What Is LiquidSpace? Your Guide to the Airbnb of Professional Workspaces
As modern employees shift toward remote work, office space is becoming a temporary need. Most entrepreneurs and gig workers can perform their day-to-day work straight from home or a coffee shop. However, on the days you need to be in a professional setting, LiquidSpace is your answer. Whether you’re flying solo as a freelancer or managing a remote...
As modern employees shift toward remote work, office space is becoming a temporary need. Most entrepreneurs and gig workers can perform their day-to-day work straight from home or a coffee shop. However, on the days you need to be in a professional setting, LiquidSpace is your answer.
Whether you’re flying solo as a freelancer or managing a remote team, you’ll be required to leave the house from time to time. Client meetings, quarterly team meetings, and networking often provide the best results when you’re face-to-face in a true business setting.
So, how do you claim your space without committing to a coworking membership or an office lease? Continue reading to learn how LiquidSpace can assist, regardless of how long you need a space.
What Is LiquidSpace?
LiquidSpace is an online marketplace that connects freelancers and small business owners to dedicated desks, private offices, event spaces, and meeting rooms that can be rented with little to no commitment. The mobile app and web interface allows users to search for spaces available for hourly or monthly rental suited to their location and amenity needs.
Whether you need a temporary space, a satellite office, or somewhere to dip your toes in the water before diving into a larger lease, this platform helps you find multitudes of options. It takes away the hassle of scrolling through Google and touring locations with longer leases you may not be interested in.
For frequent business travelers and digital nomads flying internationally, LiquidSpace is currently available throughout the United States, Australia, and Canada. This includes its current top cities: New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Houston. This makes it easy for people with diverse entrepreneurial lifestyles to find a workspace — and fast.
A notable service provided by LiquidSpace is called altSpace. Though we’ll be focusing on LiquidSpace’s primary services — its hourly and monthly rentals — altSpace is worth a mention for when your small business grows beyond 20 employees. Available in most major U.S. cities, altSpace connects larger teams to LiquidSpace-approved real estate, technology, and furniture bundles to get you moved in and work-ready as soon as possible.
How Does LiquidSpace Work?
LiquidSpace is essentially an Airbnb for workspaces. Its “guests” are small business owners and freelancers like you. Its “hosts” are its 9,500 partner venues, which include any location with extra real estate — coworking spaces, business centers, and more.
Much like Airbnb, LiquidSpace allows you to search the platform by city, filter based on your needs, and even find flexible offices and meeting rooms available the next day. You can then browse location profiles and images to ensure a workspace is right for your needs. As soon as you request to book a space, your host can accept it, and the two of you can begin a conversation about the location. You’ll also be able to request a free tour before booking if you’re in the area, which we highly recommend for longer term rentals.
No matter where you end up booking, your money will be protected by a DASH License (Direct Agreement for Space Hosting). This is a simple legal contract that can easily be customized and doesn’t trick you into accepting leases that last longer than your desired time frame.
How to Book a Workspace Through LiquidSpace
Booking a workspace through LiquidSpace can easily be done through the desktop website and mobile app, which is available for both iPhone and Android users. Step by step, we’ll walk you through how to book a workspace on the website, which should be fairly similar to the in-app experience:
- Head to liquidspace.com and tap “Join/Sign In” on the top right corner.
- In the pop-up window, sign up using your email, Google account, or LinkedIn account. Follow the next prompt to add a profile photo, or simply exit out of that pop-up.
- You’ll immediately be taken to a listing of flexible workspaces near you. Continue to the following step if this is what you’re seeking, or tap “Create a new search.” Doing the latter will allow you to narrow down your search by location, time frame, space type, price range, capacity, and amenities and services.
- Browse available options, clicking on spaces you’re interested in to view the location’s full profile, which includes pictures and space descriptions. These profiles will also let you know if the location requires a minimum booking, though most locations won’t require more than a month-long commitment and offer flexible terms. You can tap “Favorite” on the right hand side to save listings for review later. You can review your “Favorites” in the “Collections” tab of your profile.
- Once you find a perfect match for your company, open the location’s profile.
- On the right hand side, select “Schedule a Tour” or “Request to Book.” Follow the prompts you are given to complete either request.
- Once the owner of the location accepts your booking request, you’ll receive an email with further information. Tap on the email to complete your request, and provide your credit card information to finalize the booking.
Every location may come with their individual set of rules, but typically, your confirmation will provide further details, including WiFi information and directions for entry. Once you’re physically at the location, the location owner or their employees will be able to help you further. Since they accepted the request, they should be expecting your presence, and your workspace and amenities should be ready for you and your team to begin working as soon as you get in.
Frequently Asked Questions
LiquidSpace is an easy solution for freelancers, entrepreneurs, and small business owners who need temporary office and meeting spaces with flexible agreements. To help you learn more about how the platform can be the solution for your company, here are our answers to four frequently asked questions:
1. What does the “Exclusive Savings” badge mean on a location’s profile?
While browsing through different office spaces and meeting rooms, you may notice profiles marked with the “Exclusive Savings” badge directly under the “Amenities & Services” section. The “Exclusive Savings” badge is a reminder that you’ll automatically become part of the LiquidSpace Network after your first monthly booking. Once you’re part of this network, you can receive 10% off future hourly and monthly bookings, making the deal even sweeter.
2. Are there any extra fees associated with booking through LiquidSpace?
Booking through the LiquidSpace platform comes with no additional fees on your part. Instead, LiquidSpace earns money by charging vendors a fee to list their location. Using LiquidSpace can actually help business owners save money when booking coworking spaces and commercial real estate businesses, thanks to the LiquidSpace Network discounts we mentioned in the question above.
3. My schedule has changed. How can I edit my reservation?
Hourly and monthly reservations can be modified or canceled straight through your LiquidSpace profile, under the “Reservations” tab.
For hourly reservations, all you need to do is tap “Modify” or “Cancel” beneath your listing. You’re required to give 24-hour notice for this type of cancellation, so make sure to edit your booking ahead of time or you may still be required to pay for the reservation.
For monthly reservations, click into your reservation’s details and select “Stop auto-renewal” to end the recurring monthly booking. Notice is required 30 days in advance, so it’s important to mark on your cancellation date on your calendar a month before you want your reservation to end. Otherwise, you may unfortunately be charged an extra month.
4. What if someone invites me to a meeting through LiquidSpace?
If someone else invited you to a meeting with a location booked through LiquidSpace, your email will provide you with a “View Reservation” button that allows you to see all booking details. Use the address and entry details to head to the meeting room during the reservation hours. You won’t have any responsibilities beyond this, since you are considered the guest.
Get Flexible Workspace Fast
Nowadays, it’s easy to earn money without renting out a traditional office space. With LiquidSpace, it’s just as easy to book a traditional workspace for as little as an hour. The online marketplace of professional workspaces provides a solution for entrepreneurs working in a digital landscape, where even coworking memberships require more commitment than they really need.
Interested in where you should book office space to find success in your gig? Read about the 11 best cities for gig economy jobs.
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