6. Let members decide how long they want to stay and when they want to stop their membership, without many fees.
“We let the members start and stop their own memberships. No sign-up or cancellation fees; membership starts the day you want to start. They can upgrade or downgrade anytime. The power is ultimately in the hands of the individual.”
Word of warning: “For all I know, doing things this way has cost us money, but I hated the idea of running a business that charges people for service they don’t want.”
7. Make your business hours malleable.
In today’s world where people work at all times, having flexible business hours is important. At the same time, keeping employees available 24/7 might not be the best approach (and it would incur a high cost).
“We train people (members) we trust in how to lock up. There are a handful of members who consistently work late. We tell newcomers they can work until the last person we’ve trained to lock up leaves.”
“We don’t formally offer hours past 6pm. We make it clear that we could close up shop at 6 p.m. sharp, but also note that it almost never happens.”
Alternatively, you could install a system that would allow members to walk in and work whenever they need to without the need of a staff member to be around.
8. Don’t charge extra for printing.
“I’ve heard more than a few people talk with disdain about places they’ve worked at in the past where they were charged for every sheet of paper. It is a practice, literally, of nickel and diming.”
However, do tell members to be considerate. If they want to print a booklet or a large number of sheets, let them know that they can contribute to a tip jar or bring in their own paper.
9. Let members book large conference room online.
As for smaller meeting rooms, you can easily make them available for members to book them when they’re in the space.
10. Give members the opportunity to help.
Some people can’t pay for a full-time membership, but they greatly contribute to your community—give them a discount or free hours in exchange for the equivalent of a shift at the front desk.
Some of these tips might work for you, others might not. Again: each community and workspace is different; play around with these, use them as inspiration and adjust them as you need.
“Every member can enrich or detract from the quality of the culture. A shared workspace is ultimately the sum total of all the people who are a part of it.”
