Make Your Coworking Space Stand Out From the Crowd

Are you exploring the possibility of opening a coworking space? If so, the numbers look pretty good. According to Mintel, last year, the number of serviced offices in the UK rose by 5% to more than 4,000 units. By 2027, it is predicted to grow to over 6,000 - a 52% rise over 2022!

The pandemic has created an unprecedented demand for flexible working. With more and more people working from home, at least some of the time, businesses are increasingly looking to coworking spaces. They’re a great way to keep companies agile and for entrepreneurs to cash in on the soaring demand for these dynamic workspaces.

The question is, how can you make sure your coworking space is a cut above the rest? Let’s explore the answer together.

Identify Your Target Audience

Coworking spaces are not one thing.

Some are super-cool, hot-desking centres perfect for individuals looking for a place to plug in their laptops and get their heads down for the day. These facilities can also cater to small companies that require a limited number of desks for people with flexible working patterns.

On the other hand, some coworking spaces cater to larger, more established firms. They have more stringent requirements, such as dedicated work areas. A coworking space with a private room for meetings and presentations also appeals to this type of client.

If you’ve got a large office, it’s possible to appeal to a wide range of businesses. But if space is tight, it’s important to identify your audience and build your business model around it.

Enhance the Essentials

Whichever type of business you’re trying to attract, every coworking space has a few essentials in common. These include:

• Bathrooms: They don’t have to be fancy, but they’ve got to be spotless. Invest in regular cleaning and keep your clients happy.

• Kitchen area: We’re not talking about a Michelin-starred industrial kitchen here, just somewhere you can warm up a sausage roll and make a cup of tea. Fancy coffee machines are almost always appreciated, but make sure you factor in maintenance and the cost of supplies.

• Storage space: Most coworking spaces are bright, airy, and open, and that could make them appealing to light-fingered individuals. Secure storage, such as lockers, allows people to use your facility confidently.

• Security: Again, coworking spaces are open to almost everyone. Security cameras and personnel make everyone feel secure and able to focus on their work.

People often appreciate better basics than lots of fancy extras that they never use. Enhancing the essentials can help build loyalty - an issue that many coworking spaces can face. It keeps people coming back and stops them from migrating to your competitors.

Find Fantastic Furniture

To get people to come into your office, you need to win the battle of coworking space vs working from home. That’s not easy because most people’s homes are built around comfort. So the furniture you choose must strike the right balance between style and comfort.

This is one danger of buying online. Something may look great but feel like a torture device to sit on. Make sure you order samples or visit a showroom before committing to any furniture.

If you get the furniture right, along with other features like office pods, you’ll provide people with an even more appealing experience than staying at home.

Get the Tech Right

Coworking spaces live and die by the quality of their Internet and technical support. Interruptions and outages are sure to send people scurrying to your competitors. Invest in the most reliable tech and make sure that you have a backup for when things go wrong.

Additionally, explore the right desk booking software and implement a fair usage policy. This may include not allowing individuals to block book certain desks or facilities for weeks on end so that no one else gets a look-in.

Accept the Challenges

Google ‘coworking space’, and you’ll see lots of images of people having a great time collaborating and working together. But walk into a real-life coworking space, and you’ll notice lots of people with their heads down and noise-cancelling headphones on.

This reflects an inescapable reality and challenge for coworking spaces - they’re inherently noisy.

And that’s not always a bad thing. It means people are talking - either to clients or to each other, and that’s essential for collaboration and business growth. But if all you want to do is get your head down and crunch some numbers, it can be a nightmare.

The solution is not supplying everyone with a pair of headphones, installing dividers, or creating a forest of potted plants. Instead, you need to offer a selection of office pods and Zoom rooms.

What are office pods?

Office pods, also called Zoom rooms, are self-contained soundproof booths that people can escape to. You can put them anywhere you have a plug socket, and they range in size from one-person, phone box-sized pods to meeting booths that can accommodate up to 6 people.

The hubbub of the coworking space cannot penetrate the acoustic materials used to build these pods. This makes them perfect for focused work, private phone calls, or confidential meetings away from office distractions.

Benefits for coworking spaces

Office pods have the potential to become a major unique selling point for your coworking space. For a relatively modest investment, you have a feature that people, from individual entrepreneurs to major corporations, will appreciate.

Their plug-and-play design means there’s no need for renovations. You don’t need planning permission because they’re free-standing and movable. They come with built-in Bluetooth for comfortable Zoom meetings and a quiet ventilation system to keep the room fresh.

Create an Exceptional Coworking Space

Whether you’re planning a coworking space in London or Lancaster, the same principles apply. Know your audience, get the basics right, and make sure the tech is up to the task. If you’re going to add extra features, start with one that addresses the biggest issue - workplace noise.

Over the last ten years, Soundbox Store has developed a range of innovative office pods and Zoom rooms that will take any coworking space to the next level.

Ready to learn more? Browse our range online or give us a call on 020 4586 3800.