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# How to Stop Your Coworking Space Failing in the First Two Years
- URL: https://berniejmitchell.com/how-to-stop-your-coworking-space-failing-in-the-first-two-years/
- Published: 2026-08-28T17:42:57.000Z
- Updated: 2026-08-28T17:43:41.000Z
- Description: 20% of UK businesses fail in the first two years. 60% don't make it past five. Here's what I've seen keep coworking spaces alive.
- Author: Bernie J Mitchell

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So, how can you stop your coworking space failing within the first two years?

In the UK, 20% of businesses fail within the first two years and 60% fail within the first five years.

And when you open your coworking space, you get all razzed up and it's exhausting. All the talk about opening it, and how you're going to do it, and putting all this in. And then it's like launching a book. It's a huge effort to write it, but all the work comes in promoting it, and constantly promoting it and after promoting it you have to. er keep promoting it. 

And in a way, you always need to be launching.

### The ways you can avoid failing

The number one thing I recommend is getting together with other people and sharing stories about what's working and what's not working.

Alex Latham, from [The Ministry](https://www.theministry.com/?ref=berniejmitchell.com) in London posted [this on LinkedIn in August 2026](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/alex-latham-london%5Ftheres-something-ive-been-struggling-with-activity-7496476285917982720-P7-A?utm%5Fsource=share&utm%5Fmedium=member%5Fdesktop&rcm=ACoAAAF8VlIBOlHiOyMYD8sgvsdQKH6ZNindd1Q) talking about peer groups and relationships:

> I’m confident I can execute a plan, but I also know that 20 honest minutes with someone who has already been there could save months of learning things the hard way.

Other things are managing cash flow and always be learning. 

And not learning about how AI works on Mars or future magic, but what is relevant to you in the next twelve weeks, what is right in front of you. 

I am a long time advocate of the [12 Week Year](https://amzn.to/34FOcy4?ref=berniejmitchell.com) book and method, which is basically living your life and work in three month chunks, or Q1, Q2, Q3 and Q4 and business folks like to say. 

As someone who struggles to stay focused on things like getting to the end of this sentence I am writing. 

I promise you that paying attention to your coworking business or project, especially the people in it for the first three months will pay off over time.