Julie, A friend and colleague had mentioned something similar about The Hub, so I'll be sure to investigate further. Thanks for the heads up.
Souk looks inviting. I have a friend or two in Portland; I'll be sure to let them know about your offering and I'll plan a visit to your space when I am out that way. I'll keep you posted. Connect anytime. Cheers, d On Mon, Oct 6, 2008 at 12:55 PM, Julie <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Dawn, > > Your model of giving time back to the community for payment was > pioneered (according to my limited research and contact with) by The > Hub in London. The mind bank concept is very interesting and I look > forward to your updates on it. > > Julie Duryea > owner, souk > 322 nw 6th avenue, suite 200 > portland, oregon 97209 > p | 503.517.6900 > f | 503.517.6901 > skype julieduryea > http://www.soukllc.com > tweet soukportland > > > On Oct 4, 9:03 pm, "Dawn Hayes" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Kudos, Tara. > > > > Personally, I am down for free drop ins. I know some of the folks in NYC > > accept donations for such and it seems to me that when a service is > > perceived as providing real value, folks are willing to do what they can > to > > support it. We see the same happen in the open source software arena, > even > > if everyone does not contributes financially and if from time to time, > > abusers, show up (Wikipedia comes to mind). > > > > Mike, given that Co-working remains in its early stages, there is room > for > > more than a few approaches on the profit-focused side of matters if that > is > > indeed a CW venture's goal. It isn't for everyone, or at least not the > > primary focus. So speaking to that side of things, we'll see what > normally > > happens over time as various business models are tested: shakeout, folds > and > > consolidation. I wouldn't underestimate the power of regional culture. > What > > works and can be easily absorbed in NYC doesn't necessarily hold for > Austin > > or Atlanta. > > > > My personal hope and vision is that Co-working evolves as a flexible > > culture, effort, whatever- that takes into account balance between > providing > > a service that has social as well as economic value. > > Surely there is room for a diverse array of interpretations until the > market > > signals otherwise. > > > > I am developing an offering in which members can opt to not be charged at > > all, but are sponsored in exchange for spending a portion of their time > in > > the space collaboratively engaging in entrepreneurial innovations in > their > > communities. So, a mixed space of paid and sponsored desks is the model I > am > > focusing upon. Feel free to connect with me off list on this. > > > > In the end everyone has the ability and right to exercise their > discretion > > in terms of how they want to drive the bus. Some folks are going to look > for > > a space that operates under a "strictly business" culture and others will > > probably favor something that goes beyond it. > > > > Those that use our spaces are just as diverse in terms of tastes, > > expectations, preferences, willingness and ability to consume as we are. > So, > > in terms of how it translates into dollars, that really plays into > > intentional strategic planning and keeping one's ear to the ground with > what > > those using the space are expecting and willing to consume. > > > > Cheers, > > > > Dawn > > > > On Fri, Oct 3, 2008 at 12:32 PM, Tara Hunt <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > wrote: > > > > > We have free dropins because: > > > > > 1. We don't have 'regular' hours - what kind of business says, "Well, > > > MAYBE we'll be around to serve?" > > > 2. The costs of the space are covered by the deskowners and a few > > > keyholders > > > 3. We've never had CS in the two years it's been around - and it's a > > > popular, buzzing space - be too busy for more dropins or for the rent > > > payers (although if it did...the dropins would be asked to skedaddle) > > > 4. It's always created more tenants for us > > > 5. I don't want to deal with the paperwork around it - I'm too busy for > > > that > > > 6. CS isn't a business, it's a service - we look at coworking as a > > > service to the community, not a business venture > > > 7. It makes for good energy in the space to have people and not have > > > to be transactional at the get go - we use the gift economy, "You use > > > the space for the day for free, or even while you are in town for the > > > week for free, then you need to pay it forward and do something nice > > > for someone else" > > > 8. We've had only 1 incident in hundreds of drop-ins because of the > free > > > thing. > > > 9. When we were originally conceiving coworking, we knew we were > > > competing with coffee shops and people's dining rooms/home offices > > > which are free to sit in (well, maybe cup of coffee bought), so we > > > assumed that getting them out of their houses and into coworking would > > > require a similar deal. It kinda works that way. > > > 10. It brings me karma > > > > > On Fri, Oct 3, 2008 at 9:00 AM, Darrell Silver > > > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > I guess I disagree.. > > > > I really think that free daily rates is part of a successful business > > > model > > > > for most spaces. If you have extra capacity, there is zero cost to > > > giving > > > > away usage of desks to free drop ins, and lots of benefit in free > > > > advertising and community. As you mature and fill the space with > paying > > > > tenants, you simply reduce the supply of free dropins. > > > > As Alex said, think of this 'free' as a marketing tool. > > > > D > > > > > > --------------------------------------- > > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > (917) 841-4079 > > > > New York, NY > > > > > > On Oct 3, 2008, at 11:47 AM, Stephanie Frasco wrote: > > > > > > Hey everyone, > > > > Sorry if that last email came off too sales-y...I forgot to turn off > biz > > > > mode. With regard to free access, there is no such thing as a free > > > lunch. > > > > If you want to survive you have to get paid. I think Membership is > the > > > best > > > > way to go or ZipOffices which is something I want to develop the > > > technology > > > > on. Rent it by the hour, sign up online. Done and Done. any > thoughts > > > on > > > > that? > > > > > > On Fri, Oct 3, 2008 at 11:29 AM, Stephanie Frasco > > > > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > >> The E.Factor offers access to co-working spaces around the world > when > > > they > > > >> sign up for Premium Membership. http://www.efactor.com- > > > >>http://www.efactor.com/p/premium > > > > > >> We are currently looking for more spaces, if you are interested in a > > > joint > > > >> profitable deal please contact me. I am looking forward to meeting > all > > > of > > > >> you one day. > > > > > >> Stephanie Frasco > > > >> [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > >>www.twitter.com/askfrasco > > > > > >> On Fri, Oct 3, 2008 at 11:25 AM, Julie <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > >>> We offer "one free trial day" cards. We also have daily drop in > rates > > > >>> of $25 (used to be $10/hr, but walk/drop-in was, and has been since > > > >>> the rate reduction, an EXTREMELY negligible part of our business). > > > >>> One needs to run the numbers as to whether or not it makes sense, > > > >>> particularly because some kind of "staffing" is required for drop- > > > >>> ins. I think it's great when you first open to have bodies around > > > >>> (for free - friends are good), but really, monthly memberships will > be > > > >>> what sustain you. > > > > > >>> Do keep in mind that location will make a difference to your > drop-in > > > >>> traffic. Busy part of town with lots of professionals vs. being > > > >>> tucked further away, esp. from public transportation. > > > > > >>> Wish you the best of luck. > > > > > >>> Julie Duryea > > > >>> owner, souk > > > >>> 322 nw 6th avenue, suite 200 > > > >>> portland, oregon 97209 > > > >>> p | 503.517.6900 > > > >>> f | 503.517.6901 > > > >>> skype julieduryea > > > >>>http://www.soukllc.com > > > >>> tweet soukportland > > > > > >>> On Oct 3, 7:58 am, Darrell Silver <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > wrote: > > > >>> > Alex is exactly on target with how dropins fit into the business > > > >>> > model. We have seen many times that spaces need a few months to > grow > > > >>> > into full capacity. During this crucial phase, free dropins > provide > > > >>> > excellent advertising for people who are new to the concept. > > > > > >>> > The same applies to holding Jelly events. They are a great way > to > > > >>> > get the word out, especially early on. > > > > > >>> > As an aside, have you thought of calling the non-full time > > > >>> > memberships 'part-time' instead of 'floaters'? > > > > > >>> > D > > > > > >>> > --------------------------------------- > > > >>> > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > >>> > (917) 841-4079 > > > >>> > New York, NY > > > > > >>> > On Oct 2, 2008, at 4:09 PM, Alex Hillman wrote: > > > > > >>> > > Think of "free use" as a marketing tool. It varies space to > space. > > > > > >>> > > For instance, we don't have a "free dropin" policy like some, > but > > > >>> > > some of our signup rates include free days. Also, consider > Jelly > > > >>> > > (http://workatjelly.com/) as a market growing technique. I > know > > > >>> > > there are already multiple Atlanta Jelly groups. > > > > > >>> > > Bottom line, though, is if you want to be a sustainable > business, > > > >>> > > include memberships that a) work for your members and b) work > for > > > >>> > > you. > > > > > >>> > > -Alex > > > > > >>> > > -- > > > >>> > > ----- > > > >>> > > -- > > > >>> > > ----- > > > >>> > > Alex Hillman > > > >>> > > im always developing something > > > >>> > > digital: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > >>> > > visual:www.dangerouslyawesome.com > > > >>> > > local:www.indyhall.org > > > > > >>> > > On Thu, Oct 2, 2008 at 2:35 PM, Mike Schinkel > > > >>> > > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > >>> > > Hi all: > > > > > >>> > > I'm hearing that a lot of you are allowing people to use the > > > >>> > > coworking > > > >>> > > spaces for free. In trying to plan a facility I've run the > numbers > > > >>> > > and I > > > >>> > > don't see how that is possible. First I don't see how you can > get > > > >>> > > people to > > > >>> > > pay for what you are giving for free and second I don't see how > you > > > >>> > > can make > > > >>> > > the density work. > > > > > >>> > > I understand that coworking is all about providing an open > > > >>> > > environment and > > > >>> > > letting people use it w/o signing up is in the spirit of things > but > > > >>> > > in order > > > >>> > > for us to pull this off it needs to be profitable, i.e. not > > > >>> > > operating at a > > > >>> > > loss. > > > > > >>> > > Could anyone speak to this please? Thanks in advance. > > > > > >>> > > -Mike Schinkel > > > >>> > > President; NewClarity LLC > > > >>> > > Organizer: Atlanta Web Entrepreneurs > > > >>> > >http://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeschinkel > > > >>> > >http://mikeschinkel.com > > > >>> > >http://atlanta-web.org > > > > > >> -- > > > >> Stephanie Frasco > > > >> Special Operations > > > > > >>http://www.efactor.com > > > > > > -- > > > > Stephanie Frasco > > > > Special Operations > > > > > >http://www.efactor.com > > > > > -- > > > -- > > > tara 'missrogue' hunt > > > > > Book: The Whuffie Factor: Using the Power of Social Networks to Build > > > Your Business ( > > >http://www.amazon.com/Whuffie-Factor-Capital-Winning-Communities/dp/0. > .. > > > ) > > > Company: Citizen Agency (http://www.citizenagency.com) > > > Blog: HorsePigCow: Marketing > > > > ... > > > > read more ยป > > > -- "We are not human beings having a spiritual experience, but we are spiritual beings having a human experience."--Pierre Teilhard de Chardin --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Coworking" group. 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