Think in four rhythms
Almost every task in a coworking space belongs to one of four rhythms. Write them down once, give each an owner, and the space runs the same way whether you are in the building or not.
| Rhythm | What it covers | Time it takes |
|---|---|---|
| Daily | Front desk, visitors, bookings, complaints, enquiries | 1–2 hours, spread through the day |
| Weekly | Follow-ups, unpaid rent, cleaning and maintenance checks | About an hour |
| Monthly | Invoices, collections, move-ins and move-outs, the month's numbers | Half a day around the 1st |
| Yearly | Rent revisions, agreement renewals, AMC contracts, pricing | A few days, spread over the year |
Every day
- Open the day with one list. Who is expected (visitors, day passes, meeting room bookings), which complaints are open, and which enquiries came in overnight. If this lives in three notebooks and two WhatsApp groups, things slip.
- Log every visitor. Name, phone, whom they are meeting, time in. It protects members and it is the first thing a large company client asks about.
- Answer enquiries within the hour. Someone searching for a cabin usually contacts three or four spaces the same day. The first one to reply with prices and a visit slot usually gets the visit.
- Close small complaints the same day. A tripped AC, a dead socket or no hot water feels minor to you and huge to the member sitting next to it. Record each one, even if you fix it in five minutes, so you can see patterns later.
- Walk the floor once. Washrooms, pantry, meeting rooms and the reception area. Five minutes catches what members would otherwise complain about.
Every week
- Chase unpaid rent politely. Anyone past the due date gets a short reminder with the amount and a payment link. Do it on a fixed day so members learn the rhythm.
- Follow up open enquiries. Everyone who visited but has not signed gets one message: a question, a photo of a free cabin, or a date it frees up.
- Check the service calendar. AC servicing, water purifier filters, pest control, the generator and the fire extinguishers all have dates. Missing one costs far more than keeping it.
- Look at next month's move-outs. A cabin that frees up on the 15th should already be shown to prospects today.
Every month
The 1st is the busiest day of a coworking month. A clean routine:
- Raise every invoice on the same day, for cabins, desks, virtual office plans and last month's extra bookings.
- Send them with a way to pay: bank details, a UPI QR or a Pay Now link. Every extra step for the member delays payment by days.
- Record payments as they arrive and send a receipt the same day. Matching bank credits to members at the end of the month is the job everyone hates; doing it daily keeps it to minutes.
- Handle move-ins and move-outs: agreements signed, deposits taken or refunded, cabins checked and keys or access cards handed over or back.
- Read your numbers (see below) and write down one thing to change next month.
Every year
- Rent revisions. Most cabin agreements allow a 5–10% increase each year. Tell members 30 days ahead, in writing, with the new figure.
- Agreement renewals. An 11-month leave and licence agreement ends quietly unless someone tracks the date. Start renewal talks 45–60 days before.
- AMC and insurance renewals for lifts, AC, generator, fire safety and the building policy.
- Pricing review. Compare your rates with three nearby spaces and your own occupancy. If you have been above 90% full for six months, your prices are probably low.
The five numbers to watch
| Number | What it tells you | Healthy range |
|---|---|---|
| Occupancy | Share of cabins and desks let today | 85–95% |
| Collection rate | Rent collected this month ÷ rent invoiced | 95%+ by the 10th |
| Days to collect | How long after the invoice members actually pay | Under 7 days |
| Enquiry-to-visit and visit-to-sign | Whether your follow-up works | Half of enquiries visit; a third of visits sign |
| Move-outs per month | Whether members are happy enough to stay | Under 3% of members |
Our guide to coworking KPIs explains how to calculate each one.
Who does what
A small space of 30–60 seats is usually run by the owner and one front-desk person, with housekeeping and maintenance contracted out. Split it like this:
- Front desk: visitors, bookings, complaints, parcels and courier, first reply to enquiries, recording payments.
- Owner or manager: visits and closing, pricing, agreements, deposits and refunds, vendors, the monthly numbers.
- Accountant (monthly): books, returns and TDS. Give them read-only access to the invoices instead of sending spreadsheets.
What to hand to software
Software should take over everything that repeats on a date: invoices on the 1st, reminders to late payers, receipts, renewal and rent revision alerts, service due dates. It should also keep the lists in one place, so the front desk and the owner see the same visitors, bookings and complaints.
Coworking OS was built inside Spellbound to do exactly this. It raises and sends invoices, records payments, keeps the visitor log, room bookings, Helpdesk and asset service dates, and shows occupancy and collections on one dashboard. You can bring your existing Excel sheet in on the first day. What it does not replace is the floor walk and the first phone call to a new enquiry: those stay with you.
A one-page checklist
- Daily: one list of visitors, bookings, complaints and new enquiries; reply within the hour; walk the floor.
- Weekly: chase late rent, follow up visits, check service dates, look at next month's move-outs.
- Monthly: invoices on the 1st with a way to pay, payments and receipts daily, move-ins and move-outs, read the numbers.
- Yearly: rent revisions, renewals, AMC and insurance, a pricing review.