Coworking and the shared workplace market will be forever changed by COVID. It is undeniable that people want and demand more compact housing closer to home.
Public transportation is being used less and less, as are the elevators in large buildings, which are becoming more and more crowded. As a result of the remote revolution triggered by COVID, a new generation of workers is focusing on convenience and preferring to work from home.
Because of the presence of COVID, space operators will have to go to extreme lengths to keep their businesses solvent. When resources are limited, the number of employees and members is small, and everyone’s safety is a top priority, it’s essential to automate operations whenever possible.
Here are 7 ways to automate your coworking space to resist.
1. The ability to open the workspace with a single touch
Rather than handing out cards, badges or keys, create an automated mechanism to grant access. Members can use bluetooth or wifi to connect to your location on their phone, which is a common practice among many vendors.
Non-members can also be granted access to your location via a temporary key that allows them to enter at specific times. For after-hours conference room and office rentals, this is a great feature if you don’t mind allowing non-members access to your facility.
2. Check who’s lurking around you
During COVID, your staff may be reduced. Therefore, you will need a system that allows you to know who is in your space at any time and from any location. If you rely only on door access credentials, you will be letting people in and out of the building.
3. Members who are free to act on their own.
Help members be as independent as possible during COVID to eliminate unwanted physical encounters. This includes helping them make their own reservations and update their payment information. Reduce the number of touch points by allowing potential members to register on your website and receive mobile access to spaces or codes.
4. Make arrangements for conference room use
Professional and secure meeting spaces are essential. Giving members and non-members the ability to reserve a meeting space directly on your website or app streamlines the booking process for both parties. To reassure new site visitors and internet searchers, be sure to provide information about your COVID security procedures on your website.
5. Pre-purchase reservations
Having an automated reservation system is essential. Make reservations and changes easy with your software to reduce the number of round trips.
6. Virtual reality tours
This is a time when people are reluctant to engage in close relationships. These people will want a virtual tour, so you will need to have that capability. A virtual tour, whether it’s professionally done or a simple tour on your phone, can show off your location and offerings when in-person visits are less frequent.
7. Automated Billing
Increase the automation of your billing process to reduce the time your accountant, team, and members spend communicating manually. Automated workspace management software collects usage, adds it to an invoice, then automatically sends the invoice. There’s no need to wait for payment authorization from members.
The success of a coworking space relies heavily on automation. In addition, it’s essential that you maintain close relationships with the people who make up your membership.
