DAVID BROWN ON WHY HE’S OVERSOLD HIS FLEX DESKS IN HIS TWO LONDON NEIGHBORHOOD COWORKING SPACES

David moved his family of 5 to London from North Carolina in 2019 and attempted to open his first coworking space in a London neighborhood in 2020. That didn’t go well until mid-2020 when the neighborhood needed Good Space and good community.

WHAT IS IT ABOUT GOOD SPACE AND THE TEAM THAT DRIVES THEIR FLEX DESK SALES?:

1. David and his team (including his wife Ashley) nailed the supply/demand equation for this very densely populated, urban area.
2. They had a clear vision of what they wanted to create and stuck to it in order to attract their ideal members.
3. The success of Good Space (in terms of attracting members) is part art and part science. The team focused on the member experience – building deep relationships with their 112 members. They want their members to feel seen and known in their space. They also got the “product” right – they pulled off that je ne sais quoi that you sense when you walk into a space… that this is “for you” feeling. The vibe, the design, the coffee, the lighting….IYKYK.
4. David and his team are intentional. They take time to zoom out and reconnect with their mission and values.
5. They make business decisions based on their mission and values. He gave a great example around phone booths in our conversation.
6. They use events to add a significant revenue stream. David broke the week up into percentages and put pressure Saturday and Sunday to monetize their 28% of the week. They go all-in on evening and weekend events of all shapes and sizes. The events generate revenue but they’re also the sort of events that add value to members – live music, open mic nights, etc.

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• The SEO Action Guide
• The Everything Coworking Academy
• Masterclass: 3 Behind-the-Scenes Secrets to Opening a Coworking Space
• Community Manager University
• Creative Coworking Partnerships: How to negotiate and structure management agreements from the landlord and operator perspective
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Resources Mentioned in this Podcast:

• Good Space
• Groundworks
• David Brown on LinkedIn

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