May 26, 2026
8 mins read
Our Partners
We all know that first impressions matter. But for flexible workspaces, that first impression often happens entirely online. So when a prospective member tries to book a conference room or a day pass, they expect a seamless, intuitive process. If they encounter roadblocks, they simply move on to the next option.
This was the exact challenge facing The Shop Workspace.
As a thriving coworking operator with locations in Salt Lake City, New Orleans, and most recently, Brooklyn, The Shop Workspace had the physical space perfected. Beautiful designs, top-tier amenities, and a vibrant community made their physical locations highly desirable.
However, their digital experience told a different story, and they needed a way to translate their incredible physical environment into a frictionless online booking process. Enter Anne Olsen, Director of The Shop Workspace, who led the charge to find a better way.
Coworking spaces rely heavily on ancillary revenue streams. Day passes, meeting room rentals, and on-demand bookings form a crucial part of the business model. To capture this revenue, the online transaction process must be as simple as buying a cup of coffee.
For The Shop Workspace, their existing Content Management System (CMS) was getting in the way of growth. Prospective guests found the booking process confusing and overly complicated.
“We were struggling with how on-demand transactions functioned through our CMS,” explains Olsen. “The experience felt clunky, difficult to optimize, and ultimately created unnecessary friction for prospects trying to take action.”
When a user interface is difficult to navigate, prospective buyers abandon their carts. This friction directly impacted the bottom line. The Shop Workspace needed to fix this leak in their sales funnel, but modifying their current CMS was proving to be an uphill battle. They realized they needed a dedicated platform built specifically for the nuances of flexible workspace operations.
There is no shortage of software options in the flexible workspace industry, which means many operators find themselves stitching together half a dozen different tools just to manage their daily operations. You might have one tool for billing, another for desk booking, and yet another for meeting room displays.
Olsen and her team wanted to avoid this fragmented approach. They needed a comprehensive solution that understood the unique sales realities of their industry. And after evaluating their options, Flexspace AI quickly stood out from the crowd.
“We chose Flexspace AI because its full functionality simply isn’t replicated elsewhere. Rather than stitching together multiple tools, Flexspace provides a unified platform designed specifically for the operational and sales realities of flexible workspace.”
Flexspace AI did not just offer a patch for their existing problems. It offered a complete, intentional redesign of how coworking spaces handle transactions. The depth of the platform’s capabilities made it the clear, definitive choice for their growing business.
Before implementing the new software, the team at The Shop Workspace set clear expectations. They wanted to fundamentally change how users interacted with their brand online.
Their primary objective was twofold: increase ancillary revenue and drastically reduce friction during the booking process. They wanted to make online discovery intuitive. If someone in Salt Lake City needed a meeting room for the afternoon, they should be able to find it, book it, and pay for it within minutes that morning.
“Our goal was to make it easier for people to discover and transact for our spaces and services online, while creating a more seamless experience overall,” Olsen notes.
By prioritizing the customer journey, they knew the financial results would naturally follow. They just needed the right technological partner to make that vision a reality.
Implementing new software can often take months of onboarding, training, and troubleshooting.
Disruptions to daily operations are a common fear for coworking managers—and rightfully so. However, the transition to Flexspace AI was remarkably smooth for The Shop Workspace, especially since, like a lot of coworking spaces, they had no web development on their team to make these changes to their site.
The impact on the user experience was immediate and profound. The frustrating barriers of their old CMS disappeared, as Flexspace AI streamlined and modernized the entire experience.
“Flexspace AI stepped in and was able to rework the UX almost overnight, dramatically improving the flow from discovery to transaction.”
Suddenly, the digital front door of The Shop Workspace matched the quality of their physical spaces. Prospective members could easily view availability, select their desired workspace, and complete their transactions without confusion. The entire flow became intuitive, clean, and incredibly fast.
The ultimate test of any software in this setting is its impact on the bottom line. For The Shop Workspace, the results exceeded expectations. By simply making it easier for customers to give them money, their revenue numbers shifted dramatically.
Since implementing Flexspace AI, the team has tracked measurable, consistent growth across their primary on-demand offerings. Their booking data exports tell a clear story of success.
“The improved UX and easier transaction flow have meaningfully increased on-demand usage and helped drive ancillary revenue across our locations,” Olsen shares.
The numbers speak for themselves. The reduction in digital friction directly correlated to a massive boost in completed bookings for both conference rooms and daily passes.
“We’ve seen dramatic growth, with a 110% incremental lift in revenue across our on-demand bookings over the past year,” Olsen notes.
Achieving a 110% incremental lift in revenue is a game-changer for any coworking operation. And notably, this growth required no additional physical footprint and no major marketing spend. It was achieved entirely by optimizing the existing user journey and removing technological barriers.
The story of The Shop Workspace highlights a universal truth in the flexible workspace industry. Your physical space can be stunning, but if your digital experience is broken, you will lose business.
Prospective members value speed, clarity, and ease of use. When you respect their time by providing a seamless booking flow, they reward you with their business.
“Flexspace AI removed the friction that was holding back our on-demand bookings. Once the experience improved, the transactions followed.”
If your coworking space is struggling with clunky software, abandoned online bookings, or stagnant ancillary revenue, it might be time to evaluate your user experience. Stop stitching together mismatched tools and start building a frictionless journey for your members.
By switching to a unified, purpose-built platform, you can unlock hidden revenue and provide the seamless experience your members expect.
