Taking A Look Back : Our First Year At CoWorkTampa
CoWorkTampa has been open almost a year now, so I thought it was a good idea to reflect back on our first year in the coworking business. CoWorkTampa moved into the old Garcia & Vega Cigar Factory in January of 2012. When we came in, we had our work cut out for us. The foundation was laid out, but it definitely needed some upgrades and enhancements.
We painted the walls, added ceilings and brought in some furniture for the 11 private offices. It came together great and we were more than pleased with the fast transformation. We still didnât have our âcoworkingâ open area perfected, but we were getting there.
We started advertising the space via social media sites and craigslist. The private offices went fast. With a private office, tenants got all the same amenities as coworkers. They also received a mailbox, lock for their office and 24 hour access to the building.
Around March of 2012 we were ready to start advertising for memberships. We decided to go with daily, weekly and monthly memberships to start off with. Admittedly, our price points may have been a little on the pricey side. But hey, itâs better to aim high, right? We were getting some buzz but not building the community we really wanted. We realized we needed to do something to get people to our location and show them why it was so unique.
And what better way to get people to come to CoWorkTampa than a party with free food and booze? In July, we decided to invite all of our friends, clients and everyone we knew on Facebook to our official launch party. The turnout was great. Over 75 people showed up to support CoWorkTampa and see what we were all about. We rewarded all of our special guests with a free lifetime membership to CoWorkTampa (weâre so generous, we know!).
The success of our launch party created a buzz. We started getting more inquiries about the memberships but not enough âbitesâ. We listened to what people had to say about the space, their likes and dislikes. One major issue was the hours. We were only operating on Monday-Friday from 8am-6pm. And with many coworkers being entrepreneurs, they needed different hours.
We went back to brainstorming and decided on new membership options, part-time and full-time. For just $37/mth, part time members could cowork on Monday-Friday from 8am-6pm. Full-time members received 24/7 access and a mailing address. All coworkers have access to fast WiFi, six TVs, free coffee and our awesome pool and ping pong table.
Since the launch party and adjusting the membership options, we have about 25 coworkers. Weâre building a little community here that is diverse and, most importantly, fun. Weâre still growing and trying to make CoWorkTampa the best coworking spot it can be.
Thank you to all our coworkers and everyone who supported us in 2012 and we look forward to continued success in 2013!
For more information, stop by CoWorkTampa at 3104 North Armenia Ave Suite 2, Tampa, FL 33607 or call Samantha at (813) 877-2435.
