Great timing on the responses, everybody. This thread was included in this week's CoworkingWeekly email:
http://us4.campaign-archive2.com/?u=fb0fa92e5dca45a8ec5d4dfe1&id=b869bc579d -Alex /ah indyhall.org coworking in philadelphia On Thu, Mar 15, 2012 at 11:49 AM, Veel Hoeden- Where Many Hats Meet! < [email protected]> wrote: > Tyler- I think Beth doth protest too much. (THANKS BETH!) Her valuable > experience is shown by the quality articles she presents below. Immerse > yourself in the rural coworking info and you'll be well grounded, but then > apply to your own situation. > > Thanks & God Bless, > > Joel Bennett > Chief Dreamchaser > Veel Hoeden > 641-780-7858 > veelhoeden.posterous.com > Join Us on Facebook! > > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On > Behalf Of Beth Buczynski > Sent: Thursday, March 15, 2012 11:18 AM > To: Coworking > Subject: [Coworking] Re: Pricing Strategy for a Rural Development > > Hi Tyler! > > They could never replace Joel's valuable experience, but I just wanted to > point out a couple of articles Shareable.net published on this subject. All > incorporate the perspectives and experience of rural coworking space owners > from around the world. Enjoy! > > How To Start A Rural Coworking Community:http://www.shareable.net/blog/ > how-to-start-a-rural-coworking-community > > Coworking Provides A Haven For Rural Entrepreneurs: > > http://www.shareable.net/blog/coworking-provides-a-haven-for-rural-entrepren > eurs > > Everything Solid Melts Into Jelly: Coworking In Rural England: > > http://www.shareable.net/blog/everything-solid-melts-into-jelly-coworking-in > -rural-england > > Beth > @gonecoworking > > On Mar 13, 12:42 pm, "Veel Hoeden- Where Many Hats Meet!" > <[email protected]> wrote: > > Our space is located in Pella, IA. Population 10,000. We've been in > > business since October of 2010. Some other great "rural" spaces on > > here too... you guys have thoughts? > > > > My thoughts on your questions below. > > > > Pricing- Our monthly "mobile member" pay $55 a month for 24-7 access > > to the space. With that they get wifi, conference rooms, > > printer/fax/copier, and a few other perks (see our site at > > veelhoeden.posterous.com). It's worked very well. We started at $50 > > and only took a price increase after 12 months to cover some overall > > costs of business and some inflation. We also have leased space > > members for 4-6 offices. The bigger question is what you are paying > > for your space. Paying $2500 a month, you'll need 50 mobile members > > to just make rent, plus you have other expenses. Pay $500 and you > > could be running with 10 (again, you'll have other spaces to cover, so > > you'll need more). My point is, pricing is a derivative of expense, so > until you know your expenses you won't know what will fly. > > > > Sponsors- We discussed them early on, but with the exception of a few > > of our events, we never pursued. Possible could include a local > > copy/print business (you push all your big jobs to them), chamber of > > commerce (allow members to use conference rooms if you are closer to > > their business), college (allow their students access for free or > > reduced fee), or anyone else with some ties to supporting small > businesses > in town. > > > > Colleges- We did partner with our local university and had them > > sponsor all their Business students for one organizational fee. This > > was NOT a lot of money ($500 or the equivalent of 10 mobile members > > for one month), but our intent was to build a partnership with them, > > not make crazy money. For that, we have students come in and do > > research projects (win-win as they get class work done, we usually get > > some project work done) and the occasional drop in who wants to study > > or talk to businesses. They also come to our networking events, which > > has been great for recruiting and securing interns, as well as good for > our businesses who may be hiring. > > > > Fulltime space- Again, we discussed, never implemented. Our clients > > either didn't care where they sat or they wanted a lockable > > door/office of their own. The one person I got ready to sell a > > > > "permanent" desk to ended up vanishing on me. That said, the biggest > > thing is that they want some space to leave things, and in some case, > > a true desktop computer to leave at the space (think engineer using > > CAD or other specialized software). You may need to think about > > lockable lockers if this is a need in your space, as they allow them > > to secure items without need more furniture. > > > > Combo with Chamber- Explore this with Chamber first. Some Chamber > > will love you. Others see you as competition. Regardless, a Chamber > > membership is a money maker for them, so they may be hesitant to share > > that with you if they don't see clear value. For example, if you > > chamber is vibrant and has already courted some freelancers or mobile > > folks, maybe providing Chamber members a discount off your mobile > > membership makes sense. I'm not sure what you mean by "Chamber > > networking membership", but if that means your members get to go to > > Chamber events without being members the Chamber is going to have to > > see value in this (as possibly sniping new Chamber members from your > > ranks) before they would consider it. Depending on the size of your > > town this may or may not be feasible. > > > > My BIGGEST advice to you for a rural space, which is just as important > > in other spaces but DEVASTATINGLY important in rural communities... > > > > Find your members... then find & start your space. If you need 10 to > > make this fly, identify 25 and get as many to commit to the project as > possible. > > Get their input early on needs (to plan and manage your costs), get > > them to help you pick out the space, get them to come up with their > > dream environment, etc. In short, get their buy-in, both financially, > > but more importantly, emotionally. They have to want this as bad (or > > worse) than you do. But more importantly, they need to feel part of > > the community even as you are building it. > > > > Want to fail at this quick in rural Americana? Start your space, sink > > in costs for things that people "could" want, make it all nice and > pretty... > > then go out and find members. In the meantime, you are paying bills > > and working alone while the clock ticks on how long you can operate at a > loss. > > And just so you know, unless you sleep on a cash-filled mattress, that > > clock won't tick long. > > > > I wrote an article on this a year or so ago... you can find it > here.http://www.smallbizsurvival.com/2011/03/how-to-start-coworking-space- > .. > . > > .html > > > > Regardless, you've made the best choice in coming here to research first. > > You are years ahead of many of the rural owners I have talked to who > > are building their empire in a vacuum (and quickly getting sucked into > > annihilation by said vacuum). > > > > Would be happy to answer any questions you have. Love to see you > > explore this for Idaho! > > > > Thanks & God Bless, > > > > Joel Bennett > > > > Chief Dreamchaser > > > > Veel Hoeden > > > > veelhoeden.posterous.com > > > > Join Us on Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/veelhoeden> ! > > > > <http://ink1003.com/p/tp/3ee1a6d9cb9fb511/url> Follow us on Twitter > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] > > On > > > > Behalf Of hssmedia > > Sent: Tuesday, March 13, 2012 12:54 PM > > To: Coworking > > Subject: [Coworking] Pricing Strategy for a Rural Development > > > > Hello, > > > > As I am still in the research phase to determine if my coworking space > > could be viable in a smaller town in eastern Idaho, I had a few > > questions/thoughts that I would appreciate some feedback and discussion > with the experts: > > > > 1. Do you think a lower pricing strategy (possibly $50 a month for a > > monthly membership, sitting anywhere) is a viable option? Could a > > coworking facility be successful on that pricing strategy alone? Just > $50, > simple as that... > > > > 2. What are your thoughts on sponsors in your space? What value can I > > promote to the potential sponsors/advertisers that would make them pay > > a fee for advertising and resource space within the community? What > > value does my coworking space have to the sponsors? > > > > 3. Have you ever considered partnerships and alliances with local > > organizations and have them pay the fee and give access to their members. > > For example, is it better to target the students of a local college, > > or go directly to the college and secure a contract with the > > organization, which in turn gives everyone access? > > > > 4. What is the standard principle for a full time desk? I envision a > > section of my space for the full time desk that could be close to $100 > > a month. What would one expect with a full time space? > > > > 5. Have any of you explored partnerships with organizations in the > > business community? For example, partnering to offer a Chamber of > > Commerce Networking membership with the purchase of a coworking > membership? > > > > You guys are awesome! I look up to so many of you and want to bring > > this type of innovation to my hometown! As I am only 21, but not an > > inexperienced entrepreneur, I want to go in extremely prepared before I > open my space! > > > > Thanks, > > > > Tyler Kraupp > > > > -- > > > > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google > > Groups "Coworking" group. > > > > To post to this group, send email to > > <mailto:[email protected]> > > [email protected]. > > > > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > > <mailto:[email protected]> > > [email protected]. > > > > For more options, visit this group at > > > <http://groups.google.com/group/coworking?hl=en> > http://groups.google.com/gro > up/coworking?hl=en. > > > > > > > > image001.png > > 26KViewDownload > > -- > 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.
