People did want someplace where they could leave stuff so we now have lockers that almost all members use.
On Sat, Jan 14, 2012 at 2:49 PM, Jerome Chang <[email protected]>wrote: > I stand corrected then: flex desks might be all that works. Nonetheless, > let your members and prospectives guide you. And that for those of you who > plan to hinge your biz model on flex desks, that is before you open doors, > be prepared to "pivot". > > @Alex, yes, perhaps habit is the better word. I guess I've only seen > "hard habits to break", no matter how compelling the price and amenities > (and I'll just safely say that the amenities in and around my office are > pretty compelling). Yes yes, the community is super important, but I don't > see a prospect that will buy into the community that immediately - it takes > time to embrace that intangible. > > And yes, like Alex, I'd encourage people to utilize flex desks, and like > Indy Hall, BLANKSPACES has full-time dedicated spaces along w/ flex desks. > > > Jerome > ______________ > BLANKSPACES > "work FOR yourself, not BY yourself" > > www.blankspaces.com > ph: 323.330.9505 | 5405 Wilshire Blvd (2 blocks west of La Brea) Los > Angeles, CA 90036 > > On Jan 14, 2012, at 11:32 AM, Alex Hillman wrote: > > The point here goes back to my (and Rachel's) original point: pay > attention to what people say, need, and do...and adjust. > > What Jerome describes as an inherent psychology, I really just think is > habit. It is 100% true that it exists, and it is 100% true that it has the > potential to stand in the way between you and success. > > But it's a habit, which means it is learned and can be unlearned - or not > learned in the first place. > > People are psychologically compelled to "nest" - but doing it at the > workplace isn't a psychological requirement for happiness or productivity. > The compulsion to have "my own place" is also strongest when it's difficult > to feel ownership of the larger context. If your members find it possible > to feel ownership and comfort in the entire office, they feel less > compelled to have a specific space of their own. > > I'd discourage the assumption that people need a permanent place because * > you* do - there's a whole spectrum of needs, and coworking covers a > number of them, and not always all at the same time. Setting up price > points today that don't work doesn't stop you from setting up new price > points tomorrow that do. Be prepared to iterate and learn, as Workantile > (and many others) have. The point of these adjustments is that they're > based on what members ACTUALLY do and need, vs what they say they want. > > As a personal note, I spent the first few years as a full time member of > Indy Hall myself, and for the last 2 years have spent more time as a flex > member without a permanent desk and personally love it. > > -Alex > > /ah > indyhall.org > coworking in philadelphia > > > On Sat, Jan 14, 2012 at 2:10 PM, Tom Brandt <[email protected]> wrote: > >> That's an interesting comment. All the desks at Workantile are shared. We >> tried permanent desks for a while, but there was so little demand that we >> discontinued them. >> >> >> On Sat, Jan 14, 2012 at 2:03 PM, Jerome Chang <[email protected]>wrote: >> >>> I would like to remind everyone that Alex is totally right: the flex/hot >>> desk is the ideal, as that one desk can serve several people. HOWEVER, >>> especially to the newbies out there, flex desks can be very difficult to >>> "sell". After 4 years of operating a coworking space, and now two, there >>> is just a persistent need for people to "own" their space. There is no >>> amount of cloud storage, and mobile computing that replaces the psychology >>> that when someone comes in to an office, they can return to the same, >>> familiar desk or office. That they can leave behind a stack of paperwork >>> and belongings they don't want to carry around. >>> >>> Please everyone, be mindful of the coworking/biz model ideals and the >>> realities to actually convince someone to pay to join your community. >>> Because at the end of the day, cash flow is the only thing that prevents >>> you from closing shop. >>> >>> >>> Jerome >>> ______________ >>> BLANKSPACES >>> "work FOR yourself, not BY yourself" >>> >>> www.blankspaces.com >>> ph: 323.330.9505 | 5405 Wilshire Blvd (2 blocks west of La Brea) Los >>> Angeles, CA 90036 >>> >>> >>> On Jan 14, 2012, at 8:55 AM, Tom Brandt wrote: >>> >>> At Workantile we experimented with various pricing schemes, but settled >>> on the following: >>> >>> Full member: $160/month. This comes with 24/7/365 access, ability to >>> reserve conference rooms, ability to host events. It also comes with an >>> expectation of work to help maintain the space, such as taking out the >>> trash, cleaning up the kitchen, bathroom, helping with marketing, etc. >>> Members can purchase a "get out of work" pass for an additional $70/month. >>> >>> Affiliate member: $25/month. This comes with one free day pass per >>> month, plus the ability to purchase day passes at $10/day in sets of five >>> passes. >>> >>> Student member: $35/month. This is the same as a full member, but the >>> member must be currently enrolled in an accredited college or university, >>> and is expected to make a presentation to the rest of the membership on >>> whatever he or she is working that term. >>> >>> All members get an RFID key fob which they place next to a RFID reader >>> to open the door. This way we can offer 24/7/365 access to the space for >>> full members without handing out actual keys. For affiliate members, the >>> RFID chip is activated only on days for which they have reserved a day pass. >>> >>> This seems to be working out well. People understand it and it is easy >>> for us to administer. >>> >>> On Sat, Jan 14, 2012 at 11:39 AM, Cheryl Jaycox < >>> [email protected]> wrote: >>> >>>> Chad, >>>> Thank you for the detailed information, I feel the same way with some >>>> of the pricing charts I have looked at...confusing.... I like the Basic >>>> membership set up and will discuss this with the other core members. Since >>>> you mentioned it on an adverage how many events does your space host a >>>> month? To members only or do you open it up to anyone interested? >>>> Thanks Chad, your post are always helpful...as always look forward to >>>> your opinions and suggestions. >>>> CJay >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> On Sat, Jan 14, 2012 at 9:32 AM, Chad Ballantyne < >>>> [email protected]> wrote: >>>> >>>>> I go crossed-eyed looking at some rate chats with the hourly model! >>>>> That head ache alone is worth any member staying a few hours over their >>>>> monthly allotments, so we've kept is simple. 3 main membership rates and >>>>> based off our $25/day (membership Fee) + $15/day ongoing >>>>> . >>>>> *Basic* = $25/mth -1 day a month in the space and access to all >>>>> community events (get's their feet wet and we hope will translate into the >>>>> next level of membership) >>>>> Every day after that is $15/day (versions of this plan could be a 1 >>>>> day/wk plan = $75/mth or 2 days per week = $100/mth. Some have applied >>>>> for >>>>> these since launching the Basic+day scenario >>>>> >>>>> *Lite Membership* = $180/mth = 3 days per week >>>>> >>>>> *FullTime* = $300/mth (27/7) This is the only rate that there's a >>>>> better bargain - but we're re-thinking it now as Alex has said before >>>>> Full-time Desks takes a desk "off the market" and therefore can only be >>>>> rented once, as opposed to a flex desk which can be rent 3-4 times over as >>>>> the membership won't use that desk at the same time. >>>>> >>>>> I'd encourage y'all to try the Basic Membership. Thanks again to Alex >>>>> for the suggestion. >>>>> Since we launched the package we've seen about a member a week sign >>>>> up. It's not big bucks, but most grab it for the year ($275/year - $25 >>>>> off >>>>> if they pay for the 12 mths up front) And so the 8 that have signed up so >>>>> far put $2200 in our bank account. We might see them one month and not >>>>> the >>>>> next but they attend our events to network, etc. Well worth the $25 >>>>> >>>>> Members can use all meeting space as part of their membership if it's >>>>> a client meeting during the day and we just ask that they don't go over 2 >>>>> hours per meeting. Some go a bit over, we let it ride and just monitor >>>>> space usage for all members as to not have one or two monopolize the >>>>> space. >>>>> >>>>> Meeting space for workshops, classes, clinics and events we charge >>>>> hourly. >>>>> >>>>> Since The Creative Space is not our full-time job, we have to do >>>>> everything we can to minimize the overhead and workload for administrating >>>>> it all. >>>>> Here's a summery of a few of the things we do to minimize the need for >>>>> costly systems/apps, manpower, etc >>>>> >>>>> SImple membership plans >>>>> Google cal for bookings/events >>>>> Skype to inform members that "clients are here" (we have 2 floors so >>>>> the upstairs peeps need some reception support) >>>>> Members help gather trash for trash day and re-supply toiletries when >>>>> their low. we just make sure the supply rooms are full >>>>> Every brings indoor shoes or slippers (has cut down our sweeping >>>>> mopping time drastically, especially during winter months - (Oh Canada - >>>>> snow, slush, salt) >>>>> MadMimi for news blasts >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> Peace, >>>>> >>>>> Chad >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> On 2012-01-14, at 9:11 AM, Alex Hillman wrote: >>>>> >>>>> Especially when just getting started, there's a lot of power in >>>>> "keeping it simple". It's tempting and easy to create a membership to fit >>>>> every person, down to half days and hourly. The problem I've seen with >>>>> this >>>>> is that it creates overhead both for you (in the fact that you need some >>>>> way to keep track), as well as your members (they are always watching a >>>>> clock to make sure they don't go over). >>>>> >>>>> Having spoken to people who've been members of both models, * >>>>> membership* is preferred to be as simple as possible. The only thing >>>>> that people really, really appreciate in granular hourly pricing is >>>>> meeting >>>>> space - which totally makes sense, it's rare to have half and full day >>>>> meetings. >>>>> >>>>> I also like to think about this in terms of membership vs. renter. >>>>> It's hard to become a community member an hour at a time - within that >>>>> hour >>>>> you need to do what you're there to do AND start to get to know people. >>>>> Inside of a full day, there's far more opportunity for serendipity and >>>>> social interactions to happen in addition to a productive work day. The >>>>> people who have that full spectrum of experiences are the ones who tend to >>>>> fall into the camp of community member. The ones who ONLY want a place to >>>>> work and have no interest in community participation are welcome, of >>>>> course, but tend to stick around for shorter durations. This also means >>>>> lower retention, which means more resources spent on recruiting new butts >>>>> into seats, and draining your time and money from focusing on the members >>>>> you DO have. >>>>> >>>>> No right or wrong here, of course. As Rachel suggested - having people >>>>> to ask how THEY would use the space is really helpful. The trick here is >>>>> to >>>>> ask, but not necessarily do exactly what they say. Sometimes people think >>>>> they know what they want, but when it comes down to it, they have no clue >>>>> because they've never had it before. The IDEA of hourly usage sounds great >>>>> to somebody, but they end up not being the one who uses it. >>>>> >>>>> The Henry Ford quote "if I'd have giving people what they asked for, I >>>>> would've built a faster horse" comes to mind. You have to have people who >>>>> you can not only speak to, but who you can actually *understand* and >>>>> develop your model around their needs, not just *what they say* their >>>>> needs are. >>>>> >>>>> -Alex >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> /ah >>>>> indyhall.org >>>>> coworking in philadelphia >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> On Sat, Jan 14, 2012 at 1:42 AM, CAJ <[email protected]>wrote: >>>>> >>>>>> Rachel, >>>>>> There are a four of us, which is where the discussion comes from. >>>>>> There are diffrent ideas on the subject. So I thought I would bring >>>>>> the topic here for feedback. Since this is a new concept that we are >>>>>> just begining to push. We have the space which we consider phase one, >>>>>> with two workstaions and 12 basically "hot seats" Phase two is a 3000 >>>>>> sq ft renivated warehouse. We began by consideing a daily rate as well >>>>>> as monthly memberships, but thought that people might be more >>>>>> comfortable with hourly or even half day rate. >>>>>> CJay >>>>>> >>>>>> On Jan 13, 4:43 am, rachel young <[email protected]> wrote: >>>>>> > Do you have some existing folks from your community that are >>>>>> interested in >>>>>> > joining together to form a space? If so, ask them and average out >>>>>> their >>>>>> > responses. They are the ones that will be paying after all. >>>>>> > r. >>>>>> > On Jan 13, 2012 12:03 AM, "CAJ" <[email protected]> >>>>>> wrote: >>>>>> > >>>>>> > >>>>>> > >>>>>> > > Coworking Group, >>>>>> > >>>>>> > > Planning coworking space.....Need feedback on hourly vs daily >>>>>> rates. >>>>>> > > We are in a rural/suburban area outside St.Louis and this is >>>>>> indeed a >>>>>> > > new concept for most businesses. The concept of coworking is >>>>>> needed in >>>>>> > > this community. Any suggestions? >>>>>> > >>>>>> > > -- >>>>>> > > 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. >>>>>> >>>>>> -- >>>>>> 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. >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>> >>>>> -- >>>>> 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. >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> Chad Ballantyne >>>>> The Creative Space Director >>>>> >>>>> (705) 252-2423 >>>>> www.thecreativespace.ca >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> -- >>>>> 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. >>>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> -- >>>> Cheryl Jaycox >>>> Community Manager >>>> Micro Office Suites & Business Center >>>> The HIVE@44,Business Coworking Communty >>>> Phone: 636-405-3130 >>>> Cell: 314-800-4305 >>>> >>>> >>>> -- >>>> 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. >>>> >>> >>> >>> >>> -- >>> twb >>> member, Workantile Exchange <http://workantileexchange.com/> >>> >>> -- >>> 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. >>> >>> >>> >>> -- >>> 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. >>> >> >> >> >> -- >> twb >> member, Workantile Exchange <http://workantileexchange.com/> >> >> -- >> 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. >> > > > -- > 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. > > > -- > 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. > -- twb member, Workantile Exchange <http://workantileexchange.com/> -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Coworking" group. 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