Branding and Marketing
BLOG SERIES PART 8
Branding & Social Media in Co-Working Spaces: How to Promote Yourself Without Creating the Appearance of a Single Salon Business**
Branding is one of the most misunderstood areas in modern co-working — especially in the hair, beauty, tattoo, wellness and creative industries.
In traditional salons, everyone posts under one brand.
In co-working, that structure can cause confusion and even compliance problems.
Swiss authorities already use online presence as part of their assessment of independence, and most space owners don't realise how much platforms like TikTok, Instagram or even Google Maps can reveal.
This blog breaks down:
how Members should present themselves online,
how the Space Owner should brand the space,
how authorities interpret social media signals,
and how to ensure your co-working environment always appears exactly as it is: a community of independent professionals, not a unified business.
Why Branding Matters for Compliance
Authorities often check:
websites
Instagram bios
TikTok captions
Google Maps listings
client confirmation emails
booking URLs
advertisements and flyers
Facebook pages
hashtags and geotags
Because these reveal the actual relationship better than any contract.
If everything online suggests:
a single salon brand,
a unified team,
employees rather than independent Members,
or one owner actively promoting the work of others as their own service offering…
…then the co-working structure becomes harder to defend.
Marketing can unintentionally destroy the independence the legal structure carefully built.
The Golden Rule: One Space, Many Businesses — Not One Salon, Many Workers
Co-working branding must follow a simple logic:
The Space has its brand.
Each Member has their own brand.
They are separate, but connected through location.
Just like Impact Hub:
“Based at Impact Hub Zürich” does not make all its Members one company.
Just like Westhive:
A freelancer’s clients know they work inside Westhive, not for Westhive.
Same goes for:
Citizen Space
Trust Square
therapy co-working clinics
wellness co-working studios
Hair, beauty and tattoo co-working spaces operate exactly the same way.
How Members Should Present Themselves on Social Media
1. Their business identity comes first
A Member’s Instagram bio should say:
“Independent hairstylist based at 8004.salon Co-Working Space”
or
“Tattoo artist working independently inside a co-working studio at XYZ”
NOT:
“Stylist at 8004.salon”
“Part of the 8004 team”
“Employee at…”
“8004.salon hairstylist”
Those imply an employment or unified business structure.
2. Use location tags, not employer phrasing
Correct:
“Based in Zürich, 8004.salon Co-Working Collective”
“Working independently at a co-working space in Kreis 4”
Incorrect:
“Working for 8004.salon”
“8004.salon stylist”
3. Captions should highlight independence
Examples:
“Loved creating this look today at my co-working space in Zürich.”
“Another colour transformation in my studio chair inside 8004.salon’s co-working environment.”
Each sentence reinforces autonomy.
4. Receipts and booking confirmations must come from the Member
A screenshot saying:
“Booking confirmed by 8004.salon”
implies employment.
Instead:
“Booking confirmed by [Member Name] — Independent Stylist at 8004.salon Co-Working Space”
This distinction is extremely important.
How the Space Owner Should Present the Space
1. Promote the space, not the Members’ work as if it’s your service
Great:
“Here are independent professionals who choose to work in our space.”
“Meet the Members of our co-working community.”
“A beautiful transformation created by [Name], who works independently from our co-working space.”
Risky:
“Our stylists created…”
“Our team did this colour…”
“Look at what we did today…”
“Our work. Our services.”
Those expressions imply a single business.
2. Use collective language only in relation to the space, not the services
Correct:
“We provide a co-working environment.”
“We host independent professionals.”
“Our space supports Members who run their own businesses.”
Incorrect:
“We offer haircuts, colours, tattoos…”
“Our salon does…”
“Our services include…”
The building provides space.
The Members provide services.
3. Use brand separation visually
Examples that reinforce co-working:
Show the space empty.
Show Members but caption them as independent.
Use neutral branding in posts about the space.
Avoid unified uniforms, aprons or branding that suggests employment.
How Authorities Interpret Social Media Signals
Auditors check:
Does the space look like it controls the Members?
Does the social media imply “one salon”?
Do Members appear to be a “team”?
Does the Space’s branding overshadow Member brands?
Are posts framed like employer–employee communication?
Do booking links all point to a central system?
Does the Space appear to profit from Member services?
If the space appears like:
One brand → one service provider → multiple workers inside,
that triggers further inquiry.
If the space appears like:
Independent businesses → shared location → no unified service offering,
that aligns perfectly with co-working norms.
How Pod.World Reinforces Branding Separation
Pod.World, the co-working management tool built for service-based spaces, guarantees:
each Member has their own booking profile
each Member has their own receipts
each Member has their own SMS/email templates
space owners cannot override Member branding
Members are presented as independent providers
the space’s brand appears only where appropriate
no unified “service list” exists for all Members
In other words:
The software prevents the appearance of a single business — even accidentally.
This makes compliance not just possible, but automatic.
Conclusion: Branding Is Not Just Marketing — It’s Legal Architecture
The way a co-working space presents itself online can either:
protect the model, or
unintentionally destroy it.
The right branding approach ensures:
Members look independent
The space looks like a landlord of infrastructure
No unified “team” identity appears
Auditors see clear separation
Client relationships remain with the Member
The co-working structure stays fully compliant
In Switzerland, where online presence is routinely reviewed during audits, this clarity isn’t optional — it’s essential.
In Blog 9, we’ll look at Google Maps, directories, and online listings, and how to structure your digital footprint so independence is unmistakable.
