buying a lot of furniture, figuring out all the physical logistics, THEN throwing the doors opening and praying enough people like it to turn a profit.
The problem with this approach is that, not only are you putting yourself at the mercy of forces outside of your control, you’re actively working against your chances of success.
That’s because what you’re really selling isn’t workspace. The workspace is a delivery vehicle for what people are actually interested in, which is to belong to a community of people they like to be around.
Sure, people need physical workspace for things. Conference rooms are convenient. But are you interested in being simply a conference room rental jockey? (Your soul told me that your answer is no.)
So this is a different game. Be smart about this, and you (pretty much) can’t go wrong.
It starts with you in a humble place. This humble place, however, is the platform from which many great things have sprung.
It is one in which you are simply a member of other communities who cares enough to ask some questions.
Ready to dive in? Let’s go!
Before we talk even a little bit about you and your community and your space and your brand, we have to start with the actual ingredients that make up your community: the people!
So first thing’s first: where are these people? Where do you find your future members?
The answer is: they’re already in other communities!
So your first assignment is to find all of the communities that your potential members might already be a part of.
How do you do this?
Look at communities you’re a part of!
This may sound silly, but you’re probably a part of more communities than you think. Think of ANYTHING that might qualify! Your church, your work, your social circles, your library, your hobbies. Where do you spend your time, alongside whom?
Look in common places!
Where can you find out about what’s happening in your city? Are there local publications, chambers of commerce? What do you find when you go to Meetup.com?
Ask your friends!
What communities are your friends, family, and coworkers a part of?
EXAMPLE TIME: When I got started organizing coworking communities, I found a Jelly coworking group that was meeting weekly in an apartment. I became very active in that group, as it was full of people who shared my desire to get out of my house and be around other independents.
I also found the NY Tech Meetup, which was (and still is) a huge gathering of hundreds of people interested in tech in NYC every month. Just going there every month, I was able to not only have a great time watching people present awesome new ideas, I met lots of people who were interested in coworking and also were well-connected to others.
Of course, you have to put yourself out there to start making connections. Attend events, join new groups, both online and off, and look for where you feel a sense of alignment between the people you find and your own interests and desires.
You’ll likely find some of the groups emerge as more aligned, while others less so. Focus your energy on the places where you’re finding the better vibes.
EXAMPLE TIME: There was a time when I was attending every tech-related Meetup group and event I could find, but over time I started to realize that some of them were more business-networking focused than really culturally rich. I stopped going to the ones that weren’t feeling right, getting more actively involved in participating and volunteering with the NY Tech Meetup and Jelly.
It’s so tempting, and easy, and depressingly common to head right out and start pitching everyone you meet on your idea and why they should be into your idea.
Do yourself a favor: pick up a copy of How to Win Friends and Influence People and do the exact opposite.
Become keenly interested in those you meet. Ask them questions. Listen to their answers. Tune into their needs.
Take notes. What you learn here is the raw material from which an authentic, lasting community is forged.
EXAMPLE TIME: While attending NY Tech Meetups and Jellies, I kept hearing the same thing: there was a need for a coworking space where there wasn’t one. It could be startup-focused, or not. It would be great if it could be really central, since people from all over the tri-state area had the need. It had to be subway accessible. All of this formed the foundation for what we ended up putting out there.
Once you’ve identified some patterns and determined there’s a shared need, consider organizing a casual gathering of people who’d like to discuss that topic more.
The gathering doesn’t have to have a brand name, or an RSVP, or a URL. In fact, at first, it’s better that it doesn’t. These are the sorts of things you can do with the help of your new community members after your first meetings.
Importantly: Only do this if you determine that there is in fact an interest among the people you’ve been talking to. If the empirical information you gather in the course of talking to doesn’t support moving forward with building a new community, don’t do it just because you want to!
This is your ego leading you down a path of pain and torment. This is the path of the Builder, not the Gardener.
A gardener only begins the laborious process of tending a garden when they know they have all of the necessary ingredients.
If you don’t have your ingredients yet, keep looking! Re-frame your thinking, and LISTEN more. There are tons and tons of problems that need solving in the world; you can be someone who builds solutions to them if you take the time to find the problems first.
Solutions in search of problems are where a lot of desperate advertising comes from. We’re not here to play that game.
You’re grooving now! Continue to Part 3, if you dare!
I thought I’d let you know that I’m offering special coaching for people starting new coworking spaces as part of my Organizers Club. When you join as a member, I’ll give you access to my full toolkit of resources, discussion groups, and personal feedback on any questions you might have.
If you’re working on starting a new space, I want to ensure you do it right!
Don't just build another office rental place. Join a group of people who are doing more to help build transformative cultures.
Share resources, get help with your most burning needs, and thrive alongside awesome people like yourself.