do you know how much $ the average starbucks makes? the question really should be why aren't we all starting up cafes?!
-- pat cheung [email protected] On Thu, Mar 19, 2009 at 11:59 AM, Chris Conrey <[email protected]>wrote: > They also don't generally have the actually floor space and desks and > phones and other infrastructure to handle a true co-working space (at least > as configured currently). Also, why would they? That fails the "In-N-Out > Burger" test - do one thing and do it exceptionally well. Don't screw > around with chicken or fish if you're a burger joint. > > > Chris Conrey > chrisconrey.com > Human->Geek Relations at Integrum > @conrey on Twitter > > > > On Thu, Mar 19, 2009 at 11:54 AM, John Proffitt <[email protected]>wrote: > >> I was thinking about coworking today -- locations, designs, amenities and >> so on -- and I got to thinking about the future of the business. >> >> It strikes me that someone will eventually come along and franchise or >> corporatize the concept, assuming there's a profit to be made that's worth >> pursuing for a big company. Worst case scenario, I can imagine Starbucks >> making a slight strategic change and pursuing the coworking business as an >> add-on to the coffee shop business. They could, with a little effort, buy up >> space next to many of their existing locations and setup the spaces in a >> coworking fashion rather than a cafe fashion. Charge for day-to-day access, >> weekly, monthly, etc. I'm sure to corporate thinkers, a coworking space >> looks just like any old office, only cheaper. >> >> I don't know if it would be profitable for a company like Starbucks to do >> this, but they do seem to be well-positioned to make a move like this, given >> their sizable retail presence. And coworking sites might look like a >> not-insignificant threat to their existing business. >> >> What they couldn't replicate, of course, are the communities that accrete >> around a coworking space and group of regulars. That's organic and needs a >> "real" leader to facilitate it and grow it; it requires people to be in the >> space and participating in the community regularly, and Starbucks couldn't >> get that kind of loyalty, I'm sure. >> >> For those that have started a coworking biz or researched it more than I >> have... >> >> [1] Are you concerned about copycat corporate businesses popping up? >> [2] Has this already started happening in some areas? >> [3] Could a "corporate" version of coworking even survive? >> >> >> > > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ 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 -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
