4 Membership Hacks to Maximize your Membership at The Works – Gilbert

aka Exploiting Membership Features at The Works 

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What are Membership Hacks?

Discovering ways to maximize the benefits of membership at The Works has become somewhat of an art form. Members often find clever loopholes to optimize their usage and get the most out of their plans. Rather than frowning upon these hacks 🙁, we’ve come to appreciate the ingenuity of our members and recognize that given the opportunity, we might we’d probably do the same 😀. Here are 4 some membership hacks that savvy individuals have employed at The Works:

Hack #1 (Conference Room Bookings disguised as a Membership)

Imagine someone who needs to book conference rooms frequently, several times a month, for short periods. Instead of paying the regular hourly rate of $48/hr (as of February 16, 2024), they choose to enroll in the Unlimited Plus Plan. This plan not only provides a set number of hours for conference room usage (currently 8 hours per month) but also offers 24/7 access to The Works, allowing them to work anytime, mail services, unlimited coffee, and extra perks like free printing. By taking advantage of these membership benefits, individuals can save a considerable amount on conference room bookings.

Risk:
There’s a risk of underutilization if the member doesn’t fully exploit the included hours and 30-day cancellation policy applies to all memberships, including the Unlimited Plus plan.

Hack #2 (The Split)

Splitting a single membership among 2 individuals? Who came up this outrageous, preposterous, incredulous idea? Our lips are sealed.  As Jimmy Conway said in Goodfellas, “Never Rat on Your Friends and Always Keep Your Mouth Shut”.

In situations where a two-person team requires occasional access to The Works but can’t justify two separate memberships, they can opt to share one membership. While membership sharing isn’t officially promoted, or guaranteed to be approved, The Works may consider such requests on a case-by-case basis. This arrangement allows both individuals to enjoy the benefits of membership, including conference room access (for certain membership plans), at a fraction of the cost. 

Risk:
What happens if at some point both individuals need to be at the works together at the same time? Well, one of them comes in as the “active member”, the other purchases a day pass for the day. Otherwise, this hack just doesn’t work.

When it comes to Kisi 24-hours access (if the plan that the 2 individuals choose includes 24/7 access). Only one of the two would have the ability to unlock the doors during unstaffed hours.

What if this duo becomes a trio? Can this hack become a 3-way sharing situation? We’ve never done that, and it’s unlikely to ever happen.  If you’re part of a trio, looking for a home base, we can discuss.

One of the two members splitting a membership will be designated as the “Financial Point of Contact”, that means that one of the two is responsible for paying the monthly membership. So there has to be a level of trust between the 2 members sharing a membership.

Hack #3 (Meet me at my Office)

As far as Membership hacks go, it’s questionable if this one is even a hack.  Many members on the Virtual Office plan primarily use The Works as a business address rather than a workspace. However, they leverage their membership to book conference rooms at The Works for client meetings, effectively transforming The Works into their de facto office space when needed. This strategy allows them to maintain a professional image without the overhead costs associated with traditional leases.

In today’s professional landscape, where flexibility and efficiency reign supreme, membership hacks at coworking spaces like The Works offer innovative solutions to traditional workplace challenges. By thinking outside the box and leveraging membership features to their advantage, individuals can optimize their workspace experience while minimizing costs. So, the next time you hear someone say, “Meet me at my office” when referring to The Works (aka Their Office), you’ll know they’re making the most of their membership.

Risk:
Not much risk here. What is the worst that could happen? The client finds out that the member doesn’t spend 40+ hours each week at their “office”.

The reality of today’s professional workforce revolves around quality of work.  Do you care where your 2023 tax return was prepared? If your attorney gives you solid legal advice, does it matter where that advice was conceived?

The cost (overhead) of a commercial lease will be handed down to clients. There is no other way around it.  In the end, these professionals are making smart decisions by saying no to the 7-year lease, the $9,000/month lease payment.

Hack #4 (The Imposter)

This may be one of the savvier membership hacks in this list, because it’s not an actual membership at all (no month-to-month membership required). When the Day Office is available, even non-members can have their own office for a few hours, an entire day, or for multiple days.

Why is this significant?  Perhaps you’re based in the Bay Area, but you’re in Arizona conducting interviews. 20 years ago, perhaps you’d be renting a small conference room at a hotel. You and the interviewees are both visitors in this situation.

When you turn the Day Office into your office, there is a sense of ownership.  When you schedule the interviews, you refer to the Day Office at The Works as your “Arizona Office”. And that’s exactly what it is for a day or two.  This sense of ownership can go a long way.

Risk:
Again, not much risk here. When you say, “Interviews will be at My Office in Arizona”, it can many things. And semantics comes into play.  Is it your permanent Arizona office? Is it a temporary office? Who cares, right?  The candidates that you’re interviewing are likely to be focused on getting the job, not launching an investigation into the history of your “Arizona Office”.