The dream of any coworking space owner is to have people coming in and out of the facility at every hour of the day. Is a big team leaving? Not a problem if you already have three other clients lined up to take over the areas they used!
However, the reality is hardly ever this optimistic. A recent study, done in Germany, showed that large coworking spaces (< 500 square meters) have a better occupancy rate than small ones. Still, not even these get to 100%.
More often than not, 30% to 50% of the space is left unused. Yet, you’re still paying rent or mortgage, staff’s salaries, utilities, and more.
So how can you turn things around?
The answer is simple: you change your strategy!
We put together a list of creative things you can do with the unused space in your coworking facility to breathe some new life into your income and find new ways to keep the place open for business.
The factors behind underused coworking areas
No business, no matter how popular, stays busy every hour of the day. You could serve the best coffee and muffins in the city, and there would still be stretches of quiet time. This is how demand works.
In the coworking market, you have peak and off-peak hours as well. During the weekday business hours, you should be close to 100% occupancy, while things will tame down during evenings, weekends, and holidays.
The peak hours, during weekdays, are generally from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM. This timeframe represents the "core" of the workday when most members are present, working on focused tasks, and attending meetings. There's often a slight dip around lunchtime, typically between 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM. Then comes another busy round, up until 5:00 PM, when people start to leave.
But if your space remains suspiciously free during times when it should be busy, here are other factors to consider:
- **Mismatch in design—**Coworking spaces should feel welcoming, comfortable, and designed to boost productivity. If yours is overcrowded with desks, lacks natural light, or offers too few meeting rooms and lounges, members may be quick to look elsewhere.
- **Location and accessibility issues—**Even the best-designed coworking space is useless if people can’t reach it easily. In this business, location matters just as much as design, so consider nearby public transport, parking availability, and the presence of coffee shops or other amenities.
- **Pricing and membership models—**If the prices are too high for the value offered or are not in line with competitors, your space will struggle to attract and retain members. It may be time to reconsider your pricing strategy.
Extra tip: Check your online presence. Posting once or twice a week on social media about your great amenities and location might seem enough, but if you struggle to fill enough buts in seats to make ends meet, you may have a branding problem.
A lack of online presence means you're invisible to the vast majority of potential clients who search for coworking spaces on Google, social media, or specific listing websites. So get yourself an SEO keyword rank checker tool to check your brand’s rankings and analyze the competition.
Small details like having a professional website, keeping your social media active, and sharing a digital business card across platforms can make your coworking space more discoverable and approachable. These simple steps signal professionalism and build trust with potential members. They also ensure that when people come across your brand online, they have an easy way to connect with you or share your details with others.
The coworking website template that actually converts (free PDF)
Creative strategies to monetize off-peak hours
The data's in, and you've taken action, but the results aren't what you'd hoped for. It's time for a new approach.
Here are a few creative strategies to pivot without losing the core meaning of your coworking space.
1. Evening & weekend workshops/classes
Open your space or less-used sections, such as conference rooms or areas that are separated, to host workshops, classes, or training sessions. To keep everyone happy, book these extra activities during off-peak hours (usually evenings and weekends).
These could range from yoga and fitness sessions (these’ll fit great into your already designed wellness zones) to coding bootcamps, creative writing, or business skill workshops. The goal is to generate revenue during times when your space would otherwise sit empty, while also bringing new potential members into your community.
This change does require a bit of creativity and innovation, but these are problem-solving skills you must master to be successful. So, stop postponing! The sooner you get started, the sooner your coworking space will start thriving.
It’s also a great opportunity to connect with local businesses (instructors, trainers, artisans) who may be in need of a coworking space in the near future.
Extra tip: Consider offering member discounts or bundled packages to attract your existing community.
2. Creative arts and photography studio
Private and conference rooms can double as studio space for people who need a quiet corner to do their work. This can work on a rent-per-hour basis.
For instance, many content creators need a fully-equipped photography studio to create visual content. Some small companies would need the same space for product photography, while an independent photographer might want it for headshots.
Another underused conference room can become a place where local artists can teach painting or pottery.
As Adrian Iorga, Founder & President at 617 Boston Movers, said, "When people move to a new city, they're always looking for fun activities to make new friends. A creative arts studio or a photography one will definitely attract new leads your way."
3. Corporate retreat & team-building packages
Companies are always on the lookout for inspiring, flexible spaces outside their usual office environment to host workshops, brainstorming sessions, or team exercises. If you price your space right and craft a unique offer, this is a great opportunity to get the interest of big local businesses.
One idea is to prepare your space for mental-health-focused team building activities. The goal is to go beyond traditional team-building by prioritizing mindfulness, resilience, and mental health awareness.
Here’s how you can make your offer irresistible:
- Provide mats, cushions, aromatherapy diffusers, or soft background music for relaxation sessions.
- Offer water stations, healthy snacks, or herbal teas to encourage mindful breaks.
- Partner with mental health professionals or certified facilitators for mindfulness exercises or stress-management workshops.
- Include group activities like reflective discussions, gratitude exercises, or creative outlets (art, journaling, or collaborative crafts).
- Market your space as a wellness-focused, supportive environment for corporate clients.
4. Micro-retail pop-ups or vendor showcases
If your city has a vibrant, engaged, and locally-minded community, with active artisan markets and frequent craft fairs, you could transform underused areas of your coworking space into temporary retail and showcase spots.
It’s also a wonderful community-building opportunity that makes your business the facilitator of connections (and not for free).
“There’s no substitute for seeing your products in action and meeting people face-to-face. Showcasing what you do and connecting directly with local businesses and potential customers builds trust, sparks opportunities, and creates relationships that online interactions alone just can’t match.” — Ben Bouman, Business Owner at HeavyLift Direct.
Besides the added revenue (you’re renting these spaces), this strategy attracts new visitors, increases foot traffic, and breathes new life into your space. So, it’s a win-win situation for everyone involved.
5. After-hours social club/networking hub
Why leave your coworking hub idle during off-peak hours or when there’s no one around?
Instead, you should consider hosting networking events, social mixers, or professional clubs. It’s like creating a niche coworking space, but with fun as the end goal. You can even stay in the work and productivity space by organizing industry-specific networking nights, speaker series, or hobby-focused meetups.
Extra tip: To make sure people are interested and want to book your space, collaborate with local businesses and bring guest speakers to add value to your offer.
The best part is that you don’t have to change your current settings too much. You’ll need areas that encourage social interaction with lounges, open seating, and flexible arrangements for mingling. Well, you should already have all of these as part of the coworking experience.
The goal is to build stronger connections among members, attract new prospects, and generate revenue from events or memberships.
6. Study hub for students
In cities with strong universities and colleges, students can be a valuable segment of your target audience. The great news is that your off-peak hours coincide perfectly with the hours students focus on learning (typically evenings, weekends, or exam periods).
Given that these periods are cyclical, it’s easy to predict when demand spikes and be ready for it by creating quiet and reliable study environments. Plus, today’s students are tomorrow’s freelancers, entrepreneurs, and professionals, so this is a fantastic opportunity to build loyalty early on.
Working and studying are quite similar activities, so you don’t have to change the outline of the current space. Offer discounted day passes, weekly packages, or group rates for students, and consider loyalty programs or referral incentives to attract repeat users.
Extra tip: If you want to keep customers happy and get some word of mouth going, make sure to have these amenities:
- High-speed Wi-Fi, ample power outlets, and good lighting.
- Printers, whiteboards, or other study-friendly tools.
- Consider small perks like water stations, coffee, or light snacks.
Lastly, students bring energy, curiosity, and a collaborative spirit, which can enrich the coworking culture and create a lively, innovative environment.
7. Small-scale storage and logistics hub
Private areas and conference rooms aren’t the only spaces you can monetize outside of the scope of coworking. You can also rent unused closets, lockers, or corner spaces to e-commerce entrepreneurs for short-term inventory storage.
Extra tip: To take it a step further, include a premium service for package receiving and holding.
Inventory management and package handling are common pain points for online sellers, like dropshippers, independent Etsy shop owners, Amazon FBA sellers, and small boutique e-commerce brands.
Online sellers are a rapidly growing market segment, and your offer directly supports their operational needs. This will attract local e-commerce founders and online businesses, who need a reliable business partner to handle storage, logistics, and flexible workspace as they scale.
In summary
Coworking spaces are still a thriving business model, but you may need to put your imagination and creativity to work when things look like they’re slowing down. Every business goes through low-income periods, and it’s up to the leader(s) to find ways to overcome these obstacles.
By reimagining unused areas, experimenting with off-peak opportunities, and tapping into new client segments, you can unlock fresh revenue streams and strengthen your community. But implementing these diverse offerings doesn't have to be complicated. Monetizing your space is significantly easier with a powerful coworking space software that automates booking, billing, and member management for all these new activities.
This frees you to focus on innovation, not administration. Ready to turn these ideas into reality? Book a Spacebring demo today and discover how simple it is to manage a dynamic, multi-purpose space.
Don’t settle for the basics—stay innovative, flexible, and proactive. The more inventive you are, the more sustainable your coworking business becomes.
