THE NEW ECONOMY: THE ROLE OF COWORKING IN ONTARIO S MIDSIZED CITIES. Coworking Checklist This presentation was produced by 10 Carden Shared Space with support from the Government of Ontario. Research by: Audrey Jamal PhD Candidate University of Waterloo a22jamal@uwaterloo.ca Julia Grady Co-Founder 10 Carden Shared Space Inc. julia@10carden.ca www.10carden.ca/neweconomyproject
GUELPH // 10 CARDEN SHARED SPACE THE BIG PICTURE POTENTIAL OF COWORKING Coworking has the potential to create a culture of new ideas, new models of innovation and employment for individuals and small business in cities. The variety of centres existing across Ontario, from technology to social change to arts and culture demonstrate that coworking is a flexible adaptive way of working that has the potential to grow and deliver long-term impacts. This checklist highlights some of the key factors and issues that affect coworking centres, discovered through practice at 10 Carden, and through the survey and interview process of 13 coworking centres in Ontario s midsized cities in 2016. CHECKLIST FOR CO-WORKING CENTRES Vision & Values Many of the coworking centres surveyed had a very good expression of their unique purpose, culture and offering. Clearly define the vision and mission for the organization. Create a clear set of values, ideally with member input. This will help to develop and refine the culture of the organization in the years to come. Defining the Coworking Centre Through Membership Several of the coworking centres surveyed selected membership by sector or had a clear pitch of what types of members they are seeking. If membership selection is targeted, be clear about this in promotional material. Develop clear policies for member intake/selection as well as termination. Members help to create the culture and extend the networks. Work to leverage member networks. A referral program or other rewards can assist this. Develop specific activities to support the unique types or disciplines of membership. These can be informal, social, skill building, workshops, etc. THE NEW ECONOMY: THE ROLE OF COWORKING IN ONTARIO S MIDSIZED CITIES MARCH 2016 P2
BRANTFORD // RCITY COWORKING The Physical Space In any business, location is key. With respect to coworking it is paramount. The main offering of coworking is space, so defining the character of the physical space and the location are vital. 93% of co-working spaces surveyed are located in the downtown as this is where the activity is and the coffee. Through out the day, co-workers migrate and often work at their base in the co-working facility, but will often work and meet offsite in other downtown businesses, cafés and restaurants. Key tips regarding space: Physical space can be central to visually defining the brand of the centre. Make the space as welcoming as possible. Focus on excellence and defining the character and vision of the coworking organization. Maintain good signage and street presence. Sandwich boards are possible in many cities to get the centre s message onto the street. Inside the space, imagine that you are visiting for the first time. Work towards intuitive placement of key services, and instructional text for everything. Hire a professional cleaner as often as budgets allow. This is a challenge for smaller and new spaces. A clean space and a process for coworkers to provide feedback when the space is in need of cleaning helps make things function. Have volunteers or key staff tidy and make sure common areas are presentable. Be relentless with clutter and things left behind. Organize a clean day at least once per quarter. This is key in a creative shared space, as there is a line between character and unkempt. Post a sink and dishes policy. Keep the kitchen area super functional. Install a central corkboard for public events, internal notices and fun postings. Create chalkboard or whiteboard walls for flexible conversations. The informal content and comments will help to present a glimpse into the space s culture. Define rules and procedures for accessing spaces and bookable rooms. Make it easy for your space to be used by a new member or for external events. Event bookings can make up a significant portion of your centres revenue model. THE NEW ECONOMY: THE ROLE OF COWORKING IN ONTARIO S MIDSIZED CITIES MARCH 2016 P3
KITCHENER // TREEHAUS COLLABORATIVE WORKSPACE Growing Membership and Retention of Members Most centres interviewed indicated that they were working on growing and retaining membership. The key risk to coworking centres is a lack of members and an excess of un-used workspaces, as the centre must take on the risk of the full space, and grow into the potential of coworking. Unless pre-established, it takes time to build the community. Space is key, but collaboration and your members are the draw of coworking. In all membership disciplines, coworkers are often temporary, as individuals, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and small to medium enterprises (SMEs) are susceptible to changing conditions, securing jobs elsewhere, company growth, business shifts, etc. Most centres turn this into a benefit and support this by offering shorter leases of 6 months to 1 year, or no lease at all. Some form of structured co-worker agreement, lease or sub-lease is in the best interest of the coworking centre, with a clear notice or termination policy. Retaining members is much easier than finding new ones. Work hard at this. Community animation is key. Coworking is different than long-term colocation. Strive to have enough resourcing for staff/volunteers to service the varied needs of members and operating your coworking space. Maintaining a balance of member types, years in business and varying scales of organizations can ease the affect of member churn. Be clear in the pricing and description of varied services and understand the pricepoint of the local market as related to coworking and event space. Entrylevel services or trial memberships can help get a new member started. Some coworking facilities have processes and flexibility to help members scale up/and down within the centre, from part-time desks to permanent private offices. This flexibility can help retain a member who is dealing with a shifting business model, or unforseen downturns in grants or revenue streams. Community animation can help develop deep relationships with and between members. This level of interaction and community is what coworking is all about. THE NEW ECONOMY: THE ROLE OF COWORKING IN ONTARIO S MIDSIZED CITIES MARCH 2016 P4
BARRIE // THE CREATIVE SPACE Marketing Marketing (including branding, online, print, relationship and social media) can help develop a community presence for your coworking centres. Marketing helps bring you into the conversation. Even with minimal staff resources and no dedicated marketing budgets, coworking centres are well-positioned to have a strong market presence and to leverage their extended networks. Engagement is key. Make every opportunity to market the coworking centre and the activities of all members, as they help to define the coworking centre. Clearly articulate the offering, vision, values and how people can engage. Market co-working desks, various tiers of membership, the event spaces, the logistics, but also the overall vision. In small cities or in ones where co-working is new, it can take significant education and trial to help people understand what coworking and collaboration offers. Trial usage and community events can help bridge understanding. Work to define the differences between your organization and other related or partner organizations. There is confusion about coworking as compared to accelerators / regional innovation centres / small business enterprise centres. Some of these organizations are ideal partners of coworking centres and defining your organization s unique offering will help to develop collaborations. Further the conversations related to the centre s core values. These can be topics that directly or indirectly relate to the organization collaboration, technology, sharing economy, health, urban planning, local issues, arts, etc. The related discussion can help to engage a wider sector of the community, bring new members and increase networks. Social Media Engage in all relevant forms of social media. Lead and engage in the conversation, and build your numbers through networks. Enlist champions. Building a strong email list and direct supporters and utilize the multitude of external contact, events management and promotion tools. THE NEW ECONOMY: THE ROLE OF COWORKING IN ONTARIO S MIDSIZED CITIES MARCH 2016 P5
KITCHENER // WORKPLACE ONE Promote events, tell stories and highlight people at your coworking centre. Coworking is much less about tours to see desks and chairs, than welcoming people into the culture. Workshops, events and skill-building services are activities that most co-working centres reported in their engagement strategies. Events can be run by the co-working centre themselves, or; Partner with established organizations to co-host events. This is a good way to increase profile, esp in the early years, or; Encourage third party events at your facility. These are most effective when curated by either selecting your membership as a way to define culture, or by selecting specific types of events that are hosted at your location. Third party events are a low-input, high-value way of reaching new audiences, as in all instances the external organization is doing the promotion and management of the event, and in most cases social media and invitations are referencing the event has occuring @yourlocation, enabling positive brand association to be developed over time. Networking In the first year, any form of external work will be difficult, for co-working centres with limited resources and demanding business models. A coworking centre will have innumerable things that need direct attention. Spend some time networking. Your space will always need work. Network at events. This is easiest when you can speak clearly to your centre s unique offering, what you can offer to others and how you might collaborate. Leverage networks of board members, mentors, coworkers and other leaders in your circles. Organize casual internal coworking events. Networking within coworking centres is informal, fun and rewarding. Coffee, beer, technology, salad, music, guest speakers, dessert, yoga, paper and gluesticks are tools that coworking centres use to improvise their events. THE NEW ECONOMY: THE ROLE OF COWORKING IN ONTARIO S MIDSIZED CITIES MARCH 2016 P6
ST. CATHARINES // COWORK NIAGARA Partnerships Leaders at coworking centres can join other boards or committees, attend important events, be a partner on various roundtable discussions related to the area of interest or vision of the coworking centre. Mentor others. Coworking centres should present opportunities for marketing and crosspromotion with potential partners. Even with established organizations, potential partners may often not know how to get involved. Cross refer where types of co-workers aren t a fit for your organization, call another organization and ask if they might be a fit for them. Ask also for cross-referrals from established partner organizations, such as Business Improvement Association, Chamber of Commerce, Small Business Enterprise Centre, Regional Innovation Centre, etc. People Attract and recruit great people in all aspects of the organization. Leadership is key. Partners interviewed in this study often identified the coworking space with the individual leader, or team of leaders. Community animators manage and mediate relationships. Many smaller organizatons have volunteer or board animation. Larger organizations are able to fund a variety of staff through their business model. This is a key factor in the ability to manage a larger coworking facility and keep relationships healthy. APPROACH EVERYTHING WITH A SPIRIT OF COLLABORATION. COWORKING EXEMPLIFIES THE A MULTITUDE OF WIN/WIN SCENARIOS THAT ARE THE FOUNDATION OF COLLABORATION. THE NEW ECONOMY: THE ROLE OF COWORKING IN ONTARIO S MIDSIZED CITIES MARCH 2016 P7
WHAT S NEXT FOR COWORKING IN ONTARIO? LEARN MORE > 10CARDEN.CA/NEWECONOMYPROJECT LET S KEEP THE CONVERSATION GOING #coworking #communityhubs #midsizedcities #growthplan @OntMMAH @onpoli @coworking_on @GCUCCanada @10Carden COWORKING CENTRES STUDY AREA - 2016 GUELPH 10carden.ca threefortynine.com innovationguelph.ca KITCHENER treehauscw.com workplaceone.com communitech.ca BARRIE thecreativespace.ca PETERBOROUGH hatchptbo.ca unicityongeorge.com officesthatwork.ca ST. CATHARINES coworkniagara.com fueledminds.com BRANTFORD rcitycoworking.com The purpose of this project is to: understand the scope, services and impacts provided by coworking spaces in midsized cities; explore the roles that allied groups, such as Municipalities, Chambers of Commerce, Universities, Colleges and Business Improvement Associations play in supporting local entrepreneurship; and to develop and disseminate best practice recommendations to strengthen coworking as a job-creation strategy in Ontario s midsized cities. This resource was produced by 10 Carden Shared Space with support from the Government of Ontario. IN OTHER MIDSIZED ONTARIO CITIES - 2016 innovationworkslondon.ca hackerstudios.com 121studios.ca burlingtonhive.com comotiononking.com platform302.com seedworksoffices.ca gangplankhq.com forgesudbury.ca core21.ca lab-b.ca THE NEW ECONOMY: THE ROLE OF COWORKING IN ONTARIO S MIDSIZED CITIES MARCH 2016 P8