I totally agree, and I am really looking forward to diving in. Thanks for the encouragement!
Marilee On Jul 15, 9:35 am, Alex Hillman <[email protected]> wrote: > Marilee, > > Are you involved with any of your local coworking efforts? Hearing our > dialogue on this list is pretty one sided, despite how insightful :) > > I'd highly encourage you to get out there and experience a few (or a dozen) > different styles of coworking for yourself, as well as spend some time > talking to people who participate as members, rather than operators. Our > members tend to be far more insightful than I can, even when they don't mean > to be :) > > -Alex > > /ah > indyhall.org > coworking in philadelphia > > On Thu, Jul 15, 2010 at 8:57 AM, marileebowlescarey < > > [email protected]> wrote: > > I'm awed by the number of insights about this topic. As I have been > > doing my due diligence, I have been both inspired by what is > > happening, but also concerned about where it is going. So I appreciate > > all your perspectives. > > > Marilee > > > On Jul 12, 2:06 pm, Campbell McKellar <[email protected]> wrote: > > > All of these comments have been spot on; however I'd like to offer > > another > > > perspective (as a coworker). > > > > For some background, I'm working on Loosecubes, a website meant to > > connect > > > independents and travelers to the right coworking spaces and desk shares, > > > and to facilitate connections between spaces and the people working in > > them. > > > We have a basic prototype out and are working hard on the second phase > > > (thanks to the many of you who've been beta testers and provided > > feedback!). > > > So in some ways, I am not the typical coworker; however, in many ways I > > am > > > (if there is such a thing). > > > > In the last two weeks, working at New Work City, I have: > > > - sat next to a publicist for startups who gave me some incredibly > > valuable > > > advice for about a half hour > > > - had a successful facebook application builder review our wireframes and > > > offer feedback > > > - been introduced to a NY Times tech reporter and numerous bloggers > > > - had my blackberry fixed by a handset expert who was able to talk me off > > > the ledge after mine exploded > > > > All this for the price of a basic part time membership! > > > > If coworking spaces are able to communicate these types of experiences to > > > people - using community members to do so - any business person is going > > to > > > come to the same conclusion I have: the economic benefit to my business > > is > > > 10x what I pay to come to New Work City. If you added up the cost to me > > (as > > > a understaffed startup entrepreneur) to track down a publicist, > > developer, > > > reporters, and tech support on an ad hoc basis (not to mention the cost > > and > > > time of engaging these services or spending time to meet with them and > > > develop trusting relationships outside the workplace), it would be > > > astronomical. In fact, I probably just wouldn't do it, and my business > > > would suffer because of it. > > > > I think if people are considering business centers, staying home, or not > > > willing to pay for memberships, it's because we're not 1) building > > > communities that collaborate or 2) our members are not communicating > > clearly > > > to the outside world the incredible economic opportunity coworking > > creates > > > for them. > > > > Maybe the next wave of adopters needs to be recruited on economic, not > > > strictly personal/lifestyle terms. > > > > (Just my two cents!) > > > > Campbell McKellarwww.loosecubes.com > > > beta invite code: lovemonday > > > > ps. I know what Tony has created at NWC is incredibly special AND > > > incredibly difficult to do, so please take my comments with a grain of > > > salt! > > > > On Mon, Jul 12, 2010 at 12:06 PM, mark gilbreath <[email protected] > > >wrote: > > > > > Marilee > > > > > You've gotten some great feedback on the barriers to growth for the > > > > human/"community" aspects of coworking. Let me add a couple of > > thoughts > > > > regarding the physical and operational aspects. After all, coworking > > > > facilities are real places with real expenses, offering a real product > > to > > > > customers from whom we expect/need to be compensated. And, in many > > cases we > > > > owners/operators have ambitions for our coworking operations to be our > > > > primary livelihood. So while there may not be any barriers to growth > > of > > > > the human community, there are real practical challenges and barriers > > to the > > > > business operations. > > > > > *We should expect increasing competition in the marketplace.* The > > barrier > > > > to entry to open a cowork facility is relatively low. It is > > unavoidable > > > > that some communities will eventually be "overbuilt". We should expect > > the > > > > serviced office/executive suites industry (Regus et al) to wake up... > > at > > > > some point... and view coworking venues as competition. We should > > expect > > > > competition from new players in the commercial real estate world who > > are > > > > scrambling to figure out what to do with a massive over supply of high > > > > quality office space. > > > > > *We need to be able to operate our facilities at a profit, however > > modest*. > > > > Facilities that are running at a loss or at just breakeven will not > > be > > > > able to sustain themselves against competition or unforeseen changes in > > the > > > > market. We need to to have sufficient profit margin to maintain our > > spaces, > > > > invest in generating awareness to attract new users as we experience > > > > turnover from our founding/first generation members, pay our staff and > > > > overhead etc. > > > > > Yes the community - the people, left to freely interact and self > > organize > > > > ARE the culture, the heart and soul of our cowork facilities - *however > > > > the spaces we create and the administrative processes we establish for > > this > > > > interaction are the backbone. *How we design these spaces and the > > > > business model we apply, has an enormous influence on member > > productivity > > > > and have a substantial impact on our cost of operations. *To survive > > and > > > > grow as a movement* in a competitive marketplace we need to look for > > the > > > > same level of refinement and optimization that other real estate driven > > > > businesses have discovered. Look to successful hotels and coffee shops > > for > > > > inspiration. These companies are constantly looking for marginal gains > > in > > > > all aspects of their operations to survive and grow. This may sound > > like > > > > "going corporate" to some of us - but whether we remain individual > > > > independent operators with a single great facility or aspire to grow to > > have > > > > multiple locations in a region (as many of you do and or hope to!) > > scaling > > > > will demand paying attention to the myriad of small physical and > > operational > > > > details....efficient utilization of space, effective marketing, > > simplified > > > > administration etc. > > > > > Mark > > > > > On Fri, Jul 9, 2010 at 4:50 PM, marileebowlescarey < > > > > [email protected]> wrote: > > > > >> What do people think are the key barriers to growth in coworking? > > > > >> Marilee > > > > >> -- > > > >> 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]<coworking%[email protected]> > > <coworking%2bunsubscr...@googlegroups .com> > > > >> . > > > > >> For more options, visit this group at > > > >>http://groups.google.com/group/coworking?hl=en. > > > > > -- > > > > Mark Gilbreath > > > > > PO Box 2830 > > > > Ketchum, ID 83340 > > > > > mobile 208-720-8107 > > > > skype mfgilbreath > > > > twitter markgilbreath > > > > > -- > > > > 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]<coworking%[email protected]> > > <coworking%2bunsubscr...@googlegroups .com> > > > > . > > > > For more options, visit this group at > > > >http://groups.google.com/group/coworking?hl=en. > > > -- > > 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]<coworking%[email protected]> > > . > > For more options, visit this group at > >http://groups.google.com/group/coworking?hl=en. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Coworking" group. 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