Groupspaces.com for space management

[Toni Hogan]

I decided to make this a new topic...

I don't know how sophisticated you guys need your space management
system to be, but for now I've decided to go with groupspaces.com. I
chose the $19.99 plan to get rid of the adds. The plan offers email
and google analytics if that's important. Features:

-Up to 2,500 members
-Unlimited member lists (i.e. by membership plan)
-Event manager...members can add events so this works for meeting
rooms. i will still use an external meeting room system for non-
members.
-Member database
-Group mailing list
-Group website
-Membership forms (captures info for database)
-Custom newsletters
-Send invites & RSVPs
-Forms & wikis
-E-mail subscriptions
-Member lists
-E-mail archive
-File repository

I set up each membership plan as recurring subscriptions. I can also
set up a store...day passes, additional meeting room hours, add-ons,
etc. I can create invoices too. Being a novice, this seems pretty cool
to me. We'll see. Our first member is ready to sign up so I had to
have something up and running.

I suffer from PWS (perfect world syndrome). In this world, we will
have a totally paperless system. I converted the membership agreement
to pdf and attached as a file/link on the approval/welcome email that
generates automatically when I approve a membership. However, you can
also add a page with the membership agreement and link to that. In the
approval email, they are directed to read the MA because there will be
a quiz. The "quiz"...I have read and accept the terms blah, blah,
blah. Click Yes/No

Oh, added bonus...it kind of looks like our website (coincidence) and
the forum feels like old google groups. You can see the home page for
the member site and take a quick peek at my website. You won't be able
to see anything on the member site except the home page.

members.theofficeconnexion.com
www.theofficeconnexion.com

My 2 cent of the day!

Toni Hogan

[Will Bennis, Locus Workspace]

Hi Toni,

Thank you so much for this detailed descriptionn of groupspaces. Looks very promising. I tend towards individual pieces (so an invoice tool, a forum tool, etc.) rather than an all-in-one tool, just because they never seem to be ideal across the different features, but I'm curious to hear how it ends up working. It sounds great.

Best,

Will

[Toni Hogan]

Adrienne, because the platform is not owned I can see the need for the
TOS to protect their interest. I think (could be wrong) that most
platforms...facebook, google groups, email...all have us agree to
their terms, but we also need to have our own membership agreement/
terms of use even if it's on paper.

Groupspaces users can browse a list of available groups, however you
can choose the option not to have your group appear in the list. Also,
our group setting is private and people must be approved (after
receiving the link) before they can access the group. So, in essence
you could sign into groupspaces, but not The Office Connexion group.

There is only one sign up. The form you saw was customized by me. Go
to groupspaces.com to see the difference. Once someone is approved to
join our group the member receives an approval email with our
(adopted) Terms of Use attached. The email instructs them to select a
membership plan which is where they acknowledge they have read the
Terms of Use by clicking "yes or no."

I hope this helps. Based on the posts from some of the veteran space
owners I kind of had an idea of what I needed a software to do
initially. Cobot.me does not make sense financially for my startup.
eWorky just didn't make me feel all giddy inside. Hopefully, I can let
everyone know soon if this is going to be a "great" program. I like
that they are open to suggestions...I just may have a few. :-)

Oh, I have the group set to members only but it can be set to public
with restrictions placed on specific pages. The only reason I would
see this as useful is for event management. I prefer to use an
external event system for non-members anyway.

Toni

On May 8, 7:48 am, Adrienne N <arnorm...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi Toni,
> Good info.  I have some questions for you though.
> I went to your members link and clicked on "join group".  It took me
> to a form that had a box at the bottom to agree to terms and
> conditions.  I read the T&C and it was for use of groupspaces, not the
> office connexion.  Also, it asked if I was already a user of
> groupspaces and if so, I could just log in without filling out the
> form.
>
> How does this affect what you are trying to do?  Do you have to go
> through 2 sign  ups?  one for groupspaces and a second for the office
> connexion group?
>
> I'm just wondering as I'm evaluating options too.
> Thanks,
> Adrienne