Flex That Worx

Hotels vs Hostels: The Coworking Identity Problem | S2 EP15

Baseworx Season 2 Episode 15

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0:00 | 18:08

If someone walked into your space for the first time, would they know straight away what kind of place it is or would they need a while to figure it out?

Hotels and hostels both sell beds, nobody ever confuses the two. Coworking and flexible workspaces also both sell desks but plenty of operators are trying to be both at once and that is where it starts to get complicated.

In this episode, Anne-Marie and Graham work through an analogy that sounds simple on the surface but opens up a lot once you really get into it. The hostel experience is social, high energy, community driven and built around people who want to be part of something while they are there. The hotel experience is private, service led, predictable and built around people who want things to just work without the noise.

Both are profitable, both are clear on who they are for, neither is sitting in the middle trying to be all things to all people.

So where do coworking and flexible workspaces sit in all of this and what happens when an operator is not entirely sure of the answer?

The conversation covers what your audience psychology actually tells you, why your team needs to be as clear on your identity as you are, how you can borrow smart ideas from both ends of the spectrum without losing focus and why getting stuck in the middle is the one place you really do not want to be.

This one is worth a proper listen, a conversation that has you thinking about your own space long after the episode is over.

Key takeaways for coworking & flexible workspace operators:

  • Clarity on what your space is attracts the right members faster, retains them longer and makes conversion easier
  • Your team, your offer and your environment all need to reflect the same identity
  • Listening to why people actually come to your space is where the real insight lives
  • You can borrow elements from both ends of the spectrum but your members will feel it if you have not made a choice
  • Getting stuck in the middle is the one position that tends to work out for nobody

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