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CONFIDENTLY

CREATE A PROFITABLE COWORKING SPACE

that you love to run

Avoid expensive mistakes, tech overwhelm, and "I don't know what I don't know" syndrome.

If you’re a successful professional ready to start your own business in an industry that is growing like crazy and happens to be both profitable AND purpose-driven, then you're ready to create your own coworking space.

HERE'S WHAT YOU
MIGHT NOT KNOW

You're already excited about creating your own coworking business - to serve your own financial or lifestyle goals, as well as to create a compelling place to work for your community. Starting your business now can mean:

  • Creating a business that can scale

    A coworking business can be designed as one location to support lifestyle goals, or scaled to multiple locations if your goal is to build a brand and a regional presence.

  • Getting in early on an industry with explosive growth

    You are not late to the game. We're only in the 2nd inning! Shared workspace is 2-3% of any commercial real estate market. Experts predict it might be 30% in the next few years. This is the exact right time to get started.

  • Creating a work environment that changes lives

    Your primary goal might be financial, but this is a special business - you literally change lives by giving freelancers, small businesses, and even remote, corporate employees a place not at home, but near home and better than home to connect and do their best work.

  • A leadership role for you in your community

    The nature of this business is connecting people. As the owner of a coworking space that houses successful local businesses and startups, your business can become a hub of community activity and progress. Create more impact and enjoy growing your own professional network.

  • Gives you an outlet for related passions and skills

    Love design? Or digital marketing? Investing in real estate? Mentoring startups? Or just want someone else to manage the business for you? You can shape your role in your coworking business to focus on what you love to do.

Even though the reasons to start your own coworking space are obvious, the path to doing it successfully is anything BUT.

I'm Ready to Start!

But how do I know if I'll get this right?

Perhaps you've trumped your fears of giving this a shot and have committed to just do it.

You're probably not starting from scratch - you may have a name, a URL reserved, you've researched other coworking spaces and thought through what you would do differently. You have a pretty clear vision in your head of what you want to create.

But in this process of getting started, you've gotten a glimpse of all of the decisions that need to be made - all of the variations in this business - and you're struggling to determine what's really working and how to future-proof your business plan.

Here's where would-be successful operators get sidelined:

Without a super clear, step-by-step project plan, it's easy to get lost or to piece together advice that doesn't create the business that fits your personal goals. 

Here's why this can be crippling.

Starting a coworking space is a big investment and it's a long-term commitment. You're signing a 5-10 year lease or buying a building. 

It's not the end of the world to change your mind about your tech stack after you open, but there are things like your location, real estate deal, and product mix that are really hard to fix after the fact.

And those  mistakes can have a lasting impact on your bottom line.

You need to get this right out of the gate...like knowing who you are serving and what you are selling them. While possible, it's disruptive, expensive and time-consuming to fix your product mix after your build-out.

There are a lot of operators out there making mistakes. Which is good news for you! There is a big opportunity to get your model right and be the choice workspace for the customer that you are dedicated to serving.

The 5 Reasons Why Most Coworking Spaces Fail

Reason #1

Not doing the work to really nail who you are serving

You are not serving everyone in your neighborhood with a laptop. Even if you are in a smaller market, you will not win by trying to attract everyone in town that has a choice about where they work....

Who is your ideal member and how will you design your business around how to best serve them? The answer to this question is the foundation of a coworking space that sells memberships at a pace that drives profitability and creates a strong membership and community.

I get it. It's not the sexy part of planning out your new coworking space. You'd rather jump into designing the podcast studio. But I assure you, this is the critical foundation that drives good business decisions. 

This step isn't hard to do with the right framework - and most of your competition will skip right over this and take the "aim, ready, fire" approach giving you the opportunity to stand out.

Reason #2

Your Product Mix Doesn't Align with Market Demand

One of the biggest challenges for soon-to-be coworking space operators is picking a product mix. This will drive the space layout, the buildout costs and ultimately, your ability to SELL....

Start with your ideal member clear in your mind, and use our space-planning framework to help you match your offerings to your members' needs.

We'll also tell you what's working for other successful operators.

Reason #3

Not Combining the Right Ingredients to Create a Healthy Financial Model

Creating a profitable coworking space requires a careful balance of inputs to create a recipe for a successful financial model....

You need the right product mix, pricing, rent rate, lease term, buildout budget, startup costs and marketing know-how to make this work.

No one component is rocket science, but you want to know how to put it all together and what questions to ask to stress-test the model to set your business up to shorten your road to profitability.

Reason #4

Not Knowing your Numbers

We identify costly, faulty assumptions the first time we work with a future coworking space operator - almost every time. We like to say that this is a simple business that is really easy to get wrong by reverse-engineering someone else's model.

Reason #5

Not Telling a Clear Story to Landlords, Investors or Lenders

Today's brokers, landlords, lenders and investors are risk-averse. Deals are certainly getting done, but the winners can tell a compelling story about their qualifications and the strength of their business model. We make this process stress-free with our Coworking Pitch Deck and Coworking Business Plan templates.

 

Here's a little inside scoop...

Even though coworking is a quickly growing industry that will soon represent a significant segment of commercial real estate, not everyone will ride this wave and succeed.

Some operators will enjoy this rising tide but others will sink.

And the main reason for this is that the barriers to starting a space are relatively low, but the requirement to get the model right and execute well in order to stay in business is really high.

So as long as you can avoid the biggest mistakes that sideline many space operators, you can design a profitable coworking space that you love to run (or pay someone else to run!).

That's what I'd love to show you how to create.

Introducing The

The Coworking Space Business Validation System and Implementation Guide to help you create a profitable coworking space that you love to run!

Enroll in Phase I - Validate Your Plan!

"Discovering the Everything Coworking podcast was a revelation; a fantastic introduction into the mysterious and largely undocumented new world of coworking that we'd decided to enter. We quickly followed up with the Coworking Startup School, which took things deeper and allowed us to ask specific questions related to our model. Equally importantly that investment includes a lot of follow-up options for before and after opening the space."

RICHARD FROM AUSTRALIA

"Jamie has an amazing breadth of knowledge. She is an incredible resource for both information and connections with other folks in the coworking space. She’s also super articulate and makes information digestible into bite-sized chunks ;-)."

ELLEN FROM OAKLAND

Hi,

I'm Jamie Russo

I founded two coworking spaces - one in Chicago, and one in Palo Alto, California. I was the President of the League of Extraordinary Coworking Spaces, Executive Director of the Global Workspace Association and I host the Everything Coworking Podcast and co-host the Flex Uncensored podcast.

Through this unique combination of roles, I have a deep, first-hand experience in coworking as well as unparalleled access to industry knowledge, best practices, experience, and leadership.

Through my Coworking Startup School™ and Coworking Flight Group program, our team has helped hundreds of people just like you realize their dream of launching a successful coworking space.

I created the Coworking Startup School™ because I was in your shoes and I made ALL the expensive mistakes. But I got to the other side...and I want to save you from some of that pain. My superpower is breaking the complex into manageable chunks, I have a strong operations orientation and I am also a spreadsheet boss (I have an MBA from the University of Chicago). Our industry is exploding and if you want to be a part of it, I want you to have the tools and support you need to be successful.

The Coworking Startup School is

The ONLY program of its kind that…

  1. Will make sure you are so clear on your ideal customer avatar that your space will magnetize members. Phase I
  2. Design a product mix that aligns with market demand and your startup budget. Phase I
  3. Combine the right ingredients to create a healthy financial model. Phase I
  4. Get you set up with the marketing fundamentals that you need to create a productive sales funnel. Phase II
  5. Help you stay out of tech overwhelm and choose just what you need to optimize your operations and member experience. Phase II

Here's How We'll Help You Get Here:

Phase I: Session 1 - Part I

Crafting Your Coworking Success Starting with your Ideal Customer Avatar.


In order to create a coworking business that has your tours saying "Take my money!" when they tour, you must get super clear on your Ideal Community Avatar. That's where we start. In this session. you will:

  • Create Your Ideal Community Avatar Profiles: With our exclusive Ideal Customer Avatar worksheet, you won't just create random profiles. You'll dive deep into the psyche of your 2-3 ideal members, understanding their needs, aspirations, and what truly moves them.

  • Decision-Making, Simplified: Learn to harness your ICA as a beacon to profitability, guiding all your future decisions, ensuring you and the vendors that support your business launch, stay aligned with what your members truly crave.

By the end of this workshop, you won't just have a roadmap for your coworking space. You'll possess the magnetic power to attract, captivate, and retain the exact members you desire.

Phase I: Session 1- Part II

The Right Size: Strategic Planning for Your Coworking Space


Size matters my friend. One of the biggest misconceptions we work through with future space operators is finding the size that aligns with startup capital and profit goals. Let's work through this together and find the right size for you.

In this live workshop, you'll:

  • Work through our 'Select a Size' Framework to align your goals with your space size: This isn't just about picking a size; it's about aligning your goals, your ICA, and market insights to select the right space for your business.

  • Leave the Session with Clarity and Confidence: Depart with the empowering clarity that your selected size isn’t a mere estimate, but a well-informed, strategic decision that sets the stage for profitability and member satisfaction.

Phase I: Session 1 - Part III

Unlock Profitability: Crafting Your Perfect Product Mix


In the realm of coworking, not all spaces are created equal. What is the difference between thriving and merely surviving? A laser-focused product mix that perfectly complements your market. Recognize that your product mix isn’t just a component – it's a cornerstone of your product/market fit.

Join us for this live workshop, where you will:

  • Harness the Power of the 'Profitable Product Mix' Framework: Through interactive workshopping, design a product mix that --> profitability and member satisfaction.

  • Align and Elevate: Tailor a product mix that doesn’t just serve, but resonates deeply with your unique ICA, all while aligning with your ambitious profit targets.

  • Numbers Don’t Lie: Use your Profitable Product Mix to create your pro forma (next workshop). At this point, the numbers are starting to tell a story and your confidence is growing.

Embark on this journey with us, and equip yourself with the tools to transform your coworking space into a buzzing hub of profitability and member delight. Your offerings are more than just services; they're the heartbeat of your business. Let’s ensure they beat strong and true!

 
 
 
Phase I: Session 2 - Part I

Show me the Money!


Mastering the financials of your coworking venture is like holding the compass to your business journey. Every entrepreneur dreams of building a thriving business, but only a few have the map that leads to that success. Have you seen those Deskmag stats about coworking spaces not being profitable? That absofreakinglutley does not need to be you. This model works if you design it correctly.

In this immersive experience, you'll:

  • Complete our custom-built pro forma template step by step, live, WITH our expert team: Use the work you've done in the previous sessions - your ICA, space size, product mix, program, and market pricing research to create a 10-year pro forma. This is the ultimate test of your vision - do the numbers align with your goals? If not, it's not the end, it's just time fo figure out what to adjust to make the model work. We're here to help.

  • Stand on the Shoulders of Giants: Why reinvent the wheel when industry benchmarks await your utilization? Integrate these proven standards into your pro forma, ensuring you’re aligned with success metrics. (Don't make up numbers. You know what assuming does? :))

  • Customize our Startup Cost Template: Navigate the early stages of your venture with confidence.   Using our expert guidelines, pinpoint and prepare for every startup cost which will help alleviate that low-grade anxiety that you don't know what you don't know.

  • Get the Full Finanical Picture: There's nothing worse than a lack of clarity. Clarity = confidence and confidence = decisiveness and decisiveness = progress. Get a granular breakdown of revenue, expenses, and profitability, whether it's for an actual prospect space or a sample layout.

  • Empowerment Beyond the Session: Our goal is that once you've worked through the template with our live support, you'll be equipped to assess any potential location’s viability. And remember, as you forge ahead, our expert 1:1 coaching is just a call away.

Phase I: Session 2 - Part II

Draft your Pitch Deck and Business Plan


Landlords, investors, and lenders will review your pitch deck and business plan as part of their evaluation of you as an entrepreneur and your business as a viable tenant or investment. These constituents are more risk-averse than ever before. Make this process simpler and less stressful by using our templates.

In this online module, you will:

  • Use our Coworking Pitch Deck Template and training to easily create your customized version.
  • Use our Coworking Business Plan Template (which includes sample text, industry stats, and more) effortlessly. craft a plan customized to your business .
  • Use our Financing Guide for First-Time Operators to determine your best financing options.
Phase I: Live Coaching Call #1

Get Feedback on Your Work

You've workshopped the core inputs to validate your coworking business model. Use our coaching team to get ask questions and get feedback.

In this live session, you will:

  • Ask us anything! Our coaching team will review your product mix, test fit, pro forma, pitch deck, and business plan and provide their expert input.
Phase I: Live Coaching Call #2

Get Feedback on Your Work

You've workshopped the core inputs to validate your coworking business model. Use our coaching team to get ask questions and get feedback.

In this live session, you will:

  • Ask us anything! Our coaching team will review your product mix, test fit, pro forma, pitch deck, and business plan and provide their expert input.
What's next? Phase II

Sign your lease and prepare for launch!

Once you have completed Phase I, you'll be confidently prepared to sign your lease and prepare to launch your coworking business. (Phase II is a separate purchase when you're ready).

Live workshops to set you up to:

  • Assemble your coworking-specific professional team - brokers, architects, and designers.
  • Select and set up the tech stack that will streamline operations for your team and create a seamless member experience.
  • Hire the right team to attract and retain members.
  • Fill your space with your Ideal Customer Avatar.

The Coworking Startup School™ Value Guarantee

The Coworking Startup School™ is the most comprehensive, step-by-step implementation program for anyone ready to start a coworking space.

Upon purchase, be invited to the live (and recorded) workshops detailed above. 

If you attend the three live workshop sessions and don't see a clear ROI in expenses and mistakes avoided, we'll refund your investment. Just email [email protected] with the details.

Frequently Asked Questions

What people asked before signing up for the Coworking Startup School™

Here’s what you’re getting
when you enroll today:

  • 3 live workshop sessions at the end of which you will the due diligence you need to feel comfortable and confident signing a lease for your coworking business.
  • Profiles of your Ideal Customer Avatar which will drive every decision you make in your business.
  • You'll know what size space you're looking for to match your startup capital and profit goals.
  • A profitable product mix designed to attract your ideal customer with details including office sizes and pricing!
  • A draft space program that aligns with your profit goals and space size.
  • A pro forma for an actual or sample space (built using our custom template), and complete understanding and confidence in the startup costs, revenue, expenses, and profit potential for your coworking space.
  • Coworking Space Project Plan - Get a printable map of the entire process of starting a coworking space.
  • Plenty of opportunity to get live coaching - You'll have access to two live coaching calls, Slack group Q&A, and the ability to add 1:1 support.
  • Coworking Pitch Deck  You'll use our template to craft your customized pitch deck.
  • Coworking Business Plan: You'll use our template to develop your customized business plan with done-for-you industry stats and research and actual numbers from the workshop deliverables.

LIVE WORKSHOP COHORT
Phase I Live Cohort

$750


Access to the Coworking Startup School™ Phase I: Validate. Includes access to live workshops, session recordings, course materials, and templates. You get immediate access to all course materials when you join today.

Enroll Now

1:1 COACHING ADD-ON
ADD A 1:1 COACHING CALL at 41% Off

$175

  • One-hour 1:1 coaching calls to be used within 12 months of purchase.

  • Use for pro forma support, layout review, and any other questions you have as you launch your coworking space.

Add this at checkout for the Phase I Live Cohort

PHASE II
POST-LEASE SIGNING

Live workshops to set you up to:

  • Assemble your professional team - brokers, architects, and designers that specialize in coworking.
  • Select and set up the tech stack that will streamline operations for your team and create a seamless member experience.
  • Hire the right team to attract and retain members.
  • Fill your space with your Ideal Customer Avatar.'

Coming soon!

The Next Live Cohort Starts

Join us for this LIVE cohort (all sessions are recorded if you can't join the live calls). You get immediate access to all course materials when you enroll todayl

Enroll Now!

Registration closes Monday, March 11th

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