Venture Workspace turns 9. Here’s what we’ve learnt

In August this year, Venture Workspace officially turned nine. It’s a pretty big milestone that quietly snuck up on us, presenting an opportunity to take a moment to reflect on just how far we’ve come.

“In just under a decade, we’ve opened five offices across two cities,” says Louis Fourie, Venture Workspace Founder. “If I had to sum up the journey, it’s been a cycle of succeeding, failing, learning, and trying again. Our story has been anything but linear, and I suspect it will stay that way as long as we continue to expand.”

“With members from all industries sharing our coworking spaces, we’ve seen firsthand what makes good companies succeed,” adds Lize Craddock, Venture Workspace Somerset West Operations Manager.

“We’ve seen how people get ahead and overcome obstacles… the early mornings, the last-minute scrambles, the figure-it-out-as-you-go moments. We’ve been through it ourselves, too. And that perhaps is the biggest certainty from the past nine years: no one is out here building alone amongst all the ephemeral noise. No challenge keeping you up at night is something the business owner working near you hasn’t likely experienced.”

To celebrate our birthday, here are nine lessons we’ve learnt over nine years in business:

Help others find what helped you

When you find something that helps, inspires, or moves you, pass it on. This lesson encapsulates the environment of our workspaces in Cape Town and Johannesburg, where business knowledge-sharing occurs throughout the day.

“Be the person who clears the path so that others can follow,” says Lize. “We always do what we can to share resources and knowledge to assist our members. We’ve learnt that the person who clears the path ultimately controls its direction.”

It’s not what you sell. It’s how you’re built

“A company’s true competitive advantage isn’t just its specific product or service, but the entire business itself – how it’s designed, operated, and delivered.” – Pavlo Phitidis, Business Growth System Founder & Author

“Phitidis does a fantastic job of shifting our thinking from product obsession to building a business that becomes the product investors and customers actually want,” Louis explains.

“Over the past nine years at Venture Workspace, we’ve not merely been selling physical office space. Our success is largely attributed to what we actually do: create environments where professionals feel genuinely supported and cared for. We’re a business that cares about the success of other businesses. When people feel that they matter and have what they need, they can live and work better and become more likely to succeed. Yes to that!”

Hire people who give a damn

“Hire people who actually care. It’s a simple formula for success,” Lize adds. “A large part of our success as a business is due to our team, whose passion and hard work have made us more than just a name. Most of our team members hail from the hospitality sector and understand what it takes to make people truly feel cared for.”

Adding to this, Louis highlights how there is no future for Venture Workspace if we hire people who do not identify with our values, our mission, and morals. “While it is not guaranteed that someone who cares will do great work, it is guaranteed that they will not do good work if they simply do not care.”

Don’t overlook simple solutions

“There’s a tendency, especially when you care deeply about something, to completely overthink it and to assume everything needs to be big, polished, expensive, and professional,” says Devin Cunningham, Venture Workspace Cape Town Riverlands Centre Manager. “But what we’ve learnt along the way is that the most impactful solutions are often incredibly simple, easy, and even affordable.”

Decide what’s urgent vs what’s important (constantly)

It’s easy to get caught up in the immediacy of what’s in front of you – the day-to-day of running your business, endless admin, emails, and meetings. To stay the course, we’ve come to appreciate the efficiency of Eisenhower’s urgent vs important principle.

“This concept involves evaluating a task in terms of its urgency and importance, and placing them in one of four distinct quadrants to ensure efficiency,” Louis explains. The team compiled an article explaining this in detail here.

Consistency matters

Discipline now, freedom later. From our prior experience across the hospitality sector, we know that guests don’t remember if you solved a problem once. They always remember if you were reliable every time they encountered a challenge.

“Here’s an important lesson we continue to learn and relearn at Venture Workspace,” says Intle Mjekula, Venture Workspace Cape Town Riverlands Assistant Centre Manager. “Great service and hospitality are built on daily, consistent habits and offerings, not one-time actions.”

The ‘work’ doesn’t disappear just because you’ve found your passion

Speaking from experience, Louis highlights how creating something meaningful will drain and overwhelm you. “Yes, it will feel like work, but at the end of the day, if you truly believe in what you’re building, it will come with a strong sense of accomplishment,” he adds.

“What I also know is this: you definitely don’t have to love every minute of working. The ‘work’ also doesn’t disappear just because you’ve found your passion. However, in saying that, it should also still feel workable. If you can afford to, delegate what you can. If you can’t yet afford that, automate it. Time is your most precious resource in business.”

Hard things are good for you

“Over these past nine years, there were setbacks we didn’t anticipate, problems we didn’t know existed, and moments where it would’ve been easier to walk away. But we can only learn what we’re capable of by experiencing hard things,” Louis explains.

“Get comfortable with failure. In the end, those are the moments that stay with you, not the easy wins, not the shortcuts, accolades, or money.”

It takes time to build up from nothing

You need an actionable plan to guide you and define where you are heading in your business. But just as important is the ability to adapt when circumstances change.

“Find ways to use tools and software to work smarter and get better at what you do,” Louis adds. “But also remember that it’s okay to lengthen your timeline. Waiting is hard in a world that demands instant results. Good things take time. Don’t rush the process.”

Looking ahead…

So, what’s next for Venture Workspace? As we expand, our North Star always remains this: to offer flexible and affordable coworking and serviced offices that inspire businesses to grow sustainably. Ultimately, we’re on a mission to create collaborative spaces across South Africa that raise the bar for better ways of working and living.

We believe that the physical office still plays a vital role in our future world of work, but the ‘office’ is no longer what it used to be. Come see for yourself…

Whether you’re an independent freelancer or an established business, we’d love to have you join us at Venture Workspace Cape Town or Johannesburg. Contact us directly at info@ventureworkspace or fill out our contact form here.