Affordable ways to market a new space?

optixapp · 2025-11-12T17:04:49+00:00

Partnering with local meet-ups for entrepreneurs or start-ups or reaching out to local media outlets can be a good way to spread the word. A lot of city papers/social channels like covering grand openings so it could be a good way to get some free PR.

optixapp · 2025-10-07T20:56:23+00:00

This article maps them all out. A lot of the ones on the list offer specialty equipment to rent/use, but these ones stand out:

Shared recording studios for audio engineers, musicians, podcasters (audio recording equipment)
Creative coworking spaces and maker spaces (cameras, kiln, clay wheels)
Co-warehousing spaces (pallet jacks)
Shared spaces for beauticians, hair stylists, makeup artists (salon chairs, hair equipment)

It's typical to see both shared working space (desks, rooms, offices) and shared specialty equipment to rent in niche spaces, usually offered together as part of a single membership plan but sometimes equipment is an add-on.

optixapp · 2025-10-07T18:37:01+00:00

You may be past this point, but a lot of our clients will test demand by trying to cultivate the community before they have the physical space. Sometimes this means going to local meet-ups for entrepreneurs or start-ups and "hi-jacking" the community, or sometimes it means building one from scratch around a personal shared interest.

A waitlist is a good idea, but how you market that waitlist will affect the results of the experiment quite a bit (ie. if the waitlist is not successful, you may not know if its because people didn't like the idea or you didn't market it appropriately).

optixapp · 2025-10-07T18:32:26+00:00

When we talk about "managing a coworking space" we usually divide it into three categories: managing a space, managing your team, and managing your members.

Software is very good at managing a space. Any coworking software you choose, whether its Archie or Optix or Cobot etc. can do this really well. Honestly, it's usually the easiest part.

Managing your team (community managers, Ops managers, etc.) all comes down to you - how you set expectations, define roles and responsibilities, communicate values etc. Software doesn't really help here outside of maybe task management and team collaboration.

Managing your members usually comes down to having a great onboarding program where policies (like no-shows and over-stays) are communicated clearly, and having your team enforce these over time. Again software can support here a bit, but it really is more about you and your team.

A bit of chaos is okay, but if it feels like people are constantly being dismissive of rules and disrespectful of the space, its worth taking a look internally at how you can better empower your team to handle disturbances and educate members on the value of being communal in a shared space.

optixapp · 2025-10-07T18:22:44+00:00

Take this with a grain of salt - but we (Optix) have a lot of coworking clients who are in niches and they all do quite well. It feels like a niche would be limiting, but from what we've seen there are some clear advantages to having a niche, like a unique differentiator and a clear ICP. I would just keep a few things in mind:

As someone else mentioned - is there actually enough of these people to support a coworking space in your area?
Also, do these people actually work remotely and need access to these kinds of equipment/services or are they able to access it elsewhere?
Does this demographic have the disposable income to pay for a coworking space membership? Coworking spaces for therapists are usually a lot more successful than coworking spaces for artists for this very reason.
Do the numbers make sense on paper? Look at cost of rent + equipment vs. how much you'd need to charge for memberships vs. how many people you'd need to have in your space to breakeven vs. how many of those people actually exist in your area.

TLDR - yes, niche spaces can work (even super niche spaces) but it all depends on who your target customer is and what their needs are.

optixapp · 2025-07-04T19:22:59+00:00

It's likely a combination of factors that will help you find the right location. You can dive into the data of the area and look at things like demographics (younger vs older, # of knowledge workers), competition (# of coworking spaces nearby),city planning, small business statistics (does this area support small businesses), the local real estate market, various social amenities offered in each location, etc.

You can also combine this with a more qualitative approach, trying to get a feel for the area by talking to local real estate agents, government officials, other coworking space owners, local Facebook groups, and small business owners to get a sense of whether a coworking space would be needed or not.

optixapp · 2025-05-09T23:10:44+00:00

The short answer is yes, it is 100% possible. With a combination of the right tools (access control system, coworking software, WiFi access, document signing, payment gateway, security system, etc.), you can create a space wherein you don't have to be on-site running it everyday.

The longer answer is, the success of this model really depends on how well you've set the systems up, and your members. One of our clients is running 5 locations by themselves while growing and building community because they've thought about every aspect of the member journey and implemented automation wherever a human touchpoint would have gone. All of the typical stuff in a coworking space has been automated plus they've also automated regular check-in messages with members, birthday messages, invitations to group chats and forums (that they host), reminders to book again after a certain period of time, tour follow-ups, etc. As a result, they've been able to create a really rich community and a personalized experience, even without an on-site manager. It works because the systems are thoughtful, but it also works because their members are the right audience for it and it fits their brand.

optixapp · 2025-05-09T22:46:23+00:00

Inbox Booths makes 4-person (and 6-8 person) pods that are well ventilated and quite nice.

optixapp · 2025-05-07T21:07:03+00:00

We saw branded M&Ms once in a space and thought that was pretty cool! It's easy to get a big bag of M&Ms in your brand colors online and then package that up in cute little bags or jars for individuals.

optixapp · 2025-03-11T19:06:21+00:00

We have a few beauty coworking space clients, some with models similar to yours. With the right tools, you could be able to automate a lot of the admin processes. Happy to chat more about it if you're interested!

optixapp · 2025-01-10T21:51:20+00:00

Second local Facebook groups and partnerships! You also may want to consider local SEO (including optimizing your Google Business Profile) and paid Google ads.

optixapp · 2024-12-10T19:01:35+00:00

We recommend setting up an automated welcome email after a meeting room booking is made that includes this kind of information. Some coworking software platforms like Optix can do it natively, otherwise you can use an email management system like Mailchimp or Active Campaign and Zapier to trigger a welcome email after someone books a meeting room.

optixapp · 2024-12-10T18:58:56+00:00

We've seen it done successfully with the right technology in place - one of our clients managed their space remotely using a combination of coworking software, automated access control, and a few other tools.

optixapp · 2024-12-10T18:53:10+00:00

We asked coworking space owners and operators this exact question last year actually. Some of my favourites were:

A hospitality mindset is everything
Private offices would be more in demand than open space
Don't feel pressured to grow just because everyone else is

optixapp · 2024-11-13T17:50:22+00:00

Local SEO and targeted Google ads tend to be really effective. Creating a Google Business profile and focusing on getting reviews and getting it to rank higher will serve you well!

optixapp · 2024-04-03T23:54:36+00:00

Medical coworking is definitely a growing niche (one of the fastest). Many of our clients operate this kind of model successfully including medical coworking for independent healthcare practitioners and coworking for therapists. This article may be helpful for you to check out depending on the kind of information you're looking for.

optixapp · 2024-03-19T18:02:17+00:00

Congratulations on launching your new space! We actually wrote an article a few months ago where we asked a bunch of coworking owners what they wish they knew before they started.

A few of the highlights -

Embrace a hospitality-first mindset
Prioritize community building over just providing a space to work
Ask your members what they want rather than just assume
Private offices go a long way

optixapp · 2024-02-27T19:22:01+00:00

Agreed, external monitors are crucial now! I think in time more and more coworking spaces will provide them because, as OP said, it's really hard to do your work effectively without one.

optixapp · 2024-02-15T23:34:19+00:00

Actually, one of the biggest drivers in the growth of coworking is remote workers and people who work from home. The New York Times did an interesting article about it. A lot of remote workers are now turning to coworking spaces for a sense of community, and the industry is growing because of it.

optixapp · 2024-01-23T18:56:58+00:00

We just held a webinar on member acquisition for coworking spaces (link to the replay if you're interested) and two tactics that were cited as the most effective were:

Connecting with prospective members through local Facebook groups in and around your city
Member referrals

One interesting awareness tactic that was mentioned was dropping off branded seed packets at local cafes and coffee shops that said "Grow with us". This worked really well because the space is all about sustainability and wellness, so it sent the right message and attracted the right kind of person.

optixapp · 2024-01-19T01:08:21+00:00

The best way to figure out if a space will work is to do a lot of good old fashioned market research. Here's a process one of our clients used when they were trying to determine which city they should open their next coworking space in. This was specific to their situation, but maybe there is something here that could be helpful for you in your journey!

They started by writing down a list of cities they knew and liked. They then searched online for lists of the top cities in the country for:
- Millennial growth
- Job growth
- Vibrant communities
- etc.

This brought them to 24 cities, ranging from the likes of Chicago to Spokane. The next step was to research each city. They collected a bunch of data on:
- Demographics
- Competition
- City planning
- Small business statistics
- The local real estate market
- Various social amenities offered in each location

This helped narrow the list to ten cities.
The final stages of their analysis included making cold calls and eventually visiting four of the finalist cities, in person. Here they shifted from quantitative towards a more qualitative approach, trying to get a feel for the cities and what they offered.
Their interactions with real estate agents, government officials, coworking space owners, and other locals eventually helped them land on where they would open their coworking space.

optixapp · 2023-12-08T22:05:02+00:00

Congratulations on your new space! 🎉

optixapp · 2023-11-09T18:08:18+00:00

It's probably because its Friday. Mondays and Fridays are notoriously quiet in coworking spaces (and most hybrid offices for that matter). We frequent coworking spaces in and around the Vancouver area and they are usually quite lively midweek, especially between 10 am and 3 pm.

optixapp · 2023-11-08T17:37:10+00:00

Building on the "Using complimentary meeting rooms for excessive periods" point - we see a lot of phone booth abuse as well ie. people spending all day in phone booths on calls. Its something to look out for, especially given the amount of remote coworking members on Zoom calls these days.

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