5 Tips To Build A Successful Coworking Community

Successful coworking communities have always been a noticeable trait that attracts people to shared spaces. The opportunity to be part of something bigger. Of something truly amazing. A reason to put on pants.

A coworking community is the network of members inside a shared workspace who connect, collaborate, and support each other’s work, turning a room full of desks into a place people actually want to be.

Research published by Harvard Business Review states that the number one reason people move from a traditional office environment to shared spaces is to have access to a community that helps them grow and create connections.

In addition, the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor shows that entrepreneurs form a kind of community, united by their networking and shared aspirations. It’s easier to grow a business when you’re surrounded by people who have similar values and interests. A place where networking and collaboration opportunities are countless.

Community remains the clearest differentiator for coworking spaces, and it matters more than ever as the sector matures. Corporate demand is now a primary growth driver, with 55% of corporations using flexible workspace. So if you’re looking to scale, how do you go about building a community that holds? After working with hundreds of coworking spaces around the world, we’ve noticed some interesting commonalities in the approach to successfully scaling a community.

Here’s what we’ve observed so far.

#1 Know your mission and define your audience

Good communities are a well-balanced mixture of shared mindset (vision, values, interests, etc) and diverse skills. When a group of people has a similar focus coupled with diverse expertise, they can complement each other by sharing good practices and exchanging know-how in a way that’s applicable.

For example, one of our clients, Alley, focuses on growing the connectivity points between individuals and entrepreneurs and adding to the value they bring to the community. They position themselves as a “connected platform for entrepreneurs”, which directly speaks to what type of members they’ll welcome in the space. The result? When you walk into any of their spaces the entrepreneurial spirit is evident.

So where do you start? Be clear on what your vision and mission are and communicate them properly. Define your target audience and make sure you understand what they care about and what you bring to the table. If this sounds a bit too broad, start by asking yourself questions like:

• “What type of companies or individuals do I want to attract?”
• “Why should they care about me and being part of this community?” (If your answer is because of the good location, interior design, price, etc, and doesn’t explain how you’ll help them succeed, then something is missing.)
• “What values should they share that will increase the chance of success of each member in the space?”

#2 Think about your member journey

Consider your member journey from start to finish; from coming for a tour to becoming a member. What can you do in each stage to make sure that when the time comes, you’ll be able to point them in the right direction (or better yet, introduce them to the right person)?

The breakdown of the member journey will be different for each coworking space, but here’s an example that illustrates our point:

Pre-sales stage

You can start simply by asking potential members questions like “Why do you want to join our community?”. Alternatively, if there is high demand for your space and you have the luxury to “source” the right candidates, you can go as detailed as sending qualification questionnaires or doing “entry interviews” with potential members.

Ask them about their goals, interests, motivations to join your space, or anything else that will help you come up with ideas on how to help them down the line.

Onboarding stage

Usually, onboarding checklists come into play here. But it also might make sense to set aside some time with them to discuss all the info you gathered during the sales process. Just a casual conversation that helps you dig a bit deeper into the info they provided, so you can come up with ideas about people or events they might be interested in.

Active member stage

It’s a good practice to set up follow-up tasks and check on how your recommendations and introductions turned out, but you’ll probably need to do more than that to keep your members engaged.

It’s hard to recommend a specific set (or type) of activities that are the formula to success, as each community is unique. What we’ve noticed is that every coworking space that developed a vibrant and engaged community says that events are key.

Invest consistent effort in engaging people. In coworking, the real magic happens offline, but make sure you take advantage of online tools to engage your community as they encourage interactions and help keep your members informed.

Eventually, if you’ve made sure your community consists of members with similar interests and you’ve done your best to keep them engaged, things should start developing on their own. Just give the initial push and then make sure to provide a good environment for things to happen.

The final bit that comes into play: someone left your coworking space, but does this mean that your community is 1 person (or team) short?

Best case scenario, it shouldn’t. So we want to give special emphasis to the final stage of the member’s journey:

#3 Extend your community to people outside of your space

A community is not defined by time and space limitations but by the value and the meaning of the interactions between people. Retaining former members in your community, or establishing connections with members’ friends who share similar values and interests can be useful as they might have the expertise to help your current members (and vice versa).

Think about the people you met at college or university. Although you’re not going to classes anymore, you probably still keep in touch with the ones you’ve had meaningful interactions with. It’s not a coincidence that the best universities like Stanford, Oxford, and Cambridge have top-notch alumni associations, which are the communities that gave birth to many of the most successful companies (take Instagram for example, whose co-founders met through the Stanford alumni network).

However, once your community grows above a certain point, it becomes impossible to rely only on your memory to make such meaningful introductions. So how do you keep up?

Here’s a resource on community building worth reading.

Maintain some kind of database

Whether you’re using a coworking CRM, a spreadsheet or some kind of dedicated tool, you’ll need a way to keep track of all essential information and make it easily accessible. You can also come up with some sort of tagging mechanism to source the information you need.

Set up an online community

Think about how you can use technology to increase member visibility and let people connect with each other directly. An online community that grows on its own and can be nurtured with less effort. You have members who love dogs? Invite them and make your space dog-friendly for the occasion.

#4 Foster inclusivity and diversity

Inclusivity and diversity are now core traits of successful coworking communities. A diverse community brings together different perspectives, ideas, and skills, which lead to better collaborations. The demographic reflects this shift: the average coworking member is now 38 years old, up from 35 in 2020, and women make up close to half of members. To build a community that works for that range of people:

• Host diverse events: organize events that cater to different interests, cultures, and professional backgrounds.
• Promote equal opportunities: make sure all members have access to the same resources, opportunities, and platforms to share their ideas and projects.
• Create a welcoming environment: make sure your space is accessible and welcoming to people of all backgrounds, including those with disabilities.

#5 Facilitate networking and collaboration

One of the primary reasons professionals choose coworking spaces is the chance to network and collaborate with like-minded people. To make that easier:

• Community events: regularly host networking events, skill-sharing sessions, and team-building activities.
• Collaboration tools: give members digital tools where they can connect, share ideas, and work together on projects.
• Community manager: employ a dedicated community manager who actively introduces members to each other and builds connections.

How software supports your coworking community

Once your community grows past a couple dozen members, memory and spreadsheets stop scaling. This is where a coworking platform earns its keep. OfficeRnD Flex is coworking space software that helps operators run daily operations and keep members connected in one system.

OfficeRnD Flex makes it easy to build genuine community in a coworking space, not just manage it. Members can connect with each other, stay in the loop on events, and engage with their space right from a branded mobile app—while operators get the tools to keep that engagement running smoothly behind the scenes. It’s less about software for software’s sake, and more about giving people real reasons to show up and stick around.

Bonus tip

Being focused on hospitality is essential for the success of coworking spaces. But be careful how far you stretch your hospitality service, as too much of it can ‘steal’ the feeling of commitment to the community. Be caring, but let people take the initiative too.

Here’s a simple example: if a member comes to you with an idea for an event that might interest other people in the space, let them actively take part in organizing it.

Frequently asked questions

What makes a coworking community successful?

A shared mission that attracts the right members, a clear member journey from tour to active member, consistent events, and a way to keep people connected once the space grows too large to manage from memory. Members who feel connected stay longer, contribute more, and refer others.

How do you build community in a coworking space from scratch?

Start by defining who you want in the space and why they’d care. Introduce new members around immediately, run regular events, and give people ways to connect directly with each other. Then step back and let the community develop on its own.

What does a coworking community manager do?

A community manager welcomes new members, organizes events, troubleshoots issues, and introduces members to each other. They set the tone of the space, and their personality shapes who feels at home there.

How do you keep coworking members engaged?

Run events consistently, follow up on introductions you’ve made, and use online tools like a members directory and messaging to keep interactions going between visits. Ask members to contribute their own ideas and events, since people feel part of a community once they help build it.

Conclusion

Whether it lets companies meet a new client without leaving the office, helps young startups grow, or simply gives people a chance to share knowledge, a strong community adds both human and business value.

Community is the core of a coworking space. It’s what attracts people. It’s often difficult to explain, yet it’s why we’re all in love with coworking.

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