In recent years, coworking spaces have become an integral part of the startup culture. These places serve as the breeding ground of dreams and ambitions. This is where aspirations are formed, and this is the place where people meet new people. With the benefits of these new working spaces, it is a must that they have a community manager.
Community management is among the things that keep the coworking space network together. It is what keeps everyone connected. And this is something that you should prioritize when you plan to start a coworking space. After all, you are building a community. And when you have an active community, it gives your business a good reputation. In turn, you will be attracting more clients, which means profit. But you might ask why community management is necessary. Here are some of the things that you should keep in mind:
You provide clients with excellent support.
People use coworking spaces because they do not have their own offices. They might be using the service because they do not have a meeting room. Knowing that these clients do not have that many logistical capabilities, it is your job to provide them with related services. You do not just offer space. For one, you can have the community manager provide your clients with free usage of printers and coffee machines. If one client is offering to lease one space for some time, you can offer secretarial services or delegate an executive assistant to their office.
You can strengthen the relationships of your clients.
Technically, your coworking space has multiple clients that have different business objectives, needs, and plans. But often, their paths cross, and when that happens, they become friends and even partners. It is part of a community manager’s duties to foster and nourish such relationships. And this is something that they can do through events and acquaintance parties. Who knows, the next big thing in business will come from a partnership that has been forged in your venue.
Property maintenance is of utmost importance.
While community managers are expected to do administrative tasks, they are also likely to help in maintaining the beauty and integrity of the space. They can double as property managers, especially if they have housekeepers under their team. But if this is not possible, you should work with property managers that specialize in office management. It will be the community manager that will serve as the liaison officer.
You help in client acquisition.
Every day, the community managers will have a couple of personal visits from people who are inquiring about rates and services. Some of these people might be the individuals whom your clients are meeting. With this in mind, you should arm your community managers with sales and marketing skills.
Having strong community management can help in making the business better. It can be challenging to start a team at first, but if you know your goals, you will be able to find the right people that will help you with your business.