As a coworking space operator, you may be feeling swamped by the endless choices of coworking space management software at your disposal. It can be daunting to determine which one aligns best with your business, particularly when it's unclear which features genuinely serve your needs.
If you’re about to open a new coworking space, there are more decisions than you ever anticipated making. Which space management software you’ll go with is just one of them. And if you’re the operator or manager of a space that’s already open, migrating platforms can feel like changing the wheels on a moving racecar.
Navigating the vast sea of options can leave even the most seasoned operators feeling adrift. But don't let this uncertainty dampen your spirits or hinder your pursuit of the ideal solution. It's natural to seek the most suitable choice for your organization, and it's smart to do your homework before investing your valuable resources in software that might not meet your expectations.
To state the obvious, the best coworking space software for you depends on your specific needs and preferences. It's important to research and compare features, pricing, and customer reviews before making a decision.
To make it a bit easier for you to assess the various space management software options out there, keep in mind you really should have a platform that offers these key features:
Coworking space software absolutely has to allow members to book desks and manage their reservations easily. Whether you offer hotdesking or an open work room, your software should help members get started and understand what's available.
Meeting rooms are an essential part of any coworking space, and your software should help to manage them efficiently. No sending emails back and forth and hoping your calendar is up to date. The best coworking software will help members see real time inventory and availability, any additional cost, what resources are included, and then the ability to book the meeting rooms right then and there.
On the back end, the software should update your inventory in real time, ensuring no double booking. In addition, your platform should offer the ability to easily blackout specific dates like holidays, so the public can't book space when your whole business is closed.
Coworking space software allows for easy member management, including onboarding new members, automating their billing, managing their information, and tracking their usage of the space. Plus the best coworking software will allow members to find each other easily, creating opportunities to collaborate and connect.
On the administrative side of your software, managers should be able to define custom groups to organize members and create internal segmentation for communications and event visibility.
Billing and invoicing can be a time-consuming task for coworking space managers. The best coworking space software will help you automate this process, making it easier to manage memberships, track usage, and generate invoices.
And because most small businesses use accounting software, your coworking space management platform should integrate with such, like Quickbooks. Your software should also make sure your invoices align with Stripe, or whichever payment processing tool you use. And your platform should facilitate the work of refunds, credits, and pro-rated billing.
Coworking spaces are all about community, and software can help to facilitate this. Features such as member directories, event management, and communication tools can help to build a strong sense of community among members.
Your coworking space software should make it easy to send push notifications to members, to streamline onboarding and update emails, to develop and promote custom events — event track when members invite guests to events.
The best coworking space software is fully integrated. It should help to manage access to your space, including keyless entry systems such as Brivo, Salto, Doordeck, and Kisi. This feature helps to ensure that only authorized members have access to the space, improving security and reducing the risk of theft or damage.
Finally, coworking space software absolutely has to provide valuable analytics and reporting on your business — including data on space usage, member demographics, and revenue. This information can help managers to make informed decisions about how to optimize your space and improve your business.
So once you’ve done your homework and identified the coworking software options you want to consider, it’s time to do a demo.
You can often watch a pre-recording demo, as we offer on Coworks, or schedule time with someone to walk you through it.
The benefit of a pre-recorded demo is to give you something to respond to. Often it turns into a better quality conversation rather than one person sharing a screen. But once you attend a demo with a representative of a coworking platform, here are some questions you might consider asking:
By asking these questions, you can get a better understanding of how the software can help you manage your coworking business more efficiently and whether it's the right fit for your needs.
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