CloudVO is launching a three-part webinar series on May 14, 21, and 28 to help space operators with re-entry. Each webinar will highlight the new operating recipe needed for flexible office spaces to not just survive the current period, but come out of this crisis stronger. Watch the video from CloudVO CEO Laurent Dhollande who provides a sneak preview on the topics covered.
Webinar #3 of 3
Getting Ready for the New Corporate Demand” on May 28, 2020 at 11:00 AM PST featuring Mark Golan, who held multiple VP of Real Estate positions at some of the largest companies in Silicon Valley, including Cisco, Johnson Controls, and Google, and is a former Chairman of CoreNet Global, and a special appearance by Mark Zuckerberg via a video recording where he explains Facebook’s groundbreaking policy on Remote Work!
This 3rd webinar was originally exclusively for CloudVO Parnters, but since this content could impact the whole industry we decided to open the gates to prospective CloudVO partners too. Join us!
Not a CloudVO Partner yet? List your space for free here.
Past Webinars
Webinar #1 – May 14, 2020 : Basic Ingredients Needed to Create a Resilient Virtual Office Business (completed). Topics discussed:
The process of establishing a virtual mail business that has seen increased demand during COVID-19
How to incorporate ingredients like live phone answering and meeting rooms to your VO offering
How operators can step-up their VO game with high-margin add-on services
Webinar #2 – May 21, 2020: New Recipes in the New Normal (completed). Topics discussed:
The four lines of business that should be present in all flexible office spaces
New protocols in your workplace, including space design adjustments
Landlord management
Marketing strategies
About CloudVO
CloudVO’s mission is to provide comprehensive virtual office, full-time office, coworking, and meeting room solutions to professionals under a Workplace-as-a-Service™ model. CloudVO supports work-from-home workers, mobile workers, and distributed workforces by operating the CloudTouchdown network that grants access to day offices and meeting rooms at nearly 1,000 locations worldwide under a subscription model or on a pay-per-use basis.
This year’s Office Evolution Franchisee Work Empowered™ Conference was themed, In it to Win It! Amanda Leffew, CloudVO’s Director of Operations and Tracy Wilson their COO, were delighted to participate in this week’s two-day extravaganza. Office Evolution’s ‘Base Camp’ is in Colorado, so we were fortunate to join the annual gathering of operators in the Rocky Mountain city of Denver.
CloudVO was among a handful of industry sponsors at the event. Office Evolution, through its franchisee program, has grown to be the 5th largest shared office operator in the United States. They expect to continue double-digit annual center growth trajectory into the future. We appreciate their partnership and are happy to grow our relationship as they grow their vibrant business.
Tracy participated on a panel Leveraging the Power of Partners to discuss the importance of
building and maintaining solid industry partnerships to increase the number of
virtual office, meeting room and coworking clients and to help grow
revenue. She and Amanda also hosted
roundtable discussions on CMRA Best
Practices.
Tracy Wilson (furthest left), COO of CloudVO, on a panel discussion about leveraging partnerships within the Coworking & Flexible Office Industry
Office Evolution’s culture and values tie in perfectly with that of CloudVO’s. Theirs are: Respect, Win-Win, Ohana, and Authenticity. We couldn’t agree more. These are values that make for a solid business operation. CloudVO is honored to be a part of Office Evoluiton’s extended Ohana.
CloudVO offers free resources specifically for workspace operators. Visit www.CloudVO.com to partner with us and join our global network of 750 workspace operators. Listing is free!
About CloudVO
CloudVO is the umbrella brand of Cloud Officing Corp., headquartered in San Francisco, California. CloudVO’s mission is to provide comprehensive virtual office, coworking and meeting room solutions to professionals under a Workplace-as-a-Service™ model. CloudVO operates the CloudTouchdown network that grants preferential access to day offices and meeting rooms at 750 locations worldwide for mobile workers and distributed workforces under a subscription model or on a pay-per-use basis.
In today’s CloudVO City Guide, we are taking a closer look at some of our shared workspaces in Boca Raton, Florida. Boca Raton is the southernmost city in Palm Beach County, Florida. It is known as a business center, one of the wealthiest communities in South Florida and experiences significant daytime population increases. This makes it a prime location to conduct business meetings or obtain a professional business address.
CloudVO partner, Zen Offices Boca Raton, offers Virtual Offices and Meeting Rooms in the prestigious Bank of America Tower on the penthouse floor. It features panoramic views of the coastline and affluent coastal neighborhoods, an impressive boardroom overlooking the gorgeous beaches in Boca, and offices with stunning views of Mizner Park and Royal Palm Place. This shared workspace is sure to awe your clients and give a lasting professional impression.
CloudVO partner, Boca Office Center, provides Virtual Offices and Meeting Rooms in a Class A facility on Congress Avenue. This shared workspace offers small companies and professionals a way to have a stunning office presence at a fraction of what a traditional office would cost. With a Virtual Office, you’ll gain access to professional mail and phone services in addition to a luxury space complete with meeting rooms, a document center and more. This space is sure to meet your business needs.
Another partner, TDL Centers West Boca Raton, has Virtual Offices and Meeting Rooms that are prestigious and professional. This space is a great place to have your business meetings, or to have a virtual office to receive mail and a professional business address. Boca Raton- West Palmetto is ideally located within walking distance to coffee shops, restaurants, and shopping.
CloudVO partner, TDL Centers East Boca Raton, provides Virtual Offices and Meeting Rooms that are conveniently located two minutes off of Interstate 95 and within 30 minutes of the West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale, and Boca Executive Airports. It’s the perfect location to touch down and have a meeting. This prestigious shared workspace is the largest Class A Building in all of South Florida, so it’s sure to impress.
Another partner, Quest Workspaces Boca Raton, offers Virtual Offices and Meeting Rooms in a prominent location with exceptional service, total flexibility, and quality design making this a great place to work. This shared workspace merges modern edge with elegant and traditional Boca Raton style. Nestled in the affluent city at the intersection of Glades Road and Federal Highway, the 1200 Corporate Place building is truly South Florida’s “crown jewel” of office locations.
CloudVO partner, CendynSPACES- Boca Raton provides Virtual Offices and Meeting Rooms ideally located east of I-95 in downtown at 980 N. Federal Highway, between Glades Road and Palmetto Park Road. It’s in a very convenient location if you have a business lunch or dinner as it’s within walking-distance to upscale shopping and dining. It’s also two blocks from Mizner Park.
If you’re planning on staying in a nearby hotel, here are a few of the noteworthy places to check out in the area. The Boca Raton Marriott at Boca Center is a casual hotel with a stylish café/bar and an outdoor pool, hot tub and fitness center. The Renaissance Boca Raton Hotel is a refined property offering relaxed rooms and mediterranean fine dining, plus a pool and hot tub. For a more upscale option, The Boca Raton Resort and Club, A Waldorf Astoria Resort, is a beachy vibe with high-end rooms and suites, plus dining, spa, golf, and pools.
Photo credit: Waldorf Astoria
The affluent city of Boca Raton is known as a great place to do business. So, whether you’re there for a business meeting or looking to add a prestigious business address to your portfolio, we have a multitude of great options. Virtual Office plans are available at all of the aforementioned partner locations and offer standard mail services, sophisticated meeting rooms, as well as use of the business address with options to add live phone answering services.
About CloudVO
CloudVO is the umbrella brand of Cloud Officing Corp., headquartered in San Francisco, California. CloudVO’s mission is to provide comprehensive virtual office, coworking and meeting room solutions to professionals under a Workplace-as-a-Service™ model. CloudVO grants preferential access to day offices, coworking space, and professional meeting rooms in 700 locations worldwide for distributed workers on a subscription or a pay-per-use basis.
Orlando, Florida is best known for its world-famous theme parks, shopping malls, golf courses, nightlife, and beaches. If you head away from the theme parks you’ll discover Downtown Orlando, the largest urban center in Central Florida. The metro area has experienced extraordinary growth in the past decade which makes it a great place to conduct business or add an Orlando business address to your portfolio. We are taking a closer look at some of our Virtual Office and Meeting Room spaces in Orlando.
CloudVO partner, Executive Office Suites of Baldwin Park- Orlando is a state-of-the-art shared workspace which offers Virtual Offices and Meeting Rooms with all of the amenities you need to run your business. From a mailing address and answering service, to meeting space and video conferencing, Executive Office Suites of Baldwin Park will give you the professional image and office services you need at an ideal location near plenty of shops and restaurants.
Another CloudVO partner, Execu-Suites Downtown Orlando offers Virtual Offices and Meeting Rooms and is situated in the historic Angebilt Building close to Wachovia Bank, City Hall, and State and Federal Buildings. This Orlando workspace is centrally located in downtown Orlando just minutes away from Orlando International Airport. Business professionals utilizing this space enjoy covered parking and being within walking distance to shopping and restaurants. World-renowned entertainment in the area includes Epcot, Walt Disney World, MGM Studios, and Universal Studios.
CloudVO partner, Your Office Orlando has Virtual Offices and Meeting Rooms in downtown Orlando located in a state-of-the-art facility. With convenient and easy access to courthouses, City Hall, restaurants and hotels, this is the ideal location for any business. Take your business to the next level with this premier business address.
Another partner, Orlando Office Center Millenia, provides Virtual Offices and Meeting Rooms situated in a modern building with access to a multitude of shops and restaurants being that it’s located near the upscale Millenia Mall area. Minutes from the I-4 turnpike, this location is ideally situated with easy access to both Orlando and Florida as a whole. This space would be great for startups or small businesses.
If you’re planning to stay in Orlando and need hotel accommodations, here are some of the most popular in the area. DoubleTree by Hilton Orlando is a casual hotel in a great location with easy access to freeways. Hilton Orlando offers modern rooms and suites in an upmarket hotel and features four restaurants and is close to a lot of the activities Orlando has to offer. The Hyatt Regency Orlando International Airport provides upscale modern rooms.
Whether you are in Orlando for a business meeting or looking to acquire a professional Orlando business address, we have many options that are suitable for your needs. Virtual Office plans are available at all of the aforementioned partner locations and offer standard mail services, sophisticated meeting rooms, as well as use of the business address with options to add live phone answering services.
About CloudVO
CloudVO is the umbrella brand of Cloud Officing Corp., headquartered in San Francisco, California. CloudVO’s mission is to provide comprehensive virtual office, coworking and meeting room solutions to professionals under a Workplace-as-a-Service™ model. CloudVO grants preferential access to day offices, coworking space, and professional meeting rooms in 700 locations worldwide for distributed workers on a subscription or a pay-per-use basis.
This article published on the Mind Rocket site and entitled “Technology Drives Community” was authored by our CEO, Laurent Dhollande. In it, Laurent observes that while remote working is providing desirable flexibility to professionals, it also too often leads to unwelcomed isolation, intrusion into our private lives, and ultimately the potential for loss of productivity, but coworking can offer a solution.
Laurent postulates that this isolation and lack of motivation often experienced by remote workers are the flip side of the new empowerment and flexibility brought to us by the technological developments of the last two decades. That’s why, he writes, teleworking has actually not taken off as much as anticipated, in spite of many corporate programs that support remote work. He explains why joining a coworking community helps transcend these performance-hindering side effects.
Coworking provides more opportunity for members to learn and grow professionally, by interacting with people who are not fashioned by the same corporate mold, sometime serendipitously and other times via organized events. In the end, he explained that the social fabric of a coworking place can greatly help improve the individual member overall work experience. Coworking communities, no-doubt, bring much needed counter-balance to the downfalls of isolation inherent in remote work.
What’s interesting here is that a high level, someone secretive, consulting firm like Mind Rocket, who among other things advise foreign governments on how to leverage technology to improve Human Performance, sought out the opinion of our CEO, a keen observer of, and participant in, the flexible office industry, to explore how coworking communities may help soften the down side of remote work enabled by remote technology, and enhance human performance.
At CloudVO, we want to support all research efforts that might help gather data to support that claim, which we, as operators and coworkers, experience in our daily lives. If you have an academic project, or any kind of research, going in that direction, do not hesitate to contact us!
Meanwhile, we highly recommend you read the Mind Rocket article.
Visit us at www.CloudVO.com to list your location for free and join our coworking family of 700 shared workspaces around the world.
About CloudVO
CloudVO is the umbrella brand of Cloud Officing Corp., headquartered in San Francisco, California. CloudVO’s mission is to provide comprehensive virtual office, coworking and meeting room solutions to professionals under a Workplace-as-a-Service™ model. CloudVO grants preferential access to day offices, coworking space, and professional meeting rooms in 700 locations worldwide for distributed workers on a subscription or a pay-per-use basis.
Mental illness used to be talked about in hushed voices behind closed doors. It was stigmatized and relegated to fringe conversations. The alarming rise in mental health issues has brought the topic of mental health and overall wellness from the fringes into the mainstream. But we still have work to do around destigmatizing it.
Nearly one in five U.S. adults (44.7 million people) lives with a mental illness. Of those, an estimated 56% don’t receive treatment. People who suffer from mental health issues, including depression and anxiety, often try to manage alone.
Coworking and Wellness The coworking movement, at large, is making remarkable strides in supporting wellness and connection. Shared workspaces around the world prioritize well-being for members, through fitness programs, on-site yoga, meditation rooms, nap pods, wellness challenges, work-life balance programming and more. Steve King from Emergent Research argues that reducing loneliness is the new value proposition of coworking.
NextSpace Coworking San Jose members walk to a local lunch spot together each week during their Wednesday Walkabout.
Treadmills in coworking spaces to promote wellness in the workplace
Mental Wellness in Shared Workspaces There’s a growing notion in our industry that coworking spaces should contribute to our well-being—not just give us a place to work. Coworking is already ahead of traditional workplaces when it comes to member happiness and well-being.
Surveys of coworking space members found that 83% of respondents are less lonely since joining a coworking space; 89% report that they are happier since joining a coworking space; and 79% said coworking has expanded their social networks.
The Power of the Global Workspace Network We are, as an industry, working to dismantle loneliness, and the growing wellness trend is heartening. The global coworking network is uniquely positioned to respond to member needs. What would it look like if we put the power of our network behind addressing mental well-being? We could do something truly remarkable.
Angel Kwiatkowski, Cat Johnson, Iris Kavanagh – Exhibiting The Power Of Being Vulnerable In A Group | Women Who Cowork
Moves are being made in that direction, with increased focus on wellness at industry conferences, breakout sessions, small industry events and in-space conversations. Space operators are taking mental health first-aid courses, the CheckYoMate movement reminds us to check in on one another, and there’s a growing awareness around destigmatizing mental illness in coworking spaces as part of our movement to dismantle loneliness. But we could be doing more.
World Mental Health Day October 10 is World Mental Health Day. The objective for the day is to raise awareness of mental health issues around the world and mobilize efforts in support of mental health.
As the website explains, World Mental Health Day “provides an opportunity for all stakeholders working on mental health issues to talk about their work, and what more needs to be done to make mental health care a reality for people worldwide.”
So let’s talk about it. How do you address mental health in your space? How could members of the global coworking movement better harness the power of our network to bring more mental wellness to coworking? What mental health resources would you like to see, both in your own space and from the global coworking community? Contact us and let us know. We’d love to hear from you.
by Cat Johnson, storyteller and content strategist for the coworking movement.
Join our network of 700 locations around the globe. Visit us at www.CloudVO.com to list your location for free.
About CloudVO
CloudVO is the umbrella brand of Cloud Officing Corp., headquartered in San Francisco, California. CloudVO’s mission is to provide comprehensive virtual office, coworking and meeting room solutions to professionals under a Workplace-as-a-Service™ model. CloudVO operates the CloudMeetingRooms.com and CloudVirtualOffice.com e-commerce sites and grants preferential access to day offices, coworking space, and professional meeting rooms in 700 locations worldwide for distributed workers on a subscription or a pay-per-use basis.
The CloudVO team recently sponsored and attended the 2018 Global Workspace Association (GWA) and NAIOP Flex Office Conference in Austin, Texas.
There were many fantastic presentations on the changing landscape of commercial real estate in this new Workspace-As-Service world. However, Antony Slumbers, the keynote speaker was particularly impactful.
Mr. Slumbers laid out his view of the very real, and very rapid changes that are occurring in this latest revolution of work. He shared that the ‘old work’ model of structured, repeated and predictable work tasks will be automated and that 49% of all tasks our workforce currently does, falls under this model and will be automated. The future of work, “new work’ will include tasks that incorporate skills of design, imagination, inspiration, creation, empathy, intuition, innovation and collaboration’. Our workspaces need to be available to make this new work workable…that is, be places that maximize the productivity of these ‘thought’ workers.
As approximately 70%+ of US workers work for companies with less than 500 people, this means that the corporate mega-headquarters (think of Facebook and Google campuses) are not an option for most workers. Flexible, workspace-as-a-service space need to be ready to cater to the needs of the ‘new workers’. In fact, Mr. Slumbers tells us that currently 60% of large companies embrace the flexible workspace, outsourced model as an option for some of their space needs.
The trends for continued growth of this model are very favorable as is seen in explosion of sharing economy business models. People no longer embrace ownership as in the past, they just want access, on their terms. In fact, the very motivation for businesses is not to own an office but to have a productive workforce. Ownership is only required to the extent it enhances the productivity of the employees. This means, that for those of us operating in the shared services workspace industry…our job is not real estate, it isn’t even hospitality, it is something far more important and action-oriented – it is creating the place that enhances and allows the most productivity of our clients.
The ‘new work’ force actually makes the office more important, but creating the right experience to match the new skills and the new mindset is more complicated. The success of our businesses will be decided upon which companies best create and curate space and services and are prepared to monitor, measure and shift, nearly on demand, to meet the needs of its clients.
This is exciting stuff, folks!
View Mr. Slumbers’ Keynote slide deck from the conference.
About CloudVO
CloudVO is the umbrella brand of Cloud Officing Corp., headquartered in San Francisco, California. CloudVO’s mission is to provide comprehensive virtual office, coworking and meeting room solutions to professionals under a Workplace-as-a-Service™ model. CloudVO operates the CloudMeetingRooms.com and CloudVirtualOffice.com e-commerce sites and grants preferential access to day offices, coworking space, and professional meeting rooms in 700 locations worldwide for distributed workers on a subscription or a pay-per-use basis.
No longer a side conversation in the shared workspace industry, workplace wellness is now front and center. From small, neighborhood coworking spaces to scaled workspace brands with dozens (or more) of locations, workplace wellness is here.
Wellness was a core theme of GCUC 2018 in New York City last week. Wellness was covered in stage talks and panels, unconference sessions, planned breakout sessions and casual lobby chats.
And it’s not all about warm and fuzzy, feeling good stuff. Workplace wellness contributes to productivity, long-term health, mental health, fitness levels, social connection and more.
Here are some of our favorite workplace wellness takeaways from GCUC 2018:
Think of the ways you can create wellness in your workspace. People should feel better when they walk in your door.
Design is important, but what matters is the people in your space. If they’re not happy and well, their work and your community will suffer.
It’s not enough to have a few yoga classes. You need to actively engage your community around personal and community wellness.
You can earn WELL Certification for your workspace to demonstrate that you put your people first. WELL Certification looks at seven areas: air, water, nourishment, light, fitness, comfort and mind to assess the wellness factor of your space.
During a visit to Ecosystm Coworking Space, we noticed members can get their heart rate pumping while staying productive on the treadmill.
Pacific Workplaces San Mateo courtyard with wifi allows members to enjoy fresh air outdoors
Industrial chic is old news. Fabulous architecture and design are beginning to take a backseat to having a space with clean air, ergonomic furniture, standing and walking desks, natural light, healthy food, access to fitness services and a sense of comfort.
Standing desks plus lots of natural light at NextSpace Coworking Berkeley.
We’re facing a loneliness epidemic. Shared workspaces are nicely positioned to help dismantle loneliness, but space operators need to prioritize community building. It’s not a buzzword, it’s not something you commoditize and scale, it takes authentic connection day in and day out.
NextSpace Coworking San Jose members walk to a local lunch spot together each week during their Wednesday Walkabout.
Mental illness needs to be talked about openly and honestly in shared workspaces. Depression and anxiety alone, two common forms of mental illness, are prevalent with young people, startups, independent freelancers and older professionals alike.
If you’re designing for magazines, you’re missing the point. Make sure your workspace is designed for humans, from the layout and desks to quiet areas, seating arrangements you can move around to keep things fresh.
You presumably have women in your workspace, but how woman-friendly is your space? Amenities including breast milk pumping rooms and feminine hygiene products in the restroom go a long way in making your female members feel supported and included.
Coworking spaces are about connections, community, people. Make sure you prioritize workplace wellness for the members of your space.
Pacific Workplaces Palo Alto community members just enjoying being together.
Leave a comment below about what you’re doing specifically to promote wellness in your coworking space.
Not a CloudVO partner yet? We would love to add you to our growing network of 700 locations around the globe. Visit us at: www.CloudVO.com to list your location for free.
By Cat Johnson, content strategist and coworking member of NextSpace in Santa Cruz, CA.
About CloudVO
CloudVO is the umbrella brand of Cloud Officing Corp, headquartered in San Francisco, California. CloudVO’s mission is to provide comprehensive virtual office, coworking and meeting room solutions to professionals under a Workplace-as-a-Service™ model. CloudVO operates the CloudMeetingRooms.com and CloudVirtualOffice.com e-commerce sites and grants preferential access to day offices, coworking space, and professional meeting rooms in 700 locations worldwide for distributed workers on a subscription or a pay-per-use basis.
We know our community of shared office space and coworking operators have teams that love working together. Here’s your chance to show off your love for one another through our Whose Got Team Spirit Instagram Contest starting March 5, 2018.
So gather your teams and community members and start snapping!
Here are the contest details so you can get in on the fun:
3. Post a pic of your coworking community that shows off your team spirit.
4. Tag us in the post and use the hashtag #CloudVOTeamSpirit
5. Contest open to all Workspace Providers within the United States. Multiple entries accepted. Contest closes 11:59pm PST on March 19th.
6. Winner announced on IG on March 23, 2018.
What’s the prize?
The photo that best shows off their team spirit will win a pizza party on us. That’s right! We will buy lunch for your entire team, so keep your favorite local pizzeria in mind when you post that team photo!
We are excited to see your posts and get a feel for the awesome camaraderie we know you all share. So get creative, have fun, and show off that team spirit!
Questions? Feel free to DM us on Instagram: @cloudvo_
About CloudVO
CloudVO is the umbrella brand of Cloud Officing Corp, headquartered in San Francisco, California. CloudVO’s mission is to provide comprehensive virtual office, coworking and meeting room solutions to professionals under a Workplace-as-a-Service™ model. CloudVO operates the CloudMeetingRooms.com and CloudVirtualOffice.com e-commerce sites and grants preferential access to day offices, coworking space, and professional meeting rooms in 700 locations worldwide for distributed workers on a subscription or a pay-per-use basis.
In open coworking spaces, casual networking and connections take place throughout out the day. People sit near each other, they ask each other questions, they share resources, they visit over coffee. By being in the same space, community-building happens naturally.
But what about shared workspaces that have a lot of private offices? How do you curate community when a majority of members are working alone, or with their team, in an office separated from the common space?
Here are 15 tips for curating community in a workspace with private offices, including several pro tips from Lori Campbell, community manager of Pacific Workplaces, our partner location in Sunnyvale, California. Campbell manages 15,000 square feet and 51 full-time offices in her space and is still a community builder extraordinaire.
1. Introduce New Workspace Members When a new member joins your workspace, whether as a coworking member or an office member, introduce them to existing members. By breaking the ice for new members, you accelerate their transition into the community and help them start building their network of friends and professional connections.
“Members feed off the other members’ personalities,” says Campbell. “When we have a new coworking member, virtual office member, or office member, I introduce them around, and tell our existing members to make them feel at home. That’s an icebreaker.”
2. Make Sure the Community Manager is Accessible In her Sunnyvale space, Campbell sits in the open area so, as she explains, “members can’t help but see me.” She’s able to greet members and guests, make connections between people and start group conversations.
“I describe our environment as electric,” says Campbell. “Once I make the introductions between people, it takes off from there.”
Pacific Workplaces Sunnyvale Coworking Space Community Manager Lori is accessible to members and always welcoming (clearly!)
3. Celebrate the Seasons and Holidays Seasonal and holiday events are a great excuse to get members out of their office and into the common space. Campbell advises celebrating major holidays, as well as inviting members to suggest holiday or cultural events and celebrations.
Celebrations in Sunnyvale include St. Patrick’s Day, the winter holiday season and the 4th of July, as well as Cinco de Mayo, Mardi Gras, and international celebrations.
Pacific Workplaces Sunnyvale Coworking Space International Holiday Event
Pacific Workplaces Sunnyvale 4th of July Member Event
4. Host Impromptu Events One of Campbell’s best tips is to host impromptu socials. She and her Pacific Workplaces team have hosted wine tastings with cheese and grapes, lunch socials and community breakfasts, where they cook eggs and bacon for everyone. “Everyone comes out of their offices to join in those, Campbell says with a laugh.
Wine Tasting Member Event at Pacific Workplaces Sunnyvale Coworking Space
5. Be Creative with Event Ideas and Let the Community Help “I call my mind Disneyland,” Campbell says. “I think of the craziest things to do and our coworking members and office members are onboard with my madness.” She advises letting members suggest events for the community and explains that one of the most fun community-building things they’ve done was a mannequin challenge, which was suggested by a member. Plans are in the works for a 1970s disco party, another idea suggested by a member.
Pacific Workplaces Sunnyvale Coworking Space ‘At The Beach’ Event
Pacific Workplaces Sunnyvale ‘Game Night’ Member Event
6. Create a Member Wall in Your Workspace A member wall in your coworking space lets people see who their fellow members are and what they do. Member walls can also be informal networking tools so when a member needs a service or product, they can see, at-a-glance, if there’s an office member or coworking member who might be able to help them.
7. Know Your Community and the Culture of Your Workspace Every shared workspace is different, and every workspace community is different. Some spaces are informal and casual, while others are more traditional business spaces. Workspace staff should have a good understanding of the community in your space and its unique culture. This way, events, communications and connections are relevant to members and aligned with the culture of the space.
The Sunnyvale Pacific Workplace has a lot of mature, established businesses, including attorneys, financial planners and CPAs, as well as startup members in the coworking area. For her community, Campbell has found that members prefer surprise socials and traditional holiday socials to regular networking events, such as weekly happy hour.
“The socials give them something to look forward to without burning them out,” she says.
Coworking members of Pacific Workplaces Sunnyvale enjoy ‘High Tea.’
8. Celebrate the Diversity in Your Workspace Shared workspaces, including those with a lot of private offices, cater to a diverse array of professionals and personality types. Make sure all your members, regardless of what they do, where they’re from, who they are, and whether they’re introverted or extroverted, feel welcome in your space.
“We go the whole nine yards with celebrations,” says Campbell. For example, the team decorated the entire common area for the community’s Cinco de Mayo social. “It seems over the top, but members love it.”
For one social, a member prepared dosa, which is an Indian pancake that’s rolled like a taco. For an upcoming Culture of Celebration day in the space, Campbell encourages members to walk in another person’s shoes by wearing traditional clothing from a culture different from one’s own.
Pacific Workplaces Sunnyvale coworker and Community Coordinator Lauren making dosas.
Pacific Workplaces Sunnyvale Shared Workspace Cinco de Mayo Event.
9. Greet Members, Clients and Guests When the workspace staff greets office members, coworking members, clients and guests, they set a tone of welcoming and belonging. Campbell says she focuses on making sure whoever is in the space feels comfortable, relaxed and welcome.
“Whoever walks in the door,” says Campbell, “is greeted with a smile and asked if they want coffee.”
10. Get Members Invested in the Safety and Wellness of the Space Creating community in a shared workspace means that members look out for one another and they care about the space. This is a benefit to members and the community as a whole. As one Pacific Workplaces team member explained, “We don’t need a security guard because we have 300 security guards.”
11. Communicate with Office Members and Coworking Members Communication is key to building community. This communication can be via email, in-person conversations, flyers in the space, whiteboard notices, etc.
“We have constant reminders about things,” says Campbell. “When members walk in the door, we remind them that we have a social coming up and we encourage them to take out their phone and put it on their calendar so they don’t forget. We do have some introverted members who are very shy, and we have some coworking members who work from midnight to 7 a.m., so we make a point of letting them know we have a social coming up and asking them to join us.”
12. Engage New Members Existing office members of a shared workspace likely already know how and when to connect with people in the space. New members may need a little guidance. If there’s an event or other community gathering in the space Campbell makes a point of reminding new and established members, in-person, that something’s taking place. NextSpace Santa Cruz, a coworking space powered by Pacific Workplaces, has a chime that community managers ring whenever there’s an event, speaker or happy hour in the space. This way, everyone, including new members, is made aware of any gatherings or events.
13. Community-building at Lunchtime People are busy, and members of shared workspaces, whether private office members or coworking members, are busy and focused on their own businesses. But everyone has to eat, so lunchtime is a good time to invite members of the community to connect. This way, members who can’t stay in the space for an evening event can still network and connect with fellow members.
Soup Day Event during the lunch hour at Pacific Workplaces Sunnyvale Coworking Space
14. Encourage Informal Networking Conversations Informal group conversations can lead to network connections, referrals and closer connections between community members. Campbell advises simply engaging people in a conversation in the common area. These conversations often grow into what she describes as “informal round table discussions.”
“I’ll just keep the dialogue going,” Campbell says. “That’s how most of our discussion and networking happens.”
15. Create a Comfortable Environment If your workspace is comfortable and inviting, office members and coworking members will want to spend time in it. Greet people, make human connections and introduce community members. The community manager sets the tone in a shared workspace and they are key to cultivating community—especially in spaces with a high concentration of private offices. There’s no reason office members can’t be as engaged in a workspace community as coworking members are.
“Create a professional environment,” says Campbell, “but make sure it has a cohesive feeling where everybody is nice and everybody is saying hello.”
Pacific Workplaces Sunnyvale Community Manager Lori, and Community Coordinator Lauren (both wearing reindeer ears), set the tone for a vibrant and welcoming member community.
Learn how to join the CloudVO family of 650 shared workspaces around the globe at www.CloudVO.com. Partnering is free and easy!
About CloudVO
CloudVO is the umbrella brand of Cloud Officing Corp, headquartered in San Francisco, California. CloudVO’s mission is to provide comprehensive virtual office, coworking and meeting room solutions to professionals under a Workplace-as-a-Service™ model. CloudVO operates the CloudMeetingRooms.com and CloudVirtualOffice.com e-commerce sites and grants preferential access to day offices, coworking space, and professional meeting rooms in 700 locations worldwide for distributed workers on a subscription or a pay-per-use basis.
