Thanks Campbell, that is the best description of the power of collaboration in a coworking space I have come across.
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]> > >> . > > >> 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]> > > . > > 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]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/coworking?hl=en.
