Good luck on securing funds from the SBA. I spent 4-5 months to conclude that I basically didn't qualify. Two words: passive income.
The SBA wants "active" businesses as in people help or service customers directly. At its core level, coworking is rental property that just collects, well, rent. Creating a community, as noble as that sounds, facilitating networking/relationships, etc. does not count if they are not specific tasks/products/services for which a customers pays. The closest model is a fitness/gym club. Customers pay a membership fee to get trained. And while gym members mostly pay for a right to use any set of equipment, coworkers pay for a right to use a specific desk/office. But, the other ideas about gov't funding otherwise sound really resourceful. I wish I had tried those options. Jerome ______________ BLANKSPACES "work wide open" 5405 Wilshire Blvd (2 blocks west of La Brea) Los Angeles, CA 90036 323.330.9505 On May 16, 2008, at 5:58 AM, BrianR wrote: > > I'm in the final stages of receiving funds from my Town. Its not a > gift but a loan I have to pay back. (Fingers crossed) > > First look for your local Small Business Association. In the US you > can find them here http://www.sba.gov/localresources/index.html. I'm > working with a local group and they have been INVALUABLE during my > year and half journey to find funds. They know the options out there. > > I think the key is reading local and state economic development plans. > Find lines that mention things like retaining businesses and jobs, > increasing available office space, localism, creative class, green > business, etc. All of these elements are part of Coworking. > > Then have coffee with your local Economic Development Director and > elected officials. If you have a community CoOp in your town talk to > their Directors &/or Board Members. They have experience with member > organizations and ways to fund them. Plus ask your nonprofit Executive > Directors about creative funding. Any successful nonprofit will have > lots of experience in this area too. Go talk to local banks. I was > very skeptical about what they could do to help. But at the very least > you obtain perspective about the funding options. Many local bankers > are your neighbors and will care about what you're doing. They can > have great advice too. > > See what these folks are trying to do in your community. I bet you can > find allies. > > -BrianR > Carrboro Creative Coworking > carrborocoworking.com > > On May 15, 2:56 pm, Jay <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >> One of my first thoughts was that our local city government would >> have >> an interest in a coworking facility here in Louisville, KY since it's >> all about revitalization and economic development locally. >> >> I didn't know if would be possible to get grants or other assistance >> for this type of start-up. >> >> I was wondering if anyone else had gone down this route and what kind >> of response did you get? > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Coworking" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/coworking?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
