How to Attract Women to Coworking
Coworking has become an increasingly popular option among freelancers and small business owners throughout the last few years, and demand doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon. In fact, one study expects that the coworking market will continue to grow at a yearly rate of almost 22% until 2024. Even if that prediction is only half-correct, it seems that we’ll have a lot of new coworking spaces available in the future!
If you’re hoping to cash in on this demand and start filling up some spots at your coworking space, then you need to be prepared to cater to all types of entrepreneurs. Women, for example, may be reluctant to join a traditional coworking space for a few reasons. They may see it as a type of “boys’ club” that they’d rather not have to deal with, or it simply may not cater to their needs. No matter what the reason, though, there are some things you can do that may help change their minds.
Want to know how to attract women to coworking? Try some of the following tips.
Have Women on Staff
If your entire team is made up of men, then you may want to switch up your staffing situation. Women often feel more comfortable when they’re not the only female in the space, and that’s completely understandable. When a woman sees other women being treated well and enjoying themselves in an environment, then they may be less nervous about entering an unknown situation like a new coworking space.
This may be even more helpful if the woman is in a position of power. A female owner or manager can show prospective coworkers that women have some influence over the decisions at your space. This can help give them the confidence that their needs will be met by your services.
Make Your Space More Female-Friendly
While society has certainly come a long way, “boys’ clubs” and “bro culture” still dominate some workplaces. Therefore, if you really want to attract more females to your coworking space, you need to make sure they feel welcome.
And no, this doesn’t mean painting the walls pink and decorating everything with flowers (in fact, you may want to stay away from these stereotypes!). It just means making your space, events, and activities as inclusive as possible. You may even want to host a few events and workshops exclusively for women, as it shows that you’re sensitive to their different needs. A woman should be able to walk into your space and feel just as at home as any of the men, so try and make them feel like family.
Work with Female-Owned Businesses
Working with female-owned businesses in your area can be a great way to attract women to your coworking space. It demonstrates that you have respect for female entrepreneurs, and that you value their skills and expertise as business owners.
There are still people out there who completely overlook or even belittle female-owned businesses, so it’s important to show your strong support if you want them to join your community. No one’s going to want to join if they think they’re going to be treated like second-class citizens.
Looking to work with other like-minded professionals in a collaborative community environment? Check out the workspaces offered by La Collective here.