by Molly Malone at Opendesks

Some people think of coworking as an amicable office share in which people come in, get to work, and go home. Others see it as a more collaborative effort. And then there are places that seem to get it just right.

Take, for example, Biz Dojo, an ultra-modern, impeccably decorated, all-around great place to cowork in New Zealand. Owner Nick Shewring, along with his cofounder Jonah Merchant, has created two Biz Dojo spaces; the original one is located in Auckland, with a new one opened in June 2011 in New Zealand’s capital, Wellington. We were very curious as to how the coworkers at the Dojos had such great success (and they have!), so we had the honor and delight to pick Nick’s brain about ways that coworkers can ensure they get the best experience possible.

Biz Dojo’s coworkers’ successes have, among many other things, been due to the following five pointers. Try utilizing some to maximize coworking for yourself, and if you have any other tips, please share in the comments!

1. Introduce Yourself to Everyone

Nick says, “A lot of people think that collaboration is organic and just happens, but it really doesn’t. You have to put a lot of work in to it, get the chemistry right. Some people think you don’t need to pick where people need to sit, for example, but we actually put a lot of thought into it. We don’t just throw you into a free for all. We have a full time community manager. And their job is not to make sure we don’t run out of coffee or the toilets are clean: it’s how to make your business crank, what are the skills that are missing from our space?” Additionally, ensuring that everyone knows one another prevents cliques from forming and encourages a free flow of information across all people in the office.

So, don’t be cliquey or shy, if you can help it. Coworking’s many benefits will require you to put yourself out there.

2. Utilize Community Managers

According to Nick, the community managers are “the secret sauce” to Biz Dojo’s successes. He says, “the community managers work between our spaces: they become the analog connector between Auckland and Wellington. They share ideas with one another, like, ‘hey, we’ve got these skills going on in Auckland, what have you got in Wellington?’ It’s a bit like a match-making service, but it works.”

Nick says that these people will need a mix of skills: they are often people with hospitality experience, bars, restaurants; those people who are very good at managing all the little details. They ensure that everyone feels happy, things are running smoothly, etc. If you feel the space you cowork at might benefit from a community manager, bring it up! Or, put some of these ideas to use for yourself.

3. Ask How/If The Space Helps Potential Businesses Take Off

For example, Biz Dojo is a coworking space, but they perform some incubator work as well. Due to the success of some of the small, start-up businesses coworking at Biz Dojo, Nick and Jonah have needed to help them branch out. “Our residents businesses start doing so well, that we end up helping them move somewhere else. As they grow, we’ll spin them out to their own space and take on a lease to another office where they can get to work. We set it up for them and they still get the support from us while having their own business and brand. We do this for about a year, and then they take it over.” Nick and Jonah have had three different businesses do this so far, with more to come.

See if your space offers anything like this, particularly if you’re part of a start-up organization looking to cowork until you can afford your own place. Ask the owner or manager if they’d help advertise for you, or possibly send work your way. Which brings us to…

4. Try to Foster – But Don’t Force – Collaboration

Nick illustrates the way collaboration is gently fostered through an anecdote. “We ended up with 7 or 8 web developers with heaps of work, but none were good at writing copy. Through our community managers sitting down, we realized we needed to bring in some copywriters. So we changed our ads and social media to attract copywriters, and brought two of them in. They couldn’t believe their luck: they suddenly had all this work! That’s how we try to do it: we look for gaps in the skills of what are residents are doing. There are complementary services. We don’t force people to work together, but it’s good to do so.” So, look for gaps in skills in terms of what you are providing your clients, and look to coworkers to help fill in these gaps. Are you a creative in need of some tech work? Offer some design or copy in exchange for web development, for example.

5. Make it Fun

With an in-house bar and café, there are clearly some fun perks for coworking at Biz Dojo. Additionally, Nick and Jonah host happy hours and genuinely try to make working together fun for everyone. Most coworking sites will have coffee, water, and more available, but if not, try to get your coworkers to chip in for a coffee maker. Bring in bagels once a week. Or suggest post-work drinks once a week. It’s the little things that count!

Additionally, Biz Dojo created a Yammer site, which is sort of like a company-oriented Facebook. It allows the coworkers at both the Wellington and Auckland offices to network, chat, post links, and more. It creates a real sense of community as well as camaraderie, and can be a perfect way for you to network with and get to know your coworkers as well.

If you’d like more information on the goings-on at Biz Dojo (and to look at their seriously stylish furniture!), please visit their site. And as always, contact us with any questions and be sure to check out our blog about finding the right coworking space for you.

For all of our domestic and international friends looking for ways to manage and find spaces on the go, please check out OpenDesks’ iOS App: Now available in the UK, Ireland, New Zealand and Australia!

FURTHER READING | On ISOLATION