So, we're moving ahead with the first target group. I've planned a "Minding Your Business Jelly" at a local library. I invited 474 newly licensed real estate agents and encouraged them to bring a friend who is NOT involved in real estate. Luckily, the first 6 weeks of my agent training program are generic AND can be incorporated into a coworking community planning session with attendees from any field. So, we'll have something to work on.
I sent the invite about an hour ago and have 5 people signed up already. I know of two other people who want to come...one an agent, the other a marketing consultant. We'll see... Toni On Mar 18, 7:07 pm, OC Houston <[email protected]> wrote: > We're excited as well. But, we still know we need to be careful. We > have almost 500 new agents just in a 10 mile radius that we are > targeting. I can see how it can quickly become a "real estate" > community. However, in using your approach, Alex, we can promote the > true essence of coworking and draw in other professions and skill > sets. Hopefully, with the agents being "new" their professional > circles still include people "less like them" who will also find > coworking an exciting concept. > > We are planning to start our "Work Date" tour in a couple of weeks. > We'll meet up once a week in a different spot probably for a 6 to 8 > week rotation. Each of the three locations is in a different direction > from the space but close enough for those who grasp the vision to > "follow" us. I want to focus on developing the coworking group while > at the same time giving them taste of true collaboration. I'm still > working on that part, but it should be fine once we get in the flow of > things. :-) > > Toni > > On Mar 18, 6:25 pm, Alex Hillman <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > > After this response, I temper my previous answer of "we learn more from > > people less like us" to include the caveat "but everybody can benefit from > > coworking principals when applied with thought and intent". > > > You said so much in this reply that shows the thoughtfulness and intent > > behind your approach. I'm truly loving what you've described. > > > Excited to see this unfold, keep the posts like this flowing! > > > -Alex > > > /ah > > indyhall.org > > coworking in philadelphia > > > On Sun, Mar 18, 2012 at 7:03 PM, OC Houston > > <[email protected]>wrote: > > > > Jerome, KW is a "traditional" brokerage and they do provide desk space > > > for agents. With the growing popularity of 100% firms many new agents > > > think they can keep all of their commissions. They soon find out that > > > 100% of zero is a really less than zero when you figure in the out-of- > > > pocket marketing, "start-up", and vehicle expenses. Most 100% firms > > > don't offer the training a new agent needs and most brokers won't say > > > that because they make their money by stacking licenses. If a broker > > > has 1500 agents paying $175 a year or 800 agents paying $175 PLUS $95 > > > a month with no expectation of any real value then why do anything > > > more than hang licenses and collect fees? It's sad and it's hurting > > > our industry. I'm belong to a social networking group of agents and > > > some of the questions posted by even "experienced" agents should have > > > been answered by the agent's broker...in some cases years ago. > > > > The way I envision the coworking community, a new agent can have a > > > membership AND receive group coaching for the same price as being a > > > regular coworking member. They don't have to change brokerages. When > > > they complete the program they will be in better position to have 100% > > > of something to keep. > > > > Beyond this, as the community begins to grow the agents can > > > collaborate with other business minded people and use ideas from other > > > industries to build their own business models. The market is saturated > > > with cookie cutter agents. I've always had more success with out-of- > > > the-box business models than with chasing buyers and sellers. I > > > accredit this to my diverse background in various industries and my > > > husband's "third eye" as a graphics and marketing guru. > > > > So, while the Keller Williams and Re/MAX firms exist there is a great > > > need for what I envision. Although most 100% firms provide conference > > > rooms and workstations there's no sense of community and the spirit of > > > competition is often thick. Very few agents utilize the space because > > > there's no other benefit to being there. > > > > Toni > > > > On Mar 18, 3:49 pm, Jerome Chang <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > Don't some of these brokers' offices already share offices in a > > > sub-tenant kind of way? I designed a Keller Williams' office that > > > consisted of micro-micro offices for agents who rent from the lead broker. > > > > > 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 Mar 18, 2012, at 1:37 PM, OC Houston wrote: > > > > > > Great insight! I am a licensed real estate agent and had planned to > > > > > start my own firm targeting new agents specifically because training > > > > > is lacking in that area. Then, I realized that while I want to focus > > > > > on training and mentoring I don't necessarily need a brokerage for > > > > > that, and having one would actually limit my reach to only MY agents. > > > > > > We've taken Alex's advice regarding building a community before > > > > > "cutting the ribbon" so we're starting with what we know. I know there > > > > > is a need for training for new real estate agents. But, that training > > > > > must include basic business principles which is common to most start- > > > > > ups, entrepreneurs and small business owners. I figure if we start > > > > > were we are we can grow from there. I just don't want to get "stuck" > > > > > in a place that will inhibit innovation and creativity. > > > > > > So, we may be able to start by targeting real estate agents and/or > > > > > graphic artists (my husband's field) as long as we continue to focus > > > > > on diversifying the community. > > > > > > Toni > > > > > > On Mar 18, 2:13 pm, "[email protected]" > > > > > <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > >> While it depends on your definition of industry, based on our > > > > >> definition there are a lot of industry specific coworking facilities. > > > > >> In SF area alone examples include The Hub (social entrepreneurs), > > > > >> Writers Grotto (writers and media), Mission*Social (social > > > > >> entrepreneurs), Biocurious (biosciences) and many others. > > > > > >> Also, many of the coworking spaces in the SF area are effectively > > > > >> tech > > > > >> industry spaces. It's just the nature of the bay area. And > > > > >> obviously, there are many vertical spaces elsewhere in the US and > > > > >> world. The rapid growth of collaborative kitchens across the US is > > > > >> another example. > > > > > >> We see these spaces as industry mini-clusters. Industrial clusters > > > > >> are groups of similar or related firms in a defined geographic area > > > > >> that share common markets, technologies and worker skill needs, and > > > > >> which are often linked by buyer-seller relationships. Firms and > > > > >> workers in industry clusters benefit from the advantages that a > > > > >> shared > > > > >> base of sophisticated, industry specific knowledge brings. > > > > > >> Silicon Valley in technology, New York in financial services and > > > > >> Detroit in automobiles are famous examples of large clusters. But > > > > >> small industrial clusters are also common. We think many of the > > > > >> vertically oriented coworking spaces exhibit many of the same > > > > >> benefits > > > > >> as industrial clusters. > > > > > >> We've done a lot of work looking at coworking spaces that serve > > > > >> social > > > > >> entrepreneurs (we're hoping to get a paper out on this soon). We've > > > > >> found that social entrepreneurs in spaces catering to social firms > > > > >> collaborate more and report higher levels of business networking than > > > > >> social entrepreneurs that are members of other types of coworking > > > > >> spaces. We think this is due to the cluster effect. > > > > >> Having said that, we agree with Alex that diversity of skills, > > > > >> backgrounds, views and opinions are important. Clusters achieve this > > > > >> by having a mix of participants from across the industry supply and > > > > >> demand chains. Large clusters also benefit from the diverse nature > > > > >> of > > > > >> most broad industries. > > > > > >> Coworking facilities achieve this by having people from different > > > > >> professions (designers, programmers, lawyers, etc.) and different > > > > >> skill sets. This brings strong weak tie benefits (yet another paper > > > > >> we're trying to finish). > > > > > >> But we also think vertical coworking spaces could, at least in some > > > > >> cases, add additional value by bringing together people that are > > > > >> diverse by profession/skill set, but serve the same broad industry. > > > > > >> Obviously, little work has been done on this topic. A lot more needs > > > > >> to be done before drawing strong conclusions. > > > > > >> Steve > > > > > >> On Mar 16, 1:11 pm, OC Houston <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > >>> Does anyone have an industry specific coworking space? Or, does that > > > > >>> defeat the purpose of the concept? > > > > > >>> Toni > > > > > > -- > > > > > 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 athttp:// > > > 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]. 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