Building Your First 100 Contacts

Introduction

In the coworking space world, “marketing” is often treated like posting online and hoping the right people show up. In reality, when your building (or new location) is still unknown, passive efforts stall fast—search ads get pricey, social posts get ignored, and referrals dry up until someone actually meets you.

The “100-Contact Scramble” is a fast, founder-led approach to create early member demand. It’s built for shared offices: you directly reach the people who hire space users—founders, consultants, remote teams, recruiters, and agencies—and you start conversations that turn into tours, trials, and eventually memberships.

This is not random outreach. It’s deliberate networking done daily until your name becomes familiar in your local business circles.

Concept

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The Importance of Direct Outreach

In early-stage coworking, you don’t have enough brand recognition to rely only on inbound. Direct outreach helps you create it—one real conversation at a time.

Direct outreach means you contact specific people and ask for a next step: a quick chat, an introduction, or permission to invite them to a tour/open desk day. Coworking sales moves through trust, not just features.

Shared Office Example: A new coworking space in Austin reaches out to local marketing consultants and boutique agencies. Instead of waiting for “leads,” the owner sends a short message offering a free desk day for a small team that’s growing. The goal is not a membership on the first message—it’s a conversation and a tour.

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Building a Network

Shared offices win when you’re connected to the ecosystem that already talks about changing work setups. That includes:
- Co-founders and “solopreneur to 5-person team” communities
- Recruiters who place remote workers
- Web designers/dev shops that send clients to new workflows
- Accounting and HR firms that hear “we need a better home base” first
- Local business associations and startup meetups

Where to find them: LinkedIn search filters (industry + location), local Facebook groups, chamber of commerce directories, and alumni pages.

Shared Office Example: Your space offers phone booths and quiet zones, but you aren’t getting tours. The owner searches LinkedIn for “operations manager” and “creative director” in the city, then messages 20 people from brands that fit your vibe (small teams, frequent client calls, growing headcount). Even if they don’t join, they refer friends who are actively looking.

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Resilience in the Face of Rejection

Rejection is part of coworking outreach because many people are “not looking right now.” That’s still useful.

Track every “no” as a data point:
- Were they never hiring or just not moving?
- Did they not match your pricing or lease terms?
- Was your ask unclear (tour vs. brochure vs. “just following up”)?

When you keep going, you’ll start seeing patterns—and your messages and offers improve.

Shared Office Example: The owner reaches out to 100 startup founders with a message like: “Are you open to trying coworking for 1 day? We’ll host you and show you private offices, our phone booths, and the team space.” Most don’t reply. But the ones who do are specific: “Yes, we’re hiring and need a place for client meetings.” Two tours later, one team signs a trial membership.

Conclusion

The “100-Contact Scramble” is how you take control of your shared office growth before your brand is widely known. It creates early conversations, generates tours, and builds a local network that keeps feeding opportunities.

Do it daily, keep your ask simple, and learn from each interaction. Over time, your space stops feeling invisible—and starts becoming an obvious option.