Jodi: Thanks for the excellent feedback. I'm from Kansas (live in SF area now) and have also milked cows:). You make several great points:
We've been interviewing folks at "non-tradtional" coworking spaces (the incubators, office suite companies, etc.). I agree with you that most are adding coworking due to the buzz and for PR purposes. Also, most either don't understand the community side of coworking, or they understand it but don't really want to offer it. There are some non-traditional spaces (and yes, I think it is funny that we're using the descriptors "traditional" and "non-tradtional" for coworking ) that do, in our opinion, offer real coworking. Dogpatch Labs, an incubator with space in Boston, NY and SF run by the VC firm Polaris, is an example. Their SF space is very coworking-like and community plays a huge role in what they are doing. They also don't have most of the onerous requirements, terms and conditions seed incubators usually have. Dogpatch describes themselves as a "Frat for Geeks" and the SF space lives up to it. Based feedback like yours and our interviews, we learned that most office suites and incubators are in a different market segment. Because of this, we don't think many are coworking spaces. Having said that, we think their market segments overlap with coworking. We've find it very interesting how many facility users we've talked to who have told us they narrowed their final space choices down to an office suite and a coworking facility. A second point you raise - the difficulties in getting members - is something we've consistently heard from everyone we've talked to. Obviously you folks understand this issue much better than do, but we hope to get more info on this through our user survey and interviews. I'm very interested in Ft Wayne becoming a film making cluster. Please let me know how this goes. Steve On Jul 30, 12:01 am, "[email protected]" <[email protected]> wrote: > Thanks for the tedious amount of research that you have completed. > In response to your observations: > > 1. It is getting harder to do this. > The question needs to revolve around the intent of why coworking sites > exist. As I have met on an infrequent basis with the manager of a > local incubator, who has developed a coworking space inside their > facility, I have come to discovered that several virtual spaces and > incubators do it because they think of the buzz and they think the > ability to a make an extra dollar - not the community aspect. > The local incubation cite has a beautiful place with approximately > $100,000 of Herman Miller furniture, but they don't have the community > aspect. The word on the street is that they thought they could > develop a good base clientel that could move on to their pricier > sweets. Hence, they are taking the businesses that seem to be the > most profitable, not those that really could benefit the community and/ > or the community. > > The second factor is that these seem like a great business to run - > easy, however running a coworking as a quick, operable business, and > lack the work ethic it takes to build a great site. Due to the fact > that I am a unique spot with my space, and I cost sharing, I have been > able to keep going since January. Being in Fort Wayne, fly-over > country, has been a bit tough. It has taken an enormous amount of > time and energy, and a bit of stress. That being said, I had 5 people > that is the first and several meetings with local economic development > professionals, who have begun to pay interest to me. Additionally, I > am starting to grow my network as our local school system shed 300 > teaching positions, and teachers don't have assignments yet, the local > Navistar plant will be closing. It's taken a lot of time, sweat and > tears to get to the point I am at; I have 5 members and hoping to > double that in two weeks -- crossing fingers and toes. > > 2. Teleworkers: Teleworkers are great. However, in obtaining data > from the local county recorder's office, there are approximately 5 new > businesses that are being developing in Fort Wayne per day. > > 3. Coworking has moved beyond the major cities and is spreading > rapidly in mid-sized cities and smaller towns. > > I am in Fort Wayne, Indiana a city of 256,000, county wide population > of 300,000 plus. I might add that we are in the midwest, an area > known for corn and cows more than urban living. And yes, I have > milked a cow. :-) > > 4. The number of niche or targeted coworking facilities (aimed at > writers, or telecommuters, or social entrepreneurs, or makers, etc.) > is growing. It is a logical extension of the "like minded people" > phrase we so often hear and use when discussing coworking. > > While I don't have a niche, I have been able to tape into the growing > film industries. Being in Fort Wayne, RE is cheap (The average cost > of a house is $100,000.), so there are a number of those in NYC and > LA, who were raised in the area, that are relocating back and start to > work of films. I am hosting the first film group next week, and am > worried will I have enough chairs. > > Jodi Dean, Founder > OurSpace, LLC > Your Space to Be Creative > 825 S. Barr Street > Fort Wayne, INwww.ourspacefw.com > 260-522-6341 -- 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.
