Flex in Five with Mike Kriel

Mike Kriel

How do you make money in the flexible workspace industry? Mike Kriel, CEO of Launch Workplaces, breaks down the opportunities, trends, and strategies that are working right now, in five minutes or less. Honest and unfiltered, each episode tackles one focused topic, from what's working in coworking to emerging opportunities for commercial landlords, brokers, developers, and operators. Drawing from real-world experience and conversations across the industry, Mike delivers actionable insights designed to help you grow your piece of the pie in this ever-evolving market.

  1. 1d ago

    How to handle unexpected expenses in management agreements

    A large, unbudgeted expense shows up on your monthly financial package. There's no explanation, no heads up, and when you ask about it, you don't get a straight answer. What do you actually do? In this episode of Flex in Five, Mike Kriel walks building owners through why a surprise expense is almost always an agreement problem before it's an accounting problem, and what language belongs in a management agreement to keep it from happening in the first place. What you'll learn in this episode: Why expense categories should be built on formulas, not guessesThe pre-approval clause that heads off most expense arguments before they startWhy the variance report is where a number like this should have been caughtHow to build a "what happens if" into every section of your agreementWant to learn more about what it takes to open and run a profitable coworking business, and whether it makes sense for your portfolio? Download The Commercial Landlord’s Guide to Flexible Office Space. It's 50+ pages built for landlords exploring flex: https://launchworkplaces.com/landlords/ --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Connect with Mike https://launchworkplaces.com/  https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-kriel-a43994/  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- About Flex in Five with Mike Kriel How do you make money in the flexible workspace industry? Mike Kriel, CEO of Launch Workplaces, breaks down the opportunities, trends, and strategies that are working right now, in five minutes or less. Honest and unfiltered, each episode tackles one focused topic, from what's working in coworking to emerging opportunities for commercial landlords, brokers, developers, and operators. Drawing from real-world experience and conversations across the industry, Mike delivers actionable insights designed to help you grow your piece of the pie in this ever-evolving market.  🔔 Hit subscribe to make sure you don't miss an episode. Want to learn more about how to add a profitable coworking operation to your building? Download our free eBook: https://launchworkplaces.com/landlords/

  2. Jul 8

    6 common reasons why landlords are weary of flexible office space

    When Launch Workplaces CEO Mike Kriel speaks with building owners about why they don't have flexible office space in their buildings, he hears six reasons most often. In this episode, he explains these hesitations and why they might be worth reconsidering.  Want to learn more about what it takes to open and run a profitable coworking business, and whether it makes sense for your portfolio? Download The Commercial Landlord’s Guide to Flexible Office Space. It's 50+ pages built for landlords exploring flex: https://launchworkplaces.com/landlords/ --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Connect with Mike https://launchworkplaces.com/  https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-kriel-a43994/  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- About Flex in Five with Mike Kriel How do you make money in the flexible workspace industry? Mike Kriel, CEO of Launch Workplaces, breaks down the opportunities, trends, and strategies that are working right now, in five minutes or less. Honest and unfiltered, each episode tackles one focused topic, from what's working in coworking to emerging opportunities for commercial landlords, brokers, developers, and operators. Drawing from real-world experience and conversations across the industry, Mike delivers actionable insights designed to help you grow your piece of the pie in this ever-evolving market.  🔔 Hit subscribe to make sure you don't miss an episode. Want to learn more about how to add a profitable coworking operation to your building? Download our free eBook: https://launchworkplaces.com/landlords/

  3. Jun 11

    What does it take to open and run a profitable coworking space?

    You've got vacant space, and you're weighing whether to run coworking yourself or bring in an operator. Before you decide, you need a clear picture of what running a good space really takes. In this episode, Launch Workplaces CEO Mike Kriel walks building owners through everything that sits behind a well-run coworking center: the technology backbone, the software, the right person on the floor, the community and events, the day-to-day nuts and bolts, and the marketing it takes to keep the space full. He also explains why the best operators make all of it look easy, and why that should make an owner more cautious, not more confident. For Launch, it takes more than 240 tasks and 90 days just to open a single location. Going in eyes wide open is the whole point. Want to learn more about what it takes to open and run a profitable coworking business, and whether it makes sense for your portfolio? Download The Commercial Landlord’s Guide to Flexible Office Space. It's 50+ pages built for landlords exploring flex: https://launchworkplaces.com/landlords/ --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Connect with Mike https://launchworkplaces.com/  https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-kriel-a43994/  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- About Flex in Five with Mike Kriel How do you make money in the flexible workspace industry? Mike Kriel, CEO of Launch Workplaces, breaks down the opportunities, trends, and strategies that are working right now, in five minutes or less. Honest and unfiltered, each episode tackles one focused topic, from what's working in coworking to emerging opportunities for commercial landlords, brokers, developers, and operators. Drawing from real-world experience and conversations across the industry, Mike delivers actionable insights designed to help you grow your piece of the pie in this ever-evolving market.  🔔 Hit subscribe to make sure you don't miss an episode. Want to learn more about how to add a profitable coworking operation to your building? Download our free eBook: https://launchworkplaces.com/landlords/

  4. May 27

    What financial reports should you get from a coworking operator?

    Are you making the right assumptions about what financial information your coworking operator should be giving you? Most landlords aren't. In this episode of Flex in Five, Mike Kriel breaks down what a complete financial package from a coworking operator should look like, why the variance report is the most critical piece, and what a good operator should be able to tell you before you even ask a question. If you own a building with a coworking operator or you're thinking about bringing one in, this episode will change how you evaluate the reporting you're getting. If you want to learn more about how management agreements work and what to look for as a building owner, download our Commercial Landlord's Guide to Flexible Office Space. It's 50+ pages built for landlords exploring flex: https://launchworkplaces.com/landlords/ --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Connect with Mike https://launchworkplaces.com/  https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-kriel-a43994/  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- About Flex in Five with Mike Kriel How do you make money in the flexible workspace industry? Mike Kriel, CEO of Launch Workplaces, breaks down the opportunities, trends, and strategies that are working right now, in five minutes or less. Honest and unfiltered, each episode tackles one focused topic, from what's working in coworking to emerging opportunities for commercial landlords, brokers, developers, and operators. Drawing from real-world experience and conversations across the industry, Mike delivers actionable insights designed to help you grow your piece of the pie in this ever-evolving market.  🔔 Hit subscribe to make sure you don't miss an episode. Want to learn more about how to add a profitable coworking operation to your building? Download our free eBook: https://launchworkplaces.com/landlords/

  5. May 12

    The one moment when most management agreements die

    In 13 years of opening coworking locations, Mike's seen one thing kill more deals than anything else. It's not the agreement. It's what happens after you sign one. There's a void between picking an operator and opening your space, and that void is where most landlords get caught off guard: What does it cost to get your space to the operator's standard? How long will it take? What return can you actually expect once it's done?The way to work through it is to walk the space together, office by office, wall by wall. Ownership prices out the work. The operator builds a pro forma based on the same walkthrough. Then you put both numbers together and ask the honest question: Is this worth doing?Most of the time, the capital requirement is a fraction of a market deal. But the ones that fall apart are always the same story: expectations that were never grounded in reality, discovered too late to do anything about it. If you want to learn more about how management agreements work and what to look for as a building owner, download our Commercial Landlord's Guide to Flexible Office Space. It's 50+ pages built for landlords exploring flex: https://launchworkplaces.com/landlords/ --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Connect with Mike https://launchworkplaces.com/  https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-kriel-a43994/  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- About Flex in Five with Mike Kriel How do you make money in the flexible workspace industry? Mike Kriel, CEO of Launch Workplaces, breaks down the opportunities, trends, and strategies that are working right now, in five minutes or less. Honest and unfiltered, each episode tackles one focused topic, from what's working in coworking to emerging opportunities for commercial landlords, brokers, developers, and operators. Drawing from real-world experience and conversations across the industry, Mike delivers actionable insights designed to help you grow your piece of the pie in this ever-evolving market.  🔔 Hit subscribe to make sure you don't miss an episode. Want to learn more about how to add a profitable coworking operation to your building? Download our free eBook: https://launchworkplaces.com/landlords/

  6. Apr 29

    Management agreements don't have to be 10-year deals

    Not every management agreement with a flex operator has to be a 10-year deal. In this episode of Flex in Five, Mike Kriel breaks down why shorter-term agreements (24, 36, or 48 months) can be the right fit for landlords trying to fill a vacancy gap, reposition a building, or bridge a transition. What you'll learn in this episode: Why the 10-year assumption is costing landlords real opportunitiesHow to talk to operators about shorter timelines without losing leverageWhy automatic extensions protect both sides of the dealHow to get your internal team aligned before you reach outWant to go deeper? The Commercial Landlord's Guide to Flex is 50+ pages of insight from both the operator and landlord sides.  Grab it at https://launchworkplaces.com/landlords --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Connect with Mike https://launchworkplaces.com/  https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-kriel-a43994/  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- About Flex in Five with Mike Kriel How do you make money in the flexible workspace industry? Mike Kriel, CEO of Launch Workplaces, breaks down the opportunities, trends, and strategies that are working right now, in five minutes or less. Honest and unfiltered, each episode tackles one focused topic, from what's working in coworking to emerging opportunities for commercial landlords, brokers, developers, and operators. Drawing from real-world experience and conversations across the industry, Mike delivers actionable insights designed to help you grow your piece of the pie in this ever-evolving market.  🔔 Hit subscribe to make sure you don't miss an episode. Want to learn more about how to add a profitable coworking operation to your building? Download our free eBook: https://launchworkplaces.com/landlords/

  7. Apr 7

    The biggest opportunity most property managers are missing out on

    Property management companies need flexible office space in their toolkit, and most of them don't have it yet. In this episode of Flex in Five, Mike Kriel breaks down why the largest firms in the country are already integrating flex management into their business and what regional and local property managers need to do before they get left behind. He discusses: Why the biggest brokerage and property management firms have already made this moveWhat building owners are actually asking their property managers right nowHow coworking operators and property managers can integrate to create more value togetherWhy there's still blue water for regional firms who move firstWant to learn more about how flexible office space can work for your building? Reach out at launchworkplaces.com or connect with Mike directly on LinkedIn using the links below.  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Connect with Mike https://launchworkplaces.com/  https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-kriel-a43994/  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- About Flex in Five with Mike Kriel How do you make money in the flexible workspace industry? Mike Kriel, CEO of Launch Workplaces, breaks down the opportunities, trends, and strategies that are working right now, in five minutes or less. Honest and unfiltered, each episode tackles one focused topic, from what's working in coworking to emerging opportunities for commercial landlords, brokers, developers, and operators. Drawing from real-world experience and conversations across the industry, Mike delivers actionable insights designed to help you grow your piece of the pie in this ever-evolving market.  🔔 Hit subscribe to make sure you don't miss an episode. Want to learn more about how to add a profitable coworking operation to your building? Download our free eBook: https://launchworkplaces.com/landlords/

  8. Mar 26

    Why the exit is the first thing you should negotiate in a management agreement

    The most important part of a management agreement is the exit, and most building owners don't figure that out until they're stuck. In this episode of Flex in Five, Mike Kriel breaks down the four exit rights every landlord needs before signing a management agreement: Termination for cause Termination without causeFree will terminationSale of the building If you want to learn more about how management agreements work and what to look for as a building owner, download our Commercial Landlord's Guide to Flexible Office Space. It's 50+ pages built for landlords exploring flex: https://launchworkplaces.com/landlords/ --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Connect with Mike https://launchworkplaces.com/  https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-kriel-a43994/  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- About Flex in Five with Mike Kriel How do you make money in the flexible workspace industry? Mike Kriel, CEO of Launch Workplaces, breaks down the opportunities, trends, and strategies that are working right now, in five minutes or less. Honest and unfiltered, each episode tackles one focused topic, from what's working in coworking to emerging opportunities for commercial landlords, brokers, developers, and operators. Drawing from real-world experience and conversations across the industry, Mike delivers actionable insights designed to help you grow your piece of the pie in this ever-evolving market.  🔔 Hit subscribe to make sure you don't miss an episode. Want to learn more about how to add a profitable coworking operation to your building? Download our free eBook: https://launchworkplaces.com/landlords/

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How do you make money in the flexible workspace industry? Mike Kriel, CEO of Launch Workplaces, breaks down the opportunities, trends, and strategies that are working right now, in five minutes or less. Honest and unfiltered, each episode tackles one focused topic, from what's working in coworking to emerging opportunities for commercial landlords, brokers, developers, and operators. Drawing from real-world experience and conversations across the industry, Mike delivers actionable insights designed to help you grow your piece of the pie in this ever-evolving market.

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