How Local Coworking Thrives on Rhythm, Relationships, and Small Systems
Blending tech with trust to create more space for what really matters
Running a neighbourhood coworking space or micro business isn’t a 9–5 job with clear boundaries, it’s deeply human work.
One moment you’re deep in strategy, the next you’re unjamming the printer or restocking oat milk. It’s messy, real and relational and that’s what makes it so meaningful.
But when your business is built on people, it can be hard to introduce systems without feeling like you’re losing that personal touch. I’ve wrestled with this a lot over the years. What I’ve learned? Tech doesn’t have to mean cold or corporate. When it’s used with intention, the right tools can help you create more space for human connection, not less.
It’s not about using tech for the sake of it, it’s about finding a rhythm that gives you energy back and helps you show up with more clarity and presence.
Small systems, big Impact (especially locally)
On the Powering Productivity podcast, I’ve spoken with coworking operators and micro business leaders across Ireland, the UK and beyond about how they manage this balance, how they keep their work grounded in relationship building while using tech to ease the load.
Leah Fairman of Connected Hubs Ireland shared how thoughtful automation helps her create more time for relationships:
“People expect digital ease, but they also want to know someone’s there when it matters.”
Stephen Carolan, also from Connected Hubs, described how the national platform helps local coworking spaces collaborate without losing their identity:
“The tech connects us, but the value comes from staying rooted in local needs.”
At The Hub Newry, our own neighbourhood coworking space, small tools have been game changers:
Calendly simplifies scheduling without endless email ping-pong
Flodesk keeps email flows smooth and on-brand
Xero + Hubdoc take care of finances quietly in the background
ChatGPT & AI tools help spark ideas, plan content and clarify priorities
Asana lets me move projects around based on real life (not just deadlines)
And still, the heart of it all remains people.
As Benjamin Carew of Othership said on the podcast:
“Tech should reduce friction, not create more of it. It’s there to support relationships, not replace them.”
Trust Is Still Built One Conversation at a Time
No app can read the mood in the room, no automation can replace a thoughtful word just when it’s needed.
Coworking advocate Bernie Mitchell put it perfectly:
“The systems create space for trust, but they can’t build it for you.”
That’s something I hold onto. Especially in neighbourhood coworking, trust is built through how we show up each day, how we listen, how we respond, how we make people feel welcome and seen.
Your welcome email might be automated. But the chat over coffee is what builds belonging.
What balance looks like for me
Here’s how it plays out in a typical week at The Hub Newry:
Calendly handles bookings, but I always follow up with a personal message
My accountant handles the numbers, but Xero + Hubdoc make it seamless
Flodesk runs quietly behind the scenes, but I send individual check-ins too
Asana keeps all my spinning plates visible (and moveable)
I design my week around energy and presencenot just productivity
Right now, I’m also running a little data project for myself: tracking exactly which tools I’m using, why, and how often to see if I can simplify even further.
The goal isn’t to be perfect. The goal is to do less of what drains me and more of what makes the work meaningful.
✨ A few questions to rebalance
If your to-do list feels never-ending, try asking:
What could I delegate, automate or simply drop?
Where am I working from habit instead of intention?
What tools actually support the way I like to work?
Where would I love to spend more of my energy?
You might be surprised what shifts when you make just one small change.
Need a breather?
If you’re juggling a lot (and most of us are), sometimes you don’t need a full systems overhaul. You just need space to breathe, reflect and reconnect with what matters.
That’s why I created Clarity Hour - a focused, heart-led session to help you clear the noise and find your rhythm again.
You don’t have to do it all.
And you definitely don’t have to do it alone.
With heart 💛
Suzanne