Michael, So great to hear you've already gotten some response on Meetup!
While I think a social gathering is valuable as a starting point, I think it helps if you can zero straight in on the kinds of folks you want to be spending time with—those who want to cowork. For that, organizing a regular gathering in an existing space (like a great cafe in town) is tried and true. Just asking people to show up to work in a cafe on its own, however, isn't all that compelling—adding a simple layer of intention and programming to the mix makes the whole thing far more compelling. The best format I've seen for this is one I call a Work Sprint. It's designed to give everyone a way to do a better job focusing on their work, which is something everyone can relate to now. By having people introduce themselves, set priorities, and then commit to staying focused for set periods of time, you can create a strong sense of cohesion and help people be more productive at the same time. That way, you start delivering real value, right now, long before a physical space is even part of the conversation. It's a great way to get people emotionally invested in the story of the group you are bringing together. I wrote more about Work Sprints and how to run them here: https://nwc.co/3/work-sprints-super-productive-social-jam-sessions/ I'll also add: whatever you do, make sure to eventually do it regularly! People need that sense of consistency. Best of luck and please report back on how it goes! Tony Bacigalupo *---* New Work Cities <http://nwc.co/consulting> • Coworking.org On Tue, Oct 2, 2018 at 5:23 PM, Margo Aaron <[email protected]> wrote: > Yeah, I mean there's definitely something if you're already getting people > together and cultivating community. > > The only thing I'd caution is there's a big difference between getting > people to come together and getting people to PAY for something. Use your > meetups as market research - listen to what people are complaining about > and what they need help with. Is there demand for a coworking space? > > Definitely a good place to start. Keep us posted on how it goes! > > On Mon, Oct 1, 2018 at 5:01 PM Michael Jon <[email protected]> > wrote: > >> Thanks, Margo. This does help. I did end up creating a "meetup" group >> that has grown to about 40 members within several days. What would you >> recommend as our first "meetup?" >> >> I truly believe a coworking space will be successful in my area and I do >> have a building that I have my eye on, however, I am trying very hard not >> to put the cart ahead of the horse. >> >> >> >> On Monday, October 1, 2018 at 1:41:56 PM UTC-4, Margo Aaron wrote: >>> >>> Hey Michael, >>> >>> My coworking space is completely virtual, so we're almost *entirely* >>> community. >>> >>> What's worked: >>> >>> - Personal introductions and taking the time to get to know everyone >>> in the space >>> - Exclusivity: stressing this is for "people like us" and having >>> some common thread that connects your members. In my case, it's >>> solopreneurs with online businesses. For other coworking spaces, it could >>> be that you all live in XYZ city or are trying to raise venture capital. >>> - Having a forum for members to meet each other >>> >>> What hasn't worked: >>> >>> - Oversharing articles or business opportunities - There is NOTHING >>> that will kill community quicker than interactions like, "Hey Guys! Will >>> you share this post I wrote! Thanks!!!" You want to push for substantive >>> conversations that build relationships instead of creating transactional >>> ones. >>> >>> That's not to say our members don't do business with one another, they >>> do. But it comes up organically. And it's sprinkled in between adding >>> genuine value to each other. >>> >>> We use slack for most of this. And Zoom. >>> >>> Hope this helps! >>> >>> - M >>> >>> On Mon, Oct 1, 2018 at 12:14 PM Angel Kwiatkowski <[email protected]> >>> wrote: >>> >>>> I wrote a step by step book on how to do this. Find it at >>>> https://diycoworking.com. >>>> >>>> Angel >>>> >>>> On Thursday, September 27, 2018 at 2:17:47 PM UTC-6, Michael Jon wrote: >>>>> >>>>> Hello, all! I've recently begun the journey to open up a coworking >>>>> space in my city. After reading through various postings, books, websites >>>>> etc...it seems that many owners stress the importance of building a >>>>> coworking community BEFORE opening a space. What are some key >>>>> recommendations on how to build this community. Very curious to hear what >>>>> worked/didn't work. >>>>> >>>>> Thank you! >>>>> >>>> -- >>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>>> Groups "Coworking" group. >>>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send >>>> an email to [email protected]. >>>> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. >>>> >>> >>> >>> -- >>> Margo Aaron >>> That Seems Important <http://www.thatseemsimportant.com/> >>> >>> Want smart people to bounce ideas off of? I have some. >>> <https://www.arenavirtualcoworking.com/> >>> >> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "Coworking" group. >> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >> email to [email protected]. >> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. >> > > > -- > Margo Aaron > That Seems Important <http://www.thatseemsimportant.com/> > > Want smart people to bounce ideas off of? I have some. > <https://www.arenavirtualcoworking.com/> > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Coworking" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Coworking" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
