Christoph presents strategies for creating partnership programs at coworking spaces. He discusses why partnerships are beneficial in terms of boosting revenue, bringing in members, and supporting members and employees. Potential partnership types include sponsorships, corporate deals, wholesale memberships, and hotdesking platforms. When considering partnerships, coworking spaces should evaluate how the partnership aligns with their vision, mission, values and business goals, as well as whether it supports customers and community. Negotiation tactics include knowing your strengths, putting agreements in writing, and measuring partnership impact.

1. www.betahaus.com www.onecoworking.com
Creating a
Partnership Program
for your Coworking
Space
Coworking Academy - CUASIA 2018

2. Hello, my name is
Christoph
I am a serial entrepreneur, coworking enthusiast
and passionate surfer living in Berlin. 10 years
ago I started betahaus, one of the first
coworking spaces in Europe. I am the CEO at
betahaus, guiding strategy and growth.
A year ago I founded One Coworking to create a
decentralised global Coworking Membership
working everywhere in the world and connecting
the coworking communities to each other.

3. What is betahaus
● a community of thousands of coworkers in Europe
● one of the first coworking spaces on the “old continent”
● grassroots, events-centered, creative and entrepreneurial
● locations in Berlin, Hamburg, Barcelona, Tirana*, Milan*
● breeding ground of betapitch, betahaus X, Hardware.co Accelerator
more at www.betahaus.com

4. What is One Coworking
● an app that let’s coworking members roam between spaces
worldwide for free (like a coworking visa on steroids)
● a way for local independent coworking spaces to be like WeWork
and offer a worldwide service
● a new type of distributed organisation that is co-owned by
coworking spaces worldwide through blockchain technology
more at www.onecoworking.com

5. Let’s talk about
Partnerships
www.betahaus.com www.onecoworking.com

6. Why would you engage in
Partnerships?
● to boost revenue / earn more money
● to bring more members to the space
● free advertising
● to support members / make customers happier
● to make employees happier
● to engage with important stakeholders you have a future interest in
(city hall, corporations, political parties, etc…)

7. Sponsorships, Corporate Deals, Wholesale
Memberships, Hotdesking Platforms
Revenue
Boost
Partnership Examples
Support
Members
Free or discounted products, Workshops, Course
Programs, Infrastructure, Special Access to
Accelerator Programs, Access to Tools, Events
etc...
Support
Employees
Language Courses, Mobility Solutions, Career
Opportunities, Free Food
Engaging
with
stakeholders
Joining of Networks, Roundtables, Development
Programs

8. Example 1: Immobilien Scout
Company with 500+ employees wants to get more innovative through
coworking
● Employees can work from betahaus (Daytickets)
● betahaus organizes “inspiration talks” at Immobilienscout headquarter
● betahaus designs innovative space at Immobilienscout headquarter
● betahaus helps to design accelerator program
-> more revenue
Partnership Examples

9. Example 2: Conrad
electronics lab
Conrad electronics wants to connect to the IOT / Hardware Startup Scene
● Conrad Electronics equips (sponsors) an IOT Hardware Lab at betahaus
● betahaus provides and operates the space on a daily basis
● members can use tools that otherwise would be too expensive for their
projects
● space could be used for related commercial and community events
(hardware, iot)
-> support for members, access to tools
Partnership Examples

10. Example 3: German language
courses
Expath offers language courses and setup-help to newly arrived expats in
Berlin
● discounted language courses for members
● free language courses for betahaus employees
● betahaus promotes expath amongst members
● expath promotes betahaus as workspace to customers
-> support for members, support for employees
Partnership Examples

11. Space Platforms
Real Products
Events
Mobility Services
Software
…. ???
Other Partnership Examples

12. How do you know which is the
right partnership?

13. Freelancers
Early stage tech founders
Startups
Corporates
Nonprofits
Service providers
Small businesses
Remote teams of all kinds
Know your members!
Know your members

14. What are the needs of my
members?
Members Needs
Mobility Services, Haircutter, Discounts at Stores
and Shops around the location,
Local Stuff
Solving
practical
Problems
Language courses, help with bureaucratics, health
insurance, getting settled
Helping to
grow
Free software, Mentoring Programs sponsored by
Corporates, Free Accounting and Law Firm
Services

15. Using Vision, Mission and
Business Goals
● Does the Partnership help my members?
● Does the proposed partnership align with the vIsion and values of
your space?
● Does the partnership help you to fulfill your goals and objectives?
● Is the partnership increase sustainability?

16. providing the homely space, community, and program
designed for entrepreneurs, startups, and creatives to
exchange knowledge, ideas, and connections in order for
them to grow - both personally and professionally
Support
Customers
and Members
Provide
Awesome and
Memorable
Experience
Grow
Community
and Customer
Base
Improve
Internal
Organisation
Mission
Objective
Vision, Mission and Objectives
empowering
entrepreneurship
Vision

17. Values Example
Community
Collaboration
Transparency
Accessibility
Happiness
Values

18. Sustainability vs Community Matrix
community
money

19. Example 1: Immobilien Scout
Company with 500+ employees wants to get more innovative through
coworking
● Employees can work from betahaus (Daytickets)
● betahaus organizes “inspiration talks” at Immobilienscout headquarter
● betahaus designs innovative space at Immobilienscout headquarter
● betahaus helps to design accelerator program
Partnership Examples
Revenue Boost:
Member Support:
Employee Support:
Stakeholder Engagement:

20. Example 2: Conrad
electronics lab
Conrad electronics wants to connect to the IOT / Hardware Startup Scene
● Conrad Electronics equips (sponsors) an IOT Hardware Lab at betahaus
● betahaus provides and operates the space on a daily basis
● members can use tools that otherwise would be too expensive for their
projects
● space could be used for related commercial and community events
(hardware, iot)
Partnership Examples
Revenue Boost:
Member Support:
Employee Support:
Stakeholder Engagement:

21. Example 3: German language
courses
Expath offers language courses and setup-help to newly arrived expats in
Berlin
● discounted language courses for members
● free language courses for betahaus employees
● betahaus promotes expath amongst members
● expath promotes betahaus as workspace to customers
Partnership Examples
Revenue Boost:
Member Support:
Employee Support:
Stakeholder Engagement:

22. Example 4: betabeer
Sponsorships
Alternating member sponsorship for our monthly beer/bbq community event.
● sponsor pays for drinks and pizza
● members get free beer and pizza
● sponsor can hold a short community centered talk about his/her
residency at betahaus
● everybody gets drunk together
Partnership Examples
Revenue Boost:
Member Support:
Employee Support:
Stakeholder Engagement:

23. Negotiating
Tactics & Useful
Tips
www.betahaus.com www.onecoworking.com

24. Negotiation 101
1) Do your homework, know your strengths!
Number one reason for most partnerships is outreach to your members and to your network. Be on
top of your numbers. Compile a data sheet about your outreach and demographics to illustrate the
value of your network for the possible partner. Know the value of what you are bartering for.
Example for a good media data sheet you can boast with on the last page of this presentation
2) Write down an agreement!
Jot down the basic outline / LOI / some kind of paper of the agreement and let everybody sign it or
confirm it via email. This makes it much easier later on to stay on the same page even if key-people
change or in case you want to extend for another year
3) Measure Impact!
Do your members engage with the perks? How many clicks does the newsletter produce for your
partner? How many leads did your partner generate for you?

25. Communication
Communicating
● Initial announcement blogpost , SM , Press Release. Boosts
relevance and spreads the news
● Integrate Information how to use partnerships in
○ your website
○ onboarding emails
○ welcome leaflets
○ member platform
● Use it during personal sales pitch when selling memberships as a
benefit

26. Useful Tools / Examples
● betahaus media sheet
● betahaus story book
● Announcement of Language School Partnership on our Blog
● Excel Sheet to calculate outreach price

27. Christoph Fahle
christoph@betahaus.com
www.betahaus.com / www.onecoworking.com
http://about.me/christophfahle
http://instagram.com/jantanner
Contact
betahaus
Prinzessinnenstrasse 19-20, 10969 Berlin

28. Thank you!