To riff on Chris's point, I feel like my decision making abilities are always in the communities best interest and that fact is never at risk of being dissolved into my interest in a bigger paycheck.
I make plenty of money from the things that coworking has enabled me to do without making money directly from renting desks. -Alex -- ----- -- ----- Alex Hillman im always developing something digital: [email protected] helpful: www.unstick.me visual: www.dangerouslyawesome.com local: www.indyhall.org 2009/3/19 Chris Conrey <[email protected]> > John it is my true belief that if you run a co-working space with the > primary intent to be a revenue stream you will fail. Not because of the > math, but because people won't find it to be authentic. There is a > "real"ness that is necessary to have a successful working space. There a > many models for how it can work - but I don't know of anyone who is using > co-working as their business model successfully. > > Chris Conrey > chrisconrey.com > Human->Geek Relations at Integrum > @conrey on Twitter > > > On Thu, Mar 19, 2009 at 11:32 AM, John Proffitt <[email protected]>wrote: > >> Wow! Great answers from Chris and Tony and Geoff. I really appreciate the >> insights. >> >> Just from reviewing the coworking web sites out there and talking to a >> couple folks directly involved, it does seem as though it's a blended >> mission/service that's most prevalent. >> >> I've been considering whether I could run a coworking business as a >> primary income stream, but all my calculations so far suggest that that's >> just not feasible (of course, I could be way off on calculations -- I've >> only just started in the last week). Seems like I'd need to be doing >> contracting/consulting work of my own on the side, or combine the coworking >> stuff with another part-time job. >> >> Anyway, thanks for the insights! I have another question, but I'll post it >> separately. >> >> --John >> >> >> >> On Thu, Mar 19, 2009 at 8:22 AM, Chris Conrey <[email protected]>wrote: >> >>> >>[1] Does that description sound about right to you? >>> Not really, I think its less black and white - with a ton more gray areas >>> in between. >>> >>> >>[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 obviously if you can strike the balance with the for-profit model >>> and have the right people there - then it is certainly sustainable, but I >>> think your reason for the not-for-profit being sustainable is backwards. It >>> is going to be a small core of people that sustain the not-for-profit model >>> - the majority of people will be freeloaders (I couldn't think of a less >>> pejorative term to use). Not in that they are leeching off of the others >>> for their own profit, but that they are going to be unable to contribute >>> financially yet their community influence or skills are going to be >>> irreplaceable. >>> >>> >>[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 would imagine nearly everyone in this group who runs a co-working space >>> will say that they are walking that razor edge every day. I know that we at >>> Gangplank do aim to make some money to support our endeavours here but it >>> comes a distant second to growing the community in Phoenix and enriching the >>> environment. >>> >>> >>> Chris Conrey >>> chrisconrey.com >>> Human->Geek Relations at Integrum >>> @conrey on Twitter >>> >>> >>> On Wed, Mar 18, 2009 at 6:24 PM, jmproffitt <[email protected]>wrote: >>> >>>> >>>> As we're evaluating whether/how to start a coworking office in the >>>> Anchorage area, it strikes me that there's a spectrum of possible >>>> approaches. >>>> >>>> On the one hand, there's the sort of "retail" coworking space where >>>> people simply rent desks by the day, week, month, etc. The space is >>>> helpful to those participating simply by being there. Camaraderie is a >>>> welcome byproduct, but not a primary goal. This business approach is a >>>> pure for-profit play that must make money for the owner(s) to remain >>>> viable. >>>> >>>> At the other end of the spectrum is the break-even "community" >>>> coworking space where the objective is to support independent digital >>>> workers and even foster community amongst them. It might even be an >>>> advocacy space that promotes the businesses that participate in the >>>> coworking venture. In this case, the coworking space might make money, >>>> but that's a byproduct of the venture rather than the primary goal. >>>> >>>> And then there's a spectrum of variations in between these two models. >>>> >>>> A few questions... >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> --John >>>> jmproffitt [at] gmail [dot] com >>>> @jmproffitt >>>> >>>> >>>> >>> >>> >>> >> >> >> > > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Coworking" group. 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