A manager, no matter the business, is always a manager and always will be one. A manager needs to have a lot of different qualities that will be able to inspire the employees. In a co-working space, a manager needs to be even more focused and ready to take responsibility.

If you are thinking about opening up your own co-working space that you need to know that you possess these following ten skills that will make you a precious manager and will help you run the entire space easier, thus generating a good reputation and of course attracting more people to your co-working space.

• Spotting opportunities

This is the first and most important skill for every manager out there. You need to be able to spot all the opportunities and to make sure that you are going to be able to separate those that will work the best for your co-working space. This will improve your space thus helping people feel more comfortable in it and see the opportunities on their own

• Be creative

After you have spotted the opportunity you need to be creative about it. An opportunity is only good when it is adjusted to the needs and preferences of your space and the people working in it. Try to be as creative as possible in the way you will evolve your space, keeping in mind that the people using it come from various backgrounds and want different things when they work!

• Have a vision for the co-working space.

You have set up your co-working space and you are able to host a specific number of people. You make enough money to support the space and make a living for you. Now what? You need to always have a vision about your space, aiming at improving it for you and the people using it. Visualizing the future of your co-working space will help you improve it as you are reaching your goals. A manager with a vision is a good manager!

• Value all ideas

Your co-worker and your customers will always have ideas on how you can improve the space. They spend long hours working in there and their ideas could be very valuable to you. Make sure that you will consider every idea before you reject or approve it!

• Have an ethical and sustainable thinking

The main goal of your co-working space is to make a profit. That is a given. However, co-working spaces promote a different mentality regarding the working environment. A more ethical view of the co-working space, not just a place that makes money. Maintain that way of thinking to make sure that you will be able to promote your co-working space, the right way and to the right people!

• Be self-aware and follow your aspirations

Your customers have aspirations about their businesses but so do you! You need to make sure that you will not neglect your own needs. A manager without personal aspirations is not the kind of manager that can inspire others. The more you follow your own aspirations the more people will believe in what you do!

• Be determined about what your co-working space is all about

Every co-working space promotes something different. Are you aiming to bring in more artists? SME owners? Startup owners? Do not try to reach everyone. Know the identity of your co-working space and be determined about. A determined manager is a strong manager!

• Know your finances

Being the manager of a co-working space without at least the basic knowledge in terms of financing is a lost cause. You will not be able to run your co-working space and let us not forget that this is an investment for you. Make sure that before you start your co-working space, you have at least the basic literacy capacity to understand and run the finances of the space!

• Always mobilize others

This needs to be your number one priority as a manager. There are people working in your space. People working on their own projects. People that could be losing hope or that could work well with others and actually build something great. Bring them in contact with one another. Most importantly, motivate them. If you see people close to failure because they do not believe in their work make sure that you will show them just how important you are. The best co-working space manager is a mentor!

• Know when to back down

Sometimes there is just nothing more you can do. A co-working space is an investment and some investment fail. You need to know when to stop. Pursuing an investment although it is clearly not going to work is just going to bring financial damage to your business. Withdraw when you must and make sure that you will try again when the time is right. Know your limits and work on them slowly if you want to surpass them!

These are just ten of the qualities you need to have as a co-working space manager. They are the starting point for a bright career. Remember that educating yourselves on management matters and learning how you can become a better version of who you are today, will only improve you and your business tomorrow!