Who your members are is changing. One of the biggest differences is the number of employees from larger corporations becoming an integral part of your coworking community. However, as a coworking hub manager, you've to prepare for a culture clash. There is a big difference from the 9 to 5 office environment to the freelancer vibe of a coworking space. So how do you marry the two, and what do you need to do to be ready for the avalanche of corporate clients as hybrid working is the top choice for many? 

Audit Your Space

Prepare the space. This starts with an audit. Is your hub ready to host a larger group with different requirements? If you have two competitors, could you host both in a safe, secure and confidential way or only one? Are your meetings rooms soundproofed? Consider elements like accessibility to the space and how many people you can facilitate. 

Check Out Their Suitability 

To put this simply, is this client the right fit for your coworking community? The answer might be yes, or it might be a no. And both answers are ok. It's about finding the right fit. You know your space, your members, who the ideal additions are, and what you can provide. 

 When it comes to the new corporate clients, find out what their requirements are and their expectations. Do they align with what you can deliver? Etiquette is huge here. Each hub has its own, and it's imperative it's abided by. This is regardless of what anyone has experienced in their own space in the past. 

Consider Your Community 

Always think about your entire coworking community when it comes to changes. Making decisions like this can impact everyone. For example, perhaps welcoming in a group of 20 from an international high profile unicorn is a great next step, or maybe it would swamp the space and lead to others feeling like it's that company’s office rather than a shared space. 

 Always be mindful of welcoming anyone new and the integration period with others. Everyone is an equal member, and if you want them to remain part of your coworking community, they need to feel like it. Sure, if the corporates decided to leave the space, that would be a lot of people, but you'll feel the hit if your freelancers leave too, so look after them all. 

We can't do the integration for you, but we can take care of the tech side of things. For example, with our platform, we can facilitate the management of your new corporate clients. We have simplified the booking system for spaces and event tickets. The same goes for payments offering a single invoice point. The internal messaging service can have one specifically for that corporate group too. 

This is about making it easy for corporates to sort out what they need for their people. You may even decide to offer a corporate discount as it might lead to filing more desks and adding to your coworking community. Whatever it is, we are here to support you as you facilitate your new customer base.

If you would like help preparing for your corporate clients, get in touch with us today.