The story of Venture X’s global expansion, as shared by Director of Marketing Rubin Beckner, offers a masterclass in scaling a flexible workspace brand without losing local soul. Their "locally owned but internationally connected" philosophy is not a marketing tagline; it is a profound business model blueprint.
Here are three highly actionable strategies drawn from their success that any independent operator or small network can immediately adapt to drive their own growth.
Strategy 1: The "local skin in the game" operating model
The central tension in scaling a global brand is standardization versus localization. Venture X solved this by choosing the franchise model, ensuring that while the core brand is consistent, the execution is deeply localized.
The stealable insight: incentivized leadership & the local champion
You don't need to franchise to gain the benefits of local ownership. Independent operators can steal this concept by creating a "local champion" model for expansion.
| Venture X strategy (franchise) | Independent operator application (local champion) | Deep analysis / why it works |
| Local ownership: franchisees have "skin in the game" and care deeply about their local business community. | Incentivized leadership: when opening a second or third location, give your trusted Community Manager or General Manager a direct profit-sharing bonus tied to that specific location's P&L (profit and loss). | This turns an employee into an owner-operator mindset. With a personal stake in the business's success, they’re more motivated to increase sales, build a stronger community, and stay committed. As Beckner says, “there is no substitute for this” kind of accountability and drive. |
Crucial note on complexity: giving an employee an equity stake (true profit-sharing or ownership) is an advanced, long-term strategy that involves complex legal, tax, and structural changes. For immediate impact, start by tying bonuses directly to measurable P&L metrics like occupancy, net revenue, or retention rate. This provides the "skin in the game" mindset without immediate legal complication.
The core/flex model for localization
The corporate team defines what stays consistent across all locations (standardization) and what can be adapted locally (localization).
- Keep the company's core consistent: standardize essential elements like brand guidelines, specific software, and accounting methods.
- Intentionally build in flexibility: allow teams to customize event themes, choose local vendor partnerships, and create unique, hyper-local social media content.
This balanced approach lets the company grow efficiently while still genuinely connecting with the local market. Authentic community building relies on this strategy, successfully balancing the need for consistent quality control with the necessity of local relevance.
Strategy 2: data-driven sales funnel and digital focus
Beckner emphasizes that Venture X focuses efforts on individuals "actively displaying buying behaviors online" through consistent content and search engine marketing (SEM). He notes: "You can’t manage what you don’t measure."
The stealable insight: CRM as the single source of truth
Venture X's investment in a centralized, customized CRM is framed as the "single best investment that added immediate value." For any growing operator, a CRM is vital for tracking leads and ensuring strategic decisions are data-driven.
- Customization is key: growing operators cannot rely on a generic CRM. To be effective, your CRM must be tailored to the coworking sales process. The key is tracking data points specific to our industry, such as the prospect's company size, primary motivation (e.g., 'left a home office,' 'downsizing team'), preferred tour day, and target move-in date. This data allows you to automate personalized follow-ups and truly understand your lead pipeline, not just manage contacts.
- The power of shared success: Beckner highlights that celebrating wins and sharing data across teams builds motivation and consistency.
- Actionable step: use your CRM to create a weekly or monthly report showcasing metrics like the "Fastest deal closed" or "Highest private office conversion rate." Then, share the winning manager’s exact strategy—from the email template to their tour pitch. This encourages healthy competition and helps everyone learn what works, raising performance across the entire team.
- Targeting the “business bottlenecks”: this advanced marketing approach focuses on reaching the people your potential customers turn to just before they realize they need your services.
- Application: Identify and build partnerships with local real estate brokers, payroll firms, startup accelerators, and legal consultants these are the true "bottlenecks." By forming mutually beneficial relationships, you position your coworking space as the first and most trusted recommendation when their clients start looking for a workspace.
Strategy 3: untethering membership value through technology
Beckner wisely states that being physically present is not essential to "develop and preserve community," pointing to the future of the industry where technology acts as the connective tissue for a dispersed membership base.
The stealable insight: tech as the business model foundation
For multi-location or growing networks, technology is the only way to scale the business model, not just the "vibe." The true power of technology lies in its ability to generate recurring revenue and drastically reduce operational friction.
- The technology imperative: use your member management software or dedicated platform (like Slack, or a custom app) not just for booking and billing, but for active, non-physical community management.
- Purposeful channels (the frictionless dollar): move beyond a general chat. Create channels that solve specific member pain points: #FreelanceGigs, #SkillSwap-GraphicDesign, #AskALawyer. This delivers high value, cementing the idea that membership is valuable even when the member is working from home.
- The global advantage (retention and reciprocity): the "internationally connected" aspect is enabled by technology. Even as an independent operator, you can use technology to network your members beyond your four walls.
- Actionable step: if you have members traveling, offer to connect them via your platform to a reciprocal workspace in the city they are visiting. This uses your digital community to provide a high-value, "always on" amenity that untethers the membership from your specific real estate footprint. This drives retention by making your membership feel like a global network pass.
The Venture X story confirms that success in the major leagues of coworking requires not just a good product, but a flexible, data-driven system that empowers local champions while leveraging technology to preserve connection and scale profitability.
