CO-Spot

This is such a gem! I came across this space because of its PRIME location in the heart of the tech mecca of the USA, SOMA! It brings a unique offering in its location (which is so critical for life as an entrepreneur, btw), its very reasonable pricing, and incredible owner, Joanna. She is so warm and welcoming, yet totally professional and you can tell pours her heart into constantly keeping her business unique and helpful for her members. While it is not a place to come work during the day, like other spaces in SF, Joanna has rolled out a series of workshops that are available to her members, so you still have access to community. Great spot, great ownership and management, great price. HIGHLY recommend it!

I have been in and out of CO-​Spot for random day use throughout the past year, and I can’t say enough positive things about it! There are days when I just want a dedicated quiet space in the city to work, without having to go to a coffee shop or library and search for a socket, and this place fits the bill. Delicious coffee and pastries (free!) with plenty of eateries nearby, and friendly staff on site. They offer entrepreneurial workshops too, but I unfortunately have not been able to attend one yet. However, the service I have received here are highly recommended.

I signed up for a virtual membership without having visited the office, because it is inexpensive and in a good South of Market location. There were a few things that I found disappointing, and it’s probably not necessary to describe each thing, as they are mostly minor issues. The two things that are significant are:
1) You are unable to use Co-Spot’s address as your own address; instead, upon activating your membership, you are assigned what is essentially a PO box number. To me, this defeats the whole purpose of a virtual office! This should have been explained to me before I signed up.
2) Prior to signing up, I was not informed that the company is closed on nine religious holidays which are neither state or federal holidays. They give you short notice of these office closures. That means that if you are due to get an important piece of mail on one of those days, it will be delayed. If you need a conference room on one of these days, you’ll be out of luck. This may work for a creative professional whose life does not revolve around deadlines, but it does not work for a lawyer, and could create problems for other professionals. I suppose that Co-​Spot is for artists?
One additional thought: Co-​Spot promotes itself as a venue for female entrepreneurs and professionals (and that was a selling point for me) but it turns out that I only dealt with one person throughout the entire experience — a man. On a couple of occasions I cc’d the owner (a woman) on emails, but she apparently had no interest in me, in answering my questions or in keeping me as a member.