July 24, 2022 BY WorkSocial Press and Editorial
Startups usually start with a small cohort of close colleagues. But what happens when you add a bunch of new people into this close cohort? How do you maintain the company culture? In addition, what is needed to successfully scale a business to increase market share or to increase offerings? How can a small startup grow successfully to a midsize and then large company? To address these questions, we are talking to successful business leaders who can share stories and insights from their experiences about the “5 Things You Need To Know To Successfully Scale Your Business”. As a part of this series, we had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Natasha Mohan.
Natasha Mohan, CEO and Founder of WorkSocial, serves as the driving force behind the success and steady growth of the coworking business that boasts coworking spaces in New Jersey and New York, offering flexible solutions that match the individual needs of businesses, from established enterprises to scaling startups alike. . Bringing over 20 years of diverse experience in hospitality, management, retail, real estate and artistry, Natasha culminates her talents into leading WorkSocial, a company that she refers to as “a movement of happiness.” Natasha founded the company with the motto “Connect. Create. Grow,” and connecting people has become her “superpower” that her clients rely on. What sets WorkSocial apart from other coworking spaces is Natasha–her attention to detail, personalizing the services to not only be functional but also meet the individual needs of each business and entrepreneur within the space, and her strategic adaptability–never ever stay stagnant, always growing and moving forward. Natasha holds a bachelor of administration degree from the University of Michigan and is a proud longtime Jersey City resident. For more information on WorkSocial, visit worksocial.works.
Thank you for joining us in this interview series. Our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your ‘backstory’?
About 20 years ago, my husband and I started investing in residential and commercial real estate. I opened a small office space, and it was there that I found my niche in creating spaces for entrepreneurs and growing businesses that meet their needs for both comfort and productivity. In 2015, I founded WorkSocial, and a year later, we opened the doors to our Jersey City headquarters.
WorkSocial’s mission is to bring happiness back to the workspace, and coworking is the start of that passion. We’re proud to offer private offices for rent, shared and virtual offices for businesses and entrepreneurs to maximize productivity and meet workday goals. From the use of our address, meeting rooms, and workspace, our clients are able to design their day and their week with WorkSocial.
You’ve had a remarkable career journey. Can you highlight a key decision in your career that helped you get to where you are today?
One of the key decisions in my career was to embrace opportunities for growth and change. Since we’ve opened our doors, we have doubled our growth year after year. The ability to adapt and expand our business provides opportunities to learn about new clients and perhaps new industries where WorkSocial will develop offerings based on their needs. We are always willing to grow with our clients–it’s not just about space but how we serve our clients daily that makes them love coming to work every day.
Recently, we have expanded our Jersey City headquarters–expanding our shared space from 8,400 sq. ft. to 14,000 sq. ft. This increases WorkSocial’s number of private offices, day offices, coworking spaces, virtual offices and conference rooms rental Jeresy City, –with premium amenities, including virtual reception service, secure server access, shipping and mailing, onsite notary and complimentary high-speed Wifi, printing, hot breakfast, lunch, beverages and snacks.
In addition, we are in the process of developing and growing our virtual office brand nationwide and are looking to increase our office space in New York City in the near future.
What’s the most impactful initiative you’ve led that you’re particularly proud of?
WorkSocial’s community impact initiative is to give back to businesses that make a difference. For years, our company has supported York Street Project’s St. Joseph’s Home. Based in the heart of downtown Jersey City, this program supports women facing domestic violence as well as their children and families. St. Joseph’s Home provides families with supportive, communal living and assists the parents in working to improve their lives and attain permanent, affordable housing. The organization also provides its families with ongoing social services from professionals, including counseling, crisis interventions, family therapy, health education, parenting, life skills and family budgeting.
WorkSocial regularly provides food, clothing and other materials the organization needs to keep doing what they are doing and help the women and children in our community. We make sure to source food that is nutritious so that both children and parents feel happy and healthy and have the energy to power through their days.
Sometimes our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a mistake you’ve made and the lesson you took away from it?
When we first started WorkSocial, we did not understand our initial client market. We did not know who was going to be interested in a workspace at this location. Once we understood who we were serving, we adapted our space and offerings to match our audience. This was the greatest lesson for our team. We have always adapted to our clients’ needs.
How has mentorship played a role in your career, whether receiving mentorship or offering it to others?
Mentorship comes from everyone around me. I am constantly learning how to improve my way of leadership and work. Being a founder of WorkSocial has taught me how to lead a team, be an advocate for our clients’ needs, and have pushed my overall skill set to another level, and I am grateful for that.
Developing your leadership style takes time and practice. Who do you model your leadership style after? What are some key character traits you try to emulate?
I have been learning from all our great leaders of today. Indira Nooyi has been an inspiration to all women aspiring to be at the top even while balancing family life. I model after my mother, who has always taught me to be calm when making decisions. I model after my husband, who has taught me to live by my calendar. I have modeled after my friends who taught me to not be so serious all the time. I have modeled after my kids, who taught me to think outside of the box.
Thank you for sharing that with us. Let’s talk about scaling a business from a small startup to a midsize and then large company. Based on your experience, can you share with our readers the “5 Things You Need To Know To Successfully Scale Your Business”? Please give a story or example for each.
Can you share a few of the mistakes that companies make when they try to scale a business? What would you suggest to address those errors?
Not training their employees: Create a day every week where you can spend time with your new hire to train them and answer questions so they can begin to do their job.
Transparency: It’s important to give your team transparency in the direction the business is heading. If they have no clue, they are not going to give it their all to do better at their job and help the company grow.
Scaling includes bringing new people into the organization. How can a company preserve its company culture and ethos when new people are brought in?
Team Events: Keep the team together and aligned. Have them do activities that will bring them closer together
Teach them: There are going to be different personality types amongst your staff as you scale your business. It’s important to observe and learn what role would be best for them and where they have the potential to excel. Staff who have previous experience in the role or are familiar with the company and its processes can assist with training. This helps build connections between staff and gives employees a chance to undertake leadership positions. It also helps team members understand the challenges and opportunities in each role and helps the company succeed overall.
In my work, I focus on helping companies to simplify the process of creating documentation of their workflow, so I am particularly passionate about this question. Many times, a key aspect of scaling your business is scaling your team’s knowledge and internal procedures. What tools or techniques have helped your teams be successful at scaling internally?
Streamlining our internal processes. We try to make things uncomplicated so it is easier for our teams to do their jobs. Condensing steps, asking others for guidance and assistance and getting the job done.
What software or tools do you recommend to help onboard new hires?
We are currently using ADP. We are using their systems for training videos and good practices.
Because of your role, you are a person of significant influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most people, what would that be? You never know what your ideas can trigger.
Try to be good to your environment, to your surroundings and to the people around you. Good business people are kind, focused, and generous. Be all three, and your business will succeed.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
You can learn more about WorkSocial, our coworking services and our latest press mentions at our website worksocial.works.
This was truly meaningful! Thank you so much for your time and for sharing your expertise!
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