Challenges Faced by Coworking Spaces [& How to Address Them]
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There are some challenges we need to address among coworking spaces. Shared work spaces are all the rage among budding entrepreneurs and freelancers who do not want to invest in a dedicated office space. Coworking spaces are convenient and budget-friendly solutions to many small and medium-sized businesses. But even after gaining so much popularity, co-working space owners fail to provide many facilities that they promise their customers.
So, what can co-working space owners do to ensure that their customers are satisfied?
Here are some challenges coworking space owners face and tips to improve the experience for their customers.
1. Comfort
Don’t try to cut corners when it comes to comfort while running a coworking space. Comfort and productivity go hand in hand with each other. Invest in comfortable work spaces where there is enough room for the people to sit and work, get a few bean bags and sofas at the lobby for people to sit and relax when they aren’t working, etc. Invest in basics like curtains that keep distractions away and build conference rooms that are sound-proof and spacious enough to let people sit and conduct seminars and meetings comfortably. Also, maintain the AC at an optimum temperature and install humidifiers.
Coworking space owners, in an attempt to get a higher yield per square foot, sometimes allocate more people per unit space than is accepted. This interferes with people’s privacy and hampers their concentration. Allot cubicles that are properly spaced and give enough privacy to the people working there. Ensure that all the workstations have dedicated drawers and power sockets for people to charge their laptops and phones comfortably and seats that provide enough support to their back.
2. Cleanliness
An untidy work space is a big turn off for every employee. Employ caretakers and staff who can take care of round-the-clock cleanliness of your shared work space and keep it spic and span. You should also employ a manager to overlook the work that the staff is doing. There should be a daily and weekly cleanliness and maintenance checklist to ensure that the lights, fans, AC, taps, tables, chairs, and other facilities are in good condition.
Cleanliness of common spaces like washrooms and cafeteria must be given special attention. Hire staff to clean dishes, wipe dining tables dry, and keep washrooms clean and functioning at all times.
3. Flexibility
Your coworking space must be flexible to attract more people. This doesn’t mean that you cannot have rules and regulations laid out for your customers, but don’t get very strict with them. A little flexibility can go a long way and make your customers realize that their comfort is your first priority. To begin with, you can develop a flexible plan where customers can renew their membership on a month to month basis rather than taking up longer plans. You may also implement policies like allowing visitors inside your work space or allowing furniture to be moved around or music being played during free time, etc.
4. Documentation
Maintaining legalities is imperative to any business, and is stressed upon in the real estate sector. This can create challenges at coworking spaces too. Coworking space owners are essentially ‘renting out’ or ‘leasing’ a property, bringing them into the real estate category. As the land owner, ensure the agreement your space utilisers sign clearly covers the deposit and rent amount, the deductions and reasons for the same, any extra costs, exit clauses, price increase percentage and period, etc. This will you from any hassles related to legality.
5. Décor
The décor of your co-working space can influence the mood for your customers. Decorate your space with bold and beautiful colours, and install plants at various spaces inside the space. This will enhance the mood of your customers and help them work without getting stressed.
6. Hospitality
Employees at corporates turn to their HRs or office admins when it comes to needs, complaints or suggestions about the office. At a cowork space, the responsibility of hospitality lies with the owner and hub managers. Keeping an open channel via email or a whatsapp group and employing hub managers is great. This is an easy solution to cater to the coworking space users and maintain a good level of hospitality.
7. Productive Offices
Creating an environment that is productive will attract not only start-ups and freelancers, but corporates with a head count of over 100 employees. While maintaining an ambience that fosters productivity, create opportunities for networking and collaboration via events and seminars.
Good customer service yields long term benefits, in the form of customer retention and positive his in turn creates more opportunity for growth and expansion. Implement these changes to solve the challenges in coworking spaces if you haven’t already and see your customers brim with joy and be thankful for your services.