A Day in the Life of a Coworking Space Operator
Ever wanted to know what it’s like to run a coworking space? No? Well, we’re going to tell you anyway. We promise it’s actually kind of interesting. Coworking spaces have become increasingly popular in recent years, offering a flexible and collaborative work environment for entrepreneurs, freelancers, remote workers, and any other type of worker you can think of. But what is it like to be the operator of the space where all these types of people cross paths? In this post, we'll take a look at what a typical day might look like, based on our own experience, of course.
7:30 am: "Early bird catches the worm"
It's essential to start the day early to ensure that everything is in order before members start arriving. In some coworking spaces, access is 24/7 via entrance cards or similar. Here in RoW, we’re a bit old-school and keep the hours of 8 a.m.–8 p.m. With this in mind, the team arrives ahead of opening hours to prepare for the day ahead. This includes reviewing the schedule for the day, doing a walk-through of the building, setting up meeting rooms, and addressing any issues that may have arisen overnight. Oh, and switching on the coffee machines is super important!
9:00 am: Check in with the team
Managing the team is an essential part of an operator's job. In Republic of Work, not only does the team help run the building and manage our members, but there is also a sales, marketing, operations, and program department. Ensuring that each team member is aware of their tasks for the day is so important and will help to reduce any possible issues arising. In a coworking space, you have to be able to juggle a lot of hats, so checking in with the team to make sure everything is cool is always a top priority.
10:00 am: Community Management
A significant part of running a coworking space is fostering a sense of community. We are constantly catching up with members, answering questions, and connecting people who may benefit from each other's expertise. We also monitor our online platforms, responding to member inquiries and engaging with the wider online community.
12:00 pm: Business Development
To ensure the continued success of the coworking space, the focus must always be on business development, too. This is where our CEO, Frank Brennan, steps in. He’s out there talking the talk and meeting all the right people to secure the future of RoW. This includes overseeing marketing strategies, exploring potential partnerships, analyzing financial reports, and attending lots of meetings (and we mean lots!).
2:00 pm: Administrative Tasks
Running a coworking space involves a lot of paperwork. This can come in the form of responding to emails, reviewing invoices, and updating member records. Monitoring the budget and creating reports for the owners or investors is also super important for seeing how well we are performing. This is also the time when we might check in with other hubs across the country to see what they're up to, how their programs are going, and if there is anything we need to be focusing on over the coming week. We're part of the Irish Tech Hub Network which is an amazing community to be part of.
5:00 pm: Facility Check and Cleaning
As we head into the second half of the day, another walkthrough of the facility will need to be done to make sure everything is still in working order. Depending on how busy the average day is, a lot can happen in a few hours. We also ensure that our awesome cleaning crew is aware of any serious coffee spills and the like.
7:00 pm: Reflect and Plan
As the day winds down, it's time to reflect on the day's events and plan to do it all again tomorrow - but better. This may include reviewing the schedule, setting goals, and brainstorming new ideas to improve the coworking space's operations and community.
All in all, the life of a coworking space operator is fast-paced and demanding, but would we have it any other way? From managing the facility and staff to fostering a sense of community and ensuring the profitability of the business, every day presents unique challenges and opportunities. We love it for many reasons, but the icing on the cake has to be the fact that you never quite know who’s going to end up walking through the door and what possibilities may lie ahead.
As always, if you want to know more about what we do, you know how to contact us.