BLOG What is community manager burnout? What is community manager burnout? It sounds dramatic. But it is accurate. I've burnt out working in events, catering and community management. Like burnout in the events and catering industry, there is much giving and giving mentally and physically without much training or guidance. We are 'enthusiastic and great with people', so we are let loose - to proceed until apprehended - either by our mental well-being or eventually find the edge of our ambiguous job remit. So many coworking space
BLOG What is the relationship between coworking and hospitality? What is the relationship between coworking and hospitality? Because I've heard this a lot lately, it was a constant topic of conversation at the Workspace Design Show London. But when you say coworking and hospitality, it doesn't mean you're suddenly running a restaurant, which is how people interpret it. I worked in hospitality and catering for years. I loved it. And I've always felt this connection between how we act in a coworking space and a restaurant. Ian Minor says, "It's the art of
BLOG How do you create connections between people in your coworking space without being a bit creepy? How do you create connections between people in your coworking space without being a bit creepy? I say creepy because there's a difference between customer acquisition and me joining your coworking space. You'd be mad not to use technology to help you do things, but if you do it in a very processed, automated way, it feels like people are part of a system rather than a community. And the way to do it is to commit to listening to people and what they're interested in. This week, I talked to e
BLOG How can your coworking space change the world? How can your coworking space change the world? So today's question is, who are you inviting to your coworking space? There's a big difference between an invitation and an announcement. An announcement is when you say: "Hi, my coworking space is open!" And you send that with the intention of thinking, everybody's welcome! But then when you give people an invitation like: "Would you like to come to my coworking space?" "I want you to come to my event!" "We're having a European Coworking D
BLOG Why is getting together with others who run a coworking space so important? Why is getting together with others who run a coworking space so important? It's because you don't have much time for everything, including running the space, keeping members happy, and maintaining software and stuff like that. You only get a little time to talk about what you're doing, where you're going, what's happening, and what you need help with. And whatever you do in any industry, getting together with your peers and discussing what you do is really important. It's fantastic for your
BLOG What does "growth and scale" mean for your coworking business? What do you mean by "growth and scale" when you talk about your business? I brought this up today because I was talking to someone about their coworking space and what they want to do with it. They said, "I want to grow and scale, of course!" After 15 minutes of conversation, I find out they don't want to scale. What they want is a sustainable business that makes them profit, doesn't kill them, and has a constant flow of new customers. There's a big difference between growth and scale and a
BLOG When is the best time to ask for help? I always like to wait until the wheels come off the car or the sick is chimping, and then someone has to come and pull me from the clutches of death at the last moment. That is a lousy way to run your life and business. I realised the negative effect that had on people around me took longer than I had hoped. But more people are willing to help you than you realise, but you must ask for that help. Experienced people in life and business know when to help you. Because there's a big difference
BLOG Kill Your Bland Jargon and Unleash Your Coworking Space's Unique Charm! Franken-speak and meaningless catch-all language We've all seen those websites that boast about their "great customer service" or "outstanding quality." and "innovation" - what does that mean? But let's be honest; those phrases are so overused that they're practically meaningless. What truly sets a space apart is its unique personality and vibe. And that's where language comes in. You can create a coworking space that stands out by carefully crafting your messaging. So, how do you do it?
BLOG Who do you need to build a community? Who do you need to build a community? People think "community" is a product. In coworking, we use wanky business terms like "customer acquisition." But, at the same time, we want people to "join our community." Think about it: are you building a community or acquiring customers? - It's confusing these days. (TBH, I don't want to be acquired by anyone or anything.) However, co-creation is the most critical part of a community. Your community starts after all those customers you acquired de
BLOG What is the best coworking space software? We often subscribe to business software that's too 'much' for us because we want to "go pro" and "out-out!" When we're a small or micro business, we get enterprise-level software, bite off more than we can chew, and it takes up loads of existential overhead. For example, I've seen so many small coworking spaces, start-ups, NFPs, and micro businesses that ‘go pro’ and puff out their chests, sign up for Salesforce or Hubspot and then spend the rest of the year trying to figure out how to use it
BLOG Is a desk in a coworking space worth it? Is a desk in a coworking space worth it? As a coworking space, are you selling a desk or something else? Ok. You ARE selling a desk, and when you run a coworking space, you can quickly think, I need to sell this many desks, and that's my business. But as a member, what am I buying? I've rented a desk in a coworking space for over ten years, paying for the chair and the desk. It's where I do my work. But the value, particularly for me, the value of my mental health, is off the charts. Our
BLOG What if everybody could walk to work? What if everybody could walk to work? Since working in coworking spaces in 2010, I have been going to Central London. But I was ALWAYS looking for something nearer to me so I could spend less time travelling and do the school run for #supercoolson. But it seemed ‘normal’ to be jammed into a central line tube train from Gants Hill to Liverpool Street, so I just did that. For years, the closest coworking spaces to me were Mainyard Studios Hackney, Mile End or Creative Works Space in E17 and T
