Now that we have most of our jobs condensed into a laptop or smartphone with an internet connection, traditional offices are slowly becoming obsolete. Technology has evolved so much that one can run entire businesses sitting on their couch. In the meantime, the urban population is growing rapidly and the commercial office spaces for rent are getting higher. The situation has benefited the coworking space owners all over the world, especially in the Asia Pacific region which accommodates the largest number of coworking spaces on the planet. The number of coworking spaces in this region is only increasing with time, which means more competition. 

Every coworking business is focused on attracting new customers and retaining existing ones. If you are a coworking space owner, here are a few ways you can retain your existing customers and make sure new ones are attracted to you:

Fitting in relevant members

The first and foremost approach to retaining members in your space is to target your audience properly. Position your space according to the type of members you are looking for and make sure you provide an optimum working environment for them. For instance, if you are focused on having software developers as your members, some of the facilities you will have to provide in your space will include high-speed internet, a personalised and ergonomic workspace environment, and top-class equipment.

Provide the basics

This should go without saying that your space must provide the basic facilities to your members. High-quality furniture, broadband internet, security, a receptionist, and a cafeteria are some of the most fundamental requirements of a coworking space. Remember the better you are at providing the fundamental facilities, the more your space will stand out in comparison to others.

Impress with onboarding presentation

First impression is the last impression is what we all have heard at some point. When it comes to the onboarding process, you have to take this into account and create a striking impression with every member. 

Make sure to have a smooth and efficient onboarding process that not only greets new members warmly but also makes them feel at home. Take new members on an office tour and explain to them how your workspace functions and what are its chief selling points. Make the office tour personal and let them feel comfortable in expressing their views and providing feedback. 

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Keep them engaged

The coworking member that keeps its members engaged succeeds in retaining them as well. Although it is difficult to build up and maintain an adequate community culture, once you have finally built one, it is totally worth it. In order to increase member engagement, you can create an online community of your members and run various campaigns around it. One of the best ways to increase engagement among members is using social walls in your coworking space. You should also encourage members to communicate and trade with each other to develop a networking rich environment.

Take their feedback

If you are unaware of the suggestions, complaints, and ideas that your members have for your space, you would have a hard time retaining them. As time changes, so do the requirements of the members. You must evaluate and consider the suggestions that your members have for you and let them know that their ideas are appreciated and worth sharing. You can conduct a survey every now and then to understand what your members are feeling about your space and whether they have any changes they would want to make. 

You can also make use of google forms to gauge what your members are feeling as long as you keep the questions open-ended.

Email them your offers

Email is one of the farthest-reaching marketing strategies for coworking spaces. Nevertheless, this strategy is not often employed by marketers in the fear of coming out as interfering and frustrating. But if you are confident with the services you are providing, you can try email marketing. Use email to send flyers, discount offers, and new offers to your members. 

Start a get-together

Arrange events and get-togethers every now and then to maintain member engagement. You don’t have to make the events formal or corporate. Make the event inclusive, keep it casual, and arrange it around the needs and wants of your members. You can either do a Friday night event or go with a full-fledged event that takes up an entire day. You can also arrange an outdoor event to get your members to unwind and take a break from work.

Suggested Read: Coworking Spaces and the Stereotypes Around Them: Why is Coworking Better

Use Personalisation

You can use personalised messages or posts to show your members that you care about them. For instance, if one of the members in your space has an allergy, you can put their allergy chart in the cafeteria to reflect your concern. You can also highlight the achievements of your members on your social walls to make them feel special.

Use a loyalty system

Loyalty programs are one of the best ways to show appreciation for your members while rewarding them for their investment in you. Most of the service providers offer some sort of loyalty programs to their clients and customers. 

You can provide your members with loyalty programs in the simplest way possible. For instance, if you are raising membership fees, exempt your long time members from the hike. This will help the members feel special and appreciated and they would want to continue working with you. 

The times are changing and people are becoming more concerned for their well-being both mentally and physically. A coworking space that takes into account the changing times and provides its members with an optimum workspace environment with all the basic facilities already has a chance of attracting new customers and retaining the existing ones. As a coworking space provider, you will also have to be careful about keeping your members happy and above all, satisfied. If you could make your members feel comfortable, connected, and have them enjoy their time at work, they will most likely be attached to your space on a personal level. Remember the goal is to make them feel at home while keeping them productive. You don’t have to employ corporate tricks as long as your members are satisfied with your service and are comfortable with bringing up any issue they might have with your workspace.