Hi John!
> *[1] Does that description sound about right to you?* In my opinion, yes and no. There's most certainly a wide spectrum, but a space where camaraderie is merely a byproduct is not much of a coworking space. Regardless of how profitable you intend to be, the emphasis on building a healthy community has to be there. > * [2] Is one model more "sustainable" than the other, or is it too early > to tell? Put another way, is the for-profit model more sustainable > because the profit motive draws in enough cash to keep going (and > offers the owner incentive to keep it going), or is the not-for-profit > model more sustainable because the participants are mutually committed > to a shared success?* I think it's a little of both. To be sustainable, you need to create a space that's profitable enough to sustain a part- or full-time manager (which could be the owner), but whether the owner wants to make money off the space depends on their intentions and what they get out of it. Many spaces are extensions of the founders' existing agencies, so while the space only breaks even, they are afforded the benefits of having great people come and work in their space. * [3] Has anyone out there created a coworking space that you would say > has split the two models down the middle, making SOME money but also > actively providing support for participating coworkers by playing > connector / booster?* I think many or most of the coworking spaces are trying to strike that balance. I'm currently a fan of the phrase "not just for profit," as I think it embodies where many of us are going with our efforts. Good stuff to discuss! Best, Tony Bacigalupo ------------------------ Coworking: http://nwcny.com Book: http://imouttaherethebook.com Recession: http://runwayproject.org Personal: http://tonybacigalupo.com --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ 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 -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
