Everything Coworking

Brandon Houston, founder of the Collingwood Foundry shares his entrepreneurial journey from running a web development agency to pioneering a coworking space that has grown into a central hub of community and innovation in Collingwood, Ontario.

Key topics include:

• The power of starting small and building a connection and reputation with the local community.

• The evolution of Collingwood Foundry into a space that members don't just work in, but genuinely love and support.

• The challenges and triumphs of bringing coworking to a smaller town and the vision for expanding the Foundry's influence.

• An exploration of culture-setting and hospitality in coworking, with creative initiatives like the use of the Donut plugin to foster member interactions.

Resources Mentioned in this Episode:

Brandon's LinkedIn profile

Collingwood Foundry website

Everything Coworking Featured Resources:

Free Masterclass: 3 Behind-the-Scenes Secrets to Opening a Coworking Space

Coworking Startup School

Community Manager University

The Everything Coworking Academy

Follow Us on YouTube

In the latest episode of Everything Coworking, we're unpacking a truth bomb about the entrepreneurial life, especially in our world of coworking. Taking a page from Brooke Castillo, we're exploring the idea that our journeys are a healthy mix of wins and challenges – yes, it's a 50/50 split of highs and lows.

I'm diving into why expecting a smooth sail can throw us off course and how those inevitable tough times actually shore up our resilience and push our growth. It's all about embracing every bit of the ride, knowing that each twist and turn is shaping us and our coworking ventures.

If this conversation hits home for you, do me a favor – drop by Apple Podcasts and share your thoughts with a review. It helps spread the word and gets more folks in on our coworking convos.

Tune in and let's get real about the ebb and flow that keeps us on our toes and makes this whole journey worthwhile.

Everything Coworking Featured Resources:

Masterclass: 3 Behind-the-Scenes Secrets to Opening a Coworking Space

Coworking Startup School

Community Manager University

The Everything Coworking Academy

Follow Us on YouTube

This episode explores how we might apply some examples of hospitality to elements of hospitality offered at a coworking space.

Episode Highlights:

• Introduction to Hospitality in Coworking: We kick things off by exploring why hospitality is just as crucial in our coworking spaces as it is in the hotel industry. It's about creating experiences that stick and spaces where people feel truly welcomed.

• A Personal Tale of Hotel Hospitality: I share my own story of incredible service during a hotel stay - from the effortless help with finding the best local sandwiches to sorting out ski rentals and even snagging a ride to the airport. It was service with a smile, but more importantly, it was personal and responsive.

• Drawing Parallels: How do these moments of thoughtful hospitality translate to the coworking world? We dive deep into the similarities between the services provided by hotels and those we can offer in coworking spaces. It's all about elevating the member experience.

• Lessons for Coworking Spaces: Learn how we can apply these hotel hospitality hacks to make our coworking spaces more responsive, personable, and ultimately, more successful. From communication tools to staff training and creating personalized member experiences, we cover it all.

Resources Mentioned in this Episode:

Interview with Grant Barnhill, CEO of Shift Workspaces

Everything Coworking Featured Resources:

Masterclass: 3 Behind-the-Scenes Secrets to Opening a Coworking Space

Coworking Startup School

Community Manager University

The Everything Coworking Academy

Follow Us on YouTube

Are you leveraging the full potential of digital ads for your coworking space? Dive into our latest episode where we decode the mysteries of Google vs. Facebook ads, tailored specifically for coworking entrepreneurs. Discover which platform aligns best with your marketing goals, whether you're targeting active searchers or building brand awareness. Plus, get insider tips on using the Facebook Ads Library to spy on competitors' strategies!

🔑 What You'll Learn:

• The unique advantages of Google and Facebook ads for coworking spaces

• How to capitalize on user intent to tailor your ad strategy

• Practical tips and case studies on crafting winning ad campaigns

Perfect for coworking space owners ready to elevate their digital marketing game. Tune in now and turn those ad dollars into memberships!

Everything Coworking Featured Resources:

Free Masterclass: 3 Behind-the-Scenes Secrets to Opening a Coworking Space

Coworking Startup School

Community Manager University

The Everything Coworking Academy

Follow Us on YouTube

John Egan Director of Operations at Lucid Private Offices, shares:

• His approach to hiring, including specific questions he asks

• How he screens for "joy" in his hiring process

• How his career as a Camp Director and an Insurance Advisor prepared him for his role at Lucid Private Offices

Resources Mentioned in this Episode:

John's LinkedIn profile

Lucid Private Offices website

Everything Coworking Featured Resources:

Free Masterclass: 3 Behind-the-Scenes Secrets to Opening a Coworking Space

Coworking Startup School

Community Manager University

The Everything Coworking Academy

Follow Us on YouTube

This episode is all about testing the conversion rate on your offer/landing page before scaling up the traffic to the campaign. We talk about:

• The Importance of Marketing Conversion for Coworking Spaces: We define marketing conversion in the context of coworking spaces and discuss the significance of setting clear conversion goals for each campaign.

• Landing Pages Explained: Discover what a landing page is, its role in your marketing strategy, and best practices for creating landing pages that convert.

• Best Practices for Effective Landing Pages: Learn the key elements of high-converting landing pages, including clear headlines, compelling calls to action, benefit-oriented copy, high-quality imagery, social proof, mobile optimization, and the importance of speed.

• Introduction to Testing and Optimization: Understand the basics of A/B testing and other optimization methods to improve your marketing campaigns' conversion rates.

• A Case Study on Facebook Ads: We walk through a hypothetical case study of a coworking space testing its Facebook ad campaigns, emphasizing the importance of starting with a small budget and gradually increasing spend based on performance.

• Key Metrics to Watch: Learn about the crucial performance indicators for digital marketing in the coworking sector, such as cost per lead, conversion rate, and return on ad spend (ROAS).

• Scaling Up Successful Marketing Efforts: Tips on how to scale your marketing efforts once you've identified successful strategies, including reallocating budget and exploring new platforms.

Episode Resources:

• 13 Tips for Creating Better Landing Pages

• Hotjar - Understand how users behave on your site

Everything Coworking Featured Resources:

Free Masterclass: 3 Behind-the-Scenes Secrets to Opening a Coworking Space

Coworking Startup School

Community Manager University

The Everything Coworking Academy

Follow Us on YouTube

Want to make sure you get access to our special Community Manager University offer on March 4th? Go to the bottom of our home page and opt-in to our mailing list!

This week I dive into the art of creating urgency to boost sales and memberships in the coworking world. Inspired by the annual Container Store's 30% off Elfa sale, this episode explores how similar strategies can be effectively applied to coworking spaces, especially when launching a founding member campaign.

Here's what we covered:

• The Psychology Behind The Container Store's Elfa Sale: An overview of the Elfa sale and why it's so successful at driving purchases.

• Principles of Creating Urgency: How urgency influences customer behavior and decision-making.

• Applying Retail Strategies to Coworking Spaces: Insights into adapting retail marketing strategies, like The Container Store's Elfa sale, for coworking spaces.

• Launching a Founding Member Campaign: A step-by-step guide to creating an effective founding member campaign for your coworking space.

• Case Studies and Success Stories: Real-world examples of coworking spaces that have successfully implemented founding member campaigns and other urgency-driven promotions.

Key Takeaways:

• Creating urgency can help convert indecisive potential members into members.

• Founding member campaigns, when executed well, can build a strong initial community and ensure your space's success from the start.

• The principles of urgency and scarcity, common in retail, are also powerful tools in the coworking industry.

Resources Mentioned in this Episode:

The Container Store

Get on our mailing list to get our special Community Manager University Offer on March 4th! Go to our home page, scroll to the bottom, and opt-in!

Everything Coworking Featured Resources:

Masterclass: 3 Behind-the-Scenes Secrets to Opening a Coworking Space

Coworking Startup School

Community Manager University

The Everything Coworking Academy

Follow Us on YouTube

Seth Rosenblum is the Managing Director at Hone Coworks & Principal at The Rosenblum Companies. He considers the Rosenblum Companies to be "operators" at heart. Yes, they own the underlying real estate, but their business is to create the solutions that their customers are looking for…which has led them to create their own coworking and co-warehousing brands.

Here's what we covered in our conversation:

1. Seth's team understands the need to diversify real estate assets for sustainability.

2. Seth's team believes that traditional long-term office leases need to evolve to cater to immediate space needs.

3. Landlords face challenges with funding tenant improvements….every 5 years.

4. Space Readiness: The trend towards providing furnished, serviced office spaces.

5.'Hospitality Focus: The importance of incorporating hospitality into real estate operations.

6. Accountability Standard': Implementing standardized operations across various business types.

7. Team Development: Building an efficient team to manage diverse property types.

8. Operational Evolution: Continuous improvement and operational flexibility are critical.

9. Leadership Growth: The necessity for leaders to adapt and grow within a changing industry.

10. Community Engagement: Engaging with the community to successfully adapt to market needs.

Resources Mentioned in this Episode:

Seth's LinkedIn profile

Hone Coworks website

Rosenblum Companies website

Launchbox website

Everything Coworking Featured Resources:

Register for our upcoming class: Funding a Coworking Space in 2024

Masterclass: 3 Behind-the-Scenes Secrets to Opening a Coworking Space

Coworking Startup School

Community Manager University

The Everything Coworking Academy

Follow Us on YouTube

Dr. Christina Hansen was on what seemed like a fruitless search for office space for her therapist practice when it suddenly hit her on her drive home one day that she could solve her own problem and create a shared office space designed for mental health practitioners.

On this episode, we talk through her journey from concept to one year after opening.

• How she serves her unique Ideal Customer Avatar
• How she got a turn-key buildout (and funded some upgrades)
• How she staffs her space
• The tech she uses to support her members
• What her member event approach looks like
• and more...

Resources Mentioned in this Episode:

• Christina's LinkedIn profile
• Therapy Suites website

Everything Coworking Featured Resources:

Register for our upcoming class: Funding a Coworking Space in 2024

Masterclass: 3 Behind-the-Scenes Secrets to Opening a Coworking Space

Coworking Startup School

Community Manager University

The Everything Coworking Academy

Follow Us on YouTube

We get into A LOT of details on the childcare + coworking model:

• Combining Childcare with Coworking: A discussion on the integrated model of co-working and childcare.

• Marketing Approaches: The importance of social media and referrals for business growth.

• Business Model Considerations: Balancing challenges in child safety with coworking space demands.

• Expansion and Community Presence

• Le Village's plans for growth in Chicago, Austin, and Atlanta.

• Targeting neighborhood markets for localized presence.

• Demographic Impact and Social Goals: The increase in father participation, and tackling the motherhood penalty.

• Financial Viability and Real Estate: Addressing the intertwining of profitability with real estate and labor costs.

• Structure and Curriculum: Details on the childcare layout, staffing, and standardized curriculum.

• Compliance and Operations: Emphasis on regulatory knowledge and compliance for franchisees.

…and more!

Resources Mentioned in this Episode:

Daniella's LinkedIn profile

Le Village website

Everything Coworking Featured Resources:

Register for our upcoming class: Funding a Coworking Space in 2024

Masterclass: 3 Behind-the-Scenes Secrets to Opening a Coworking Space

Coworking Startup School

Community Manager University

The Everything Coworking Academy

Follow Us on YouTube