Business Branding In Shared Office Space

Innovation, collaboration, flexibility, greater employee retention, and increased productivity are some of the benefits of coworking space. What began with freelancers, digital nomads, and startups has since become very appealing to large corporations such as Bank of America, Microsoft, UBS, and Verizon.

With the growth in shared office space (according to projections, there will be some 41,975 coworking spaces worldwide by the end of 2024), one of the challenges tenants face is promoting their unique businesses within the shared workspace framework. How will you preserve the sense of belonging in your personnel inside a shared workspace?

Here are six ideas to consider:

Network
Networking is the perfect time to let others experience your business brand. The opportunities to network in ever-changing and dynamic coworking spaces are limitless. Tell your company story; make yourself known; share your vision. People buy from those they know and trust and that can only come about through relationship building.

So, start a casual conversation in the common area, practice an open-door policy whenever possible, barter for small services, offer to collaborate on a special project. Remember that part of becoming a successful business owner is getting a handle on networking.

Host Special Events
Boost your brand image by hosting special events. Whether hosting a big or small event, shared experiences with your clients, employees, and other industry players are bound to bring a host of benefits to your business. What’s nice is that coworking spaces with their common areas, numerous meeting rooms, outdoor courts, kitchens, ample parking, high-speed internet, etc., are conducive to such occasions. Host a guest speaker, conduct a workshop, hold product demonstrations, moderate a panel discussion, plan a speed networking night—all of these will make your business more visible and help establish your brand.

To get you started, here are 21 event ideas for coworking spaces.

Create a Sense of Community
Community is perhaps the largest driving force for coworking areas. It’s what sets it apart from everything else. Why not apply some of that force to your brand awareness? Do what you can to promote connectivity, collaboration, and teamwork. Create positive interactions. Offer to consult on a proposal. Plan joint promotional activities with other tenants. Bringing people together to motivate, create, problem solve, and achieve success is a big way to generate brand awareness. For ideas to get started, here are 7 ways to build community in a coworking space.

Plan Your Office Layout
The office layout can make a big impact on branding. All elements such as color, textures, lighting, placement, and style should be studied. What helps many businesses is keying off the look and feel of their websites. Nothing is too small to consider—even greenery can help tell your business story. Professional photos of the product you sell or the service you provide can be displayed; they add to your branding.

One key question to ask is this: What experience do you want your employees, clients, and guests to have when visiting your coworking space? Also keep in mind that how you set up your space says a lot about your organization. For example, how inviting is your reception area? Is it welcoming or more like a barrier?

Use Branded Merchandise
In a coworking space, it is important to live the brand. Notepads, t-shirts, flash drives, mugs, pens, pedometers, magnets—all with your business name and logo—help define your space, give you instant brand recognition, and add something special to first impressions. Branded merchandise does make a difference. In fact, 90% of people who receive a promotional product can recall the name of the brand.

Follow Coworking Etiquette
Although branding is important in your business’s welfare, it’s important not to step on other people’s territory when in a co-working hub. That means following basic rules such as (1) leave a space as clean as you found it; (2) keep noise to a minimum; (3) be respectful of others; (4) avoid being a distraction; (5) respect boundaries.

Here are more etiquette rules & best practices for safe coworking spaces.

COMPANIES CREATE COWORKING SPACES FOR EVOLVING NEW OFFICE ROUTINES

A growing number of companies are creating their own co-working spaces in response to emerging office routines that includes less commuting, more flexible scheduling and a greater need for collaboration when employees are in the office.

Coworking and other flexible workspace approaches were finding their way into the corporate real estate strategies of many of the world’s largest companies, even before the pandemic.  Companies ranging from telcos (Sprint, AT&T) to tech giants (SAP, IBM), to automakers and insurance companies (MINI, State Farm) have been experimenting with different versions of on-premises coworking space shared workspace.  More than just cool space, these companies are looking for the reported benefits of shared workspaces — faster skill learning, better connectivity, and improved employee wellness.

The real revolution in coworking may have less to do with freelancers or startups than with employees of large companies working beyond the boundaries of their organizations.

Coworking space within the premises of a company even has its own name – “corpoworking.” The concept is especially  popular with younger employees who enjoy the vibe, flexibility and sense of community it offers.  The corpoworking space at L’Espace, for example, was “born from the desire to bring together all of the company’s vital forces on the same innovative site to ultimately foster collaboration and team spirit.”

True corpoworking is more than just flexible workplace.  The former is a community and the latter as a commodity. says Mike Hannigan, founder of Coworkinn, who believes that operating as a community is the essence of coworking.  Many experts say a sense of community is the lifeblood of a successful organization.  It encourages people to feel they can bring their most authentic selves to their work and believe in the work they’re doing, leading them to more successful careers and fulfilling personal lives. Companies lacking a positive sense of community are more likely to see “high turnover rates, low employee morale, and unnecessary workplace drama.”

“Coworking and other flexible spaces are popular with tenants looking to redefine the work experience for their employees,” said Todd Greenwald, Compass Properties Executive Vice President.  “Done right, coworking spaces within a company can help employers be more agile while providing their employees with space that can improve their wellness, productivity and sense of purpose.”