Remote work emerged as a savior for businesses and professionals amid the pandemic. As the pandemic receded, many companies adopted a hybrid work model for good. The decision fueled the co-working trend, with workers looking for distraction-free spaces and professional connections. Another reason fueling the trend is the cost-savings it entails for employers.
Statistics show that the number of coworking spaces worldwide has doubled, from 16,599 in 2018 to 34,618 in 2023. It is estimated to cross the 41,000 mark in 2024. Americans account for 45% of the industry, with nearly 933,000 people using more than 6,200 spaces in the country. The numbers spell a lucrative opportunity for coworking space owners.
Despite the staggering growth and profit potential, you cannot overlook the challenges of the industry before breaking in. These spaces require massive real estate investment upfront and ongoing expenses such as maintenance and utilities. Additionally, you cannot undermine the safety concern. Turning people back means losing business, but letting everyone in could compromise safety.
Implementing a robust visitor management system is the best option. Here are the best practices to ensure safety and control in your co-working space.
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Choose a User-Friendly Software Solution
According to surveys, the average co-working space in the US accommodates 105 people. Larger ones have far greater occupancy and foot traffic. Managing them can be complicated, specifically when you have a growing business. You may not have enough security arrangements to track people coming in and leaving.
Consider automating the process with a visitor management solution that does all the heavy lifting. The software solution can take care of everything, from basic visitor tracking to physical and data security, ID badges, and compliance requirements. A scalable one can grow with your business, ensuring nothing is missed even as you expand your space.
Greetly recommends a user-friendly software solution with a simple interface that people can easily understand and use. With such a system in place, you will not have to actively manage the visitor management process because it offers self-service features.
Ensure Visibility of the Kiosk
Investing in visitor management software is a good start for a coworking space. But you cannot expect visitors to know that you have it, specifically when they drop in for the first time. Moreover, you cannot employ a person to enter the records into the system because it will be an additional expense for your business.
Fortunately, most visitor management systems use a self-serve kiosk. Your job is to ensure its visibility so that everyone entering the premises fills in the necessary details. Placing the kiosk just near the entrance is a good idea. You may even have several of them if your coworking space is large and has high daily traffic.
Create a Branded Experience
Although a coworking space serves different businesses, it should have a personality of its own. That’s the only way to be recognizable in a competitive industry. For example, New York, Washington DC, and Los Angeles have the maximum number of coworking spaces of all American metros. Standing apart requires creating a brand and ensuring it reflects everywhere, including your visitor management system.
When visitors arrive, do they know where they are? Will they remember your space the next time they want to plan a meeting or work in a coworking space? You can get a head start with a branded experience. Customize your visitor management system to enable visitors to associate their check-in experience with your brand.
Analyze Your Visitor Data
Another best practice coworking spaces must have in place for an optimal visitor experience is to analyze their visitor data. A software solution can capture data, analyze it, and generate valuable insights. With these insights, you can identify your audience persona and target them with personalized services and experiences.
For example, you can send offers and messages to people who visit your place often. Likewise, you can retarget those who were regular earlier but haven’t been around lately. The more you crunch the numbers, the better strategy you can develop to attract foot traffic for your location.
The Bottom Line
Coworking spaces are different from conventional business premises when it comes to visitors dropping in from time to time. There may be regular clients and random visitors who may never visit again. As a business owner, you must know everyone who arrives, track them, and anticipate repeat visits.
A visitor management system can help you on all these fronts. Automating the system with a software solution can drive simplicity, accuracy, and efficiency in the entire process.
