21 May How Co-Working Spaces Can Leverage Online Forms
Guest post by Chris Lucas
Co-working spaces are redefining the way people work. They are communities of entrepreneurs, freelancers, start-ups, and remote workers. The popularity of co-working spaces is on the rise—over 110,000 people currently work in one.
We at Formstack love co-working spaces! They are full of innovative people who aren’t afraid of doing things differently. To support co-working spaces near and far, we wanted to share five ways that a co-working space can use online forms to streamline the data collection process.
1. Space Inquiries
Set up a simple contact form on your website for people who are interested in joining your space. They can select their membership interest—a designated desk, full- or part-time, or a day pass—and include their contact information. Use Smart Routing to ensure the right staff member receives the request, and add customized confirmation emails for a personal touch.
Not only does an online form make it easy for users to submit information, it’s not a dead-end. Online form builders like Formstack integrate seamlessly with email marketing clients to build your marketing database. That way, you can follow up with potential customers, promote special events, and increase your brand exposure.
2. Membership Enrollment and Payments
Got potential members ready to sign on the dotted line? Build an online form to collect membership data and submit payments. Formstack integrates with many payment processors, including those that offer easy subscription billing. No more chasing clients down to pay their fees!
If you offer a limited number of certain membership levels—for example, you have ten permanent desks available—you can use Formstack’s “Event” field to limit the quantity. When you sell out, the form won’t accept any more purchases for that level. And if your space offers add-ons like unlimited printing or lockers, online form builders can automatically calculate your totals.
3. Event Registrations
Co-working spaces are great locations for lunch-and-learns, networking events, and after-work social events. Hosting special events is a way to open up your community and raise your space’s profile. Your space can become the go-to meeting space for professional (or not-so-professional) events.
Online forms make it easy to manage any kind of event. Whether they are free or ticketed, limited or unlimited, you can use your online form builder to collect registration data and payments. After the event, build a survey to collect feedback. And remember to add your guests to your email marketing list to continue their engagement.
4. Sponsorships
Many co-working spaces use local sponsors to increase exposure and revenue. With an online form, you can collect sponsors’ information and act on them quickly. Whether you are trading services or accepting cash sponsorship, using online forms can help keep you organized and professional.
5. Contracts
Healthy communities need guidelines. Use an online form builder to share your co-working space’s contract with new members. They can review the contract, sign an e-signature field, and submit it back to you. Send the member a copy of their contract for their records in a confirmation email. E-contracts also make sponsorship and vendor agreements easy.
Online Forms Make Co-working Easy
We love that co-working spaces offer the opportunity to create and collaborate. With online forms, you can simplify your workflow so you can focus on the next big idea.
About Chris Lucas
This is a guest post from Formstack’s Chris Lucas. Chris is the VP of business development for Formstack, a simple way to build online forms and collect and manage data. When he’s not busy dropping knowledge about Formstack’s online form builder or working to grow the company’s sales and marketing teams, he’s probably playing a round of golf or drinking a Diet Coke. Want to connect with Chris? Follow him on Twitter.
