From Coworking Hub to Film Set—Tips to Double Your Earnings in One Year or Less

By happenstance (and maybe a bit of marketing magic), Majo Larrea stumbled across an ad for Peerspace while launching her coworking hub at One Eyed Studios in the spring of 2018.

At the time, she worked a day job as the building’s Community Manager, handling membership, event production, and long-term rentals for the 190+ artist studios on site. The coworking hub was a passion project, a vision for a multi-use space sitting empty and untouched.

“Starting a business comes with unexpected costs. From the beginning, Peerspace helped me balance things financially and was pivotal to our launch. ” 

What began as a fortuitous series of events spawned a new, thriving business in the heart of Queens. Today, fifty bookings into her hosting journey on Peerspace, Majo is ready to spill her secrets to success.

Staying Competitive in the “Industry of the Future”

Like Peerspace, Majo’s coworking hub was born out of a desire to answer the question, “How can space facilitate productivity?” 

A booking at her beautiful industrial workspace isn’t complete without essential oils to stimulate brain function and carefully curated music designed to improve concentration. In her own words, “I created this space with a larger goal in mind.” 

The raw design is counterbalanced with the calming effects of these carefully placed amenities, making for a memorable experience distinctly different from many other coworking options out there.

Peerspace provided Majo with a source of inspiration outside of her industry. Insights from hosting helped her refine and expand her business strategy early on, all while connecting her with an audience who cares about rethinking how space influences you.

Invest Time to Understand Your Guest’s Vision

Though the hub was conceived of and originally designed to be a coworking space, 70% of Majo’s Peerspace business today comes from event and production bookings.

Understanding a client’s vision, while allowing room to expand your own, is the critical first step to unlocking these opportunities, according to Majo. 

For her, the best way to accomplish this is through hosting a short five to ten minute virtual walkthrough of the space with potential guests—the earlier on in the conversation, the better.

Not only does the virtual tour give her a chance to put a face to a name, but it provides an opportunity to be inspired by the guest’s vision for the space, even if the booking doesn’t work out.

“Be flexible, within reason” is Majo’s mantra. Allow yourself to think outside of the box of “what’s possible” while setting appropriate expectations.

Enjoy the Sidelines

Ultimately, it is these non-traditional guests, the ones she didn’t expect until listing on Peerspace, that usher in new ideas and consistent income. 

From bakery pop-ups to indie film shoots, Peerspace guests paint the coworking space pink, transform it into a movie set for a short film, and, in the process, remove any indication that the space is (in fact) an office.

“It’s fascinating what I learn watching how guests transform the space. To be on the sidelines of so many creative projects is something I wouldn’t be able to do if not for Peerspace.”

When asked why she continues to host on Peerspace today, Majo replied, “I never imagined Peerspace could be the source of income it is today. But more than that, hosting is fun, simple, and always expanding my vision for what this space can be.” 

Be sure to check out Peerspace’s community forum for more hosting tips.