Coworking partnerships are a great way to expand your reach, strengthen your business, and bring added value to your members. Rooted in mutual benefit—and in the spirit of the sharing economy that coworking thrives on—partnerships can also be a powerful way to showcase your values to leads, members, and potential business partners.
From repurposing real estate to co-branding with like-minded businesses, we’ll explore key partnerships that can bring benefits to your space while staying true to the values that make coworking unique.
As coworking spaces continue to evolve, building strong partnerships has become essential for long-term growth. By working with other businesses, organizations, and service providers, coworking spaces can:
Successful partnerships are built on mutual benefit, where both parties bring something valuable to the table. These collaborations can take many forms, including:
Coworking has built a reputation for breathing new life into underused spaces. Whether it’s an old warehouse, an unused office building, or a community center with extra space, these partnerships create opportunities for both coworking operators and property owners.
The Space Noosa, a Cobot-powered coworking space situated in Queensland, Australia, showcases a great example of a mutually beneficial partnership of this kind. The founder negotiated six months of free rent to establish the business, while the landlord reactivated a property that had been empty for four years. This win-win partnership helped both parties achieve long-term success.
Coworking spaces are increasingly integrated into mixed-use developments, apartment complexes, and commercial centers. These partnerships provide members with premium locations and amenities like gyms, cafés, and event spaces, while landlords benefit from added foot traffic and community engagement.
Securing a spot in a mixed-use development can be highly competitive, but the advantages are significant. As an operator, you tap into an existing audience and benefit from established infrastructure such as secure parking, well-maintained common areas, and a steady flow of potential members. This setup allows you to focus on delivering a great coworking experience without the added complexity of building everything from scratch.
Partnering with local businesses can add value to both your members and the businesses involved. Common examples include:
Short-term partnerships with event organizers, festivals, conferences, or cultural institutions can also bring fresh energy to your space. Whether it’s offering discounted passes for visitors, hosting a pop-up coworking lounge, or exchanging perks with organizers, these partnerships help expand your reach and enhance your brand visibility.
A good rule of thumb? Think beyond discounts; successful partnerships create real added value for your members while benefiting the partner business as well.
Partnering with investors isn’t just about securing funding, it’s about finding people who share your vision. Investors who understand coworking can provide valuable industry insights, mentorship, and connections to help your space grow.
To attract the right investors, ensure your business model is strong and growth projections are realistic. Investors will look at factors like:
Choosing the right investor is key. Transparency on business goals, community impact, and operational autonomy ensures that the partnership aligns with your long-term vision.
Franchising can be a smart way for established coworking operators to expand while sharing the risks of growth. By partnering with franchisees, you can scale your brand without managing every new location yourself.
Before taking this step, it’s essential to define what sets your coworking space apart. Clearly identifying your unique strengths will help attract the right franchise partners and maintain consistency across locations.
While franchising offers growth opportunities, it also comes with challenges like higher upfront costs and reduced operational flexibility. Weigh the pros and cons carefully to see if this model aligns with your long-term goals.
Coworking spaces can learn a lot from successful brand partnerships.
Coworking spaces can apply similar strategies. For example, a partnership with an office supply company could offer members discounts on sustainable products, or a collaboration with remote work software could provide bundled services for digital nomads and freelancers.
Coworking associations play a crucial role in supporting, promoting, and representing the flexible workspace industry. These organizations provide valuable networking opportunities, industry insights, and advocacy support. By aligning with them, coworking spaces gain credibility, access to industry research, and a stronger voice in shaping policies affecting the coworking sector.
Some key associations include:
These partnerships offer networking, learning opportunities, and best practices that benefit both operators and members.
Coworking spaces increasingly rely on technology to manage bookings, memberships, and payments. Partnering with software providers ensures effortless operations and improves the member experience.
Cobot provides these solutions while integrating with trusted partners like Kisi, Salto KS, Tapkey, and Sensorberg for access control and PayPal, Stripe, GoCardless, and Adyen for payments. But that’s just a small glimpse—Cobot is packed with features designed to automate operations, improve efficiency, and create a smooth experience for both operators and members.
Beyond software, coworking spaces can collaborate with local tech firms to offer members perks like discounted internet, AI-powered workspace tools, or virtual event platforms.
For example, Cobot has partnered with the Impact Hub Network in the past to help Impact Hubs worldwide ease their operations and focus on community impact. This collaboration provides Impact Hubs with special discounts, access to training, and tools to simplify their management processes.
Coworking spaces can also integrate with local tech companies to enhance offerings—such as high-speed internet solutions, smart access control, or virtual meeting tools.
Every successful partnership should create value for all parties involved. Whether it's offering exclusive perks to members, reducing operational costs, or increasing brand visibility, a strong partnership should be beneficial for both sides.
Before entering any collaboration, ensure that both partners share similar values and long-term objectives. A partnership built on common ground is more likely to succeed and evolve over time.
To avoid misunderstandings, outline clear terms for the partnership, including responsibilities, financial agreements, and long-term commitments.
Once a partnership is in place, share the news with your members and community. Use newsletters, social media, and events to highlight how this collaboration benefits your coworking space.
Coworking partnerships are about more than just business growth—they’re about building sustainable communities, enriching the member experience, and making meaningful connections.
By forming the right collaborations—whether with real estate partners, local businesses, investors, or tech providers—coworking spaces can continue to evolve and meet the needs of their members.
Explore our resources, dive into our blog or connect with us at support@cobot.me to learn how Cobot can support your coworking space.
From access control to accounting, Cobot has already partnered with leading tools and services to make managing your space easier. Try Cobot for free or book a quick call with our friendly support in your preferred language to see what we offer!
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