Some coworking spaces need a Reception Manager as ‘front of house’ as you would find in a hotel. However from our experience running two Workboxes, we know that they can and should do other work while present. This will mean the person working flexibly on both workhub management and other tasks. We think that half their job can be assigned to workhub reception activity, the other half to other priorities. For example, they might be an ideal person to manage a company’s PR/communications. Or they might run their own business from the space. This is what one of our directors does at the Penzance Workbox. It works for us.
We don’t think there will be enough workhub work to fill a full working week in many cases, although when you first open one there will be plenty to do. Essentially a new workhub can initially benefit from a full time presence but with other job activities to increase productivity and job satisfaction. Two birds with one stone.
Longer run or even possibly in the short run there may also be an option of having no onsite reception manager. Some operators manage this. In our experience it is however important to launch a new workhub with onsite presence. Later, when a community of members is established, it may be possible to change the model. This is what we have done in our Truro Workbox which is effectively ‘self-service’.
In market town type settings, there are the ways a ‘light touch’ workhub might operate after the set up years with a full time reception manager available:
- Operator/director runs a number of workhubs and possibly other businesses
- Phones are diverted to the operator/director to respond quickly to members and inquiries
- Operator visits to show new potential members the space and does attend at least some days each month
- Established member/s can be offered free membership in return for being present to help (the equivalent of a club committee)
- Or a member could be paid a small amount to be present and providing front of house while running their own business
- Accounts and related admin can be done by a company not staff
- Major use of whatsapp group for all members and operator
- A local caretaker to ensure security and do minor tasks including buying milk, forwarding mail informing the operator when supplies need ordering online (eg coffee, cleaning products, loo roll)
- Cleaners to have full access and report any needs to operator.
In our experience this model is not one that we recommend for the opening three years or so of a new coworking space.