Joanna, I'm not sure how helpful I can be, but I'll give it a shot. If a coworking space is what you're building, then your main objective is to cultivate a healthy community of people who share a common set of values and needs. SF has a bunch of spaces, so what will make yours unique? The answer had better not start with "Our space has..." because it needs to start with "Our members are..."
Question #1: Do you have a core group of members who are on board and excited to be there? If so, this gets easier. IF SO: Do fun things with them, and make it known. Make it clear that your space is theirs to build and grow. Get them talking to each other and empower them to be your evangelists. When people are having an awesome time, others want to join. IF NOT: If you've got a big empty space and little in the way of community, you're in a "build it and they will come" mode-- which is not an awesome place to be. You need to get out there and meet people, face to face, and build healthy authentic connections. Now. It's a very different situation, but I befriended a lot of people in NYC before I had a coworking space. I learned a lot about what they cared about and their wants and needs, so when I did build something, I knew whose problems I was solving. REMEMBER: This is about them, not you. If you're going to help people, you need to get them to tell you what pains they have so you can solve them. Summon your inner awesome. Be someone everyone wants to work alongside. Inspire others to do the same. And for goodness sakes, be real. People dig that. Tony On Mon, Mar 28, 2011 at 3:21 PM, Joanna Portillo <[email protected]> wrote: > Good Afternoon/Good Morning to All, > > Our coworking space in SF SoMa region has been open for about 2 full months > and we've experienced less luck in gaining clientele. At present we have a > few virtual office clients and have been showing our space at least twice a > week with a few phone calls of interest sprinkled throughout the week. > > My questions to the veterans are: > > 1. How were your beginning months? Where did you find was the primary > source of potential clients and interest came from? (craigslist postings, > online directories like Shareyourspace.com or loosecubes.com). > > 2. In addition to online advertising, what else did you find helpful as > getting the word out? > > 3. Any experience in collaborating with other coworking spaces? Advised? > > 4. Reached out to universities? If so, what was your approach? > > In the last month we have been doing the following: > > - Post our ad on Craigslist daily. > - Subscribing and adding to online free directories like > shareyourspace.com, sharedbusiness.com, and loosecubes.com. > - Hosting one upcoming lunch for the other tenants in our building in > hopes of generating more business from friends and colleagues of our > building tenants. > - Our printed advertising material has just been printed so we plan to > paper surrounding coffee and restaurants. > - Reaching out to certain organizations, i.e. non-profits that are > assisting emerging local businesses. > - And to generate buzz we're offering a one month rate April [not] > Fool's Special of only $1.00. > > This entire process of starting one's own business and thinking of creative > and low-cost ways to advertise is incredibly challenging.... but we're > hopeful and excited to join this dynamic movement of coworking. > > Thank you for taking the time to read this email, I look forward to any > advice that can be offered! > > Best, > > -- > Joanna Portillo > CO-Spot LLC > *Collaborative Office Space to Work, Think, Innovate & do Social Good* > 350 Townsend St. Suite 210 > San Francisco, CA 94107 > Tel: 415.800.6890 > Cel: 650.863.1075 > www.co-spot.com > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Coworking" group. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected]. > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/coworking?hl=en. > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Coworking" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/coworking?hl=en.
