MASSIVE ++ to Tony here! If you look back through this google group for any advice I've given, it's been the same sentiment: spend time feeling out and building critical mass with the community before you spend a cent on a permanent office. Simple and cheap/free things, like Jelly, and even purely social events to find out who's in your neighborhood like special-interest happy hours (new media/creative/tech/whatever) are incredibly effective.
Like Tony said...if you can get together without any overhead, do it, because you've got nothing to loose and everything to gain. When you've reached a critical mass, you'll know it, and that's when you should be turning to your new crew and seeing what their wants, needs, and desires are for a permanent coworking office. Best of luck, Sean! -Alex, IndyHall, Philadelphia On Dec 23, 2007 2:50 AM, Tony Bacigalupo <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Hi Sean, > > There's no harm in feeling it out-- Jelly in NYC started with two guys > and grew from there one person at a time, and it's been hugely > successful. > > If you bump into some of those freelancer/independent types again, > float the idea to them-- they almost certainly can relate. > > Even if it's just meeting up at someone's house or a cafe for a day at > first, getting two or three of you together and having a good time is > valuable and the word will spread from there. > > This casual approach to things is great, because you can't fail. Feel > out the interest as you go and see where it takes you. > > If a coworking space is merited, the people in your community will > make it apparent as you talk to them more and warm them up to the > concept. If the demand is there, you will be able to talk to the > people who demand it. > > What do you think? > > Best of luck! > > - Tony Bacigalupo > CooperBricolage, NYC > > > On Dec 22, 2007, at 9:23 PM, Design ICU <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > Hello, > > > > Just been checking out the basic intro links to co-working. I'm > > interested in getting something going near where I live so I guess I'm > > at least a catalyst. > > > > I'm a Web site designer. I have a fairly cushy office at home but > > suffer, especially during the snow season, in a Jack Torrence sort of > > way from the lack of being around creative, like-minded people. Or, > > you know, just people, period. > > > > I live in a fairly rural area just outside of Stone Ridge, NY, smack > > in the middle of the Woodstock/New Paltz/Minnewaka trifecta of > > alternative pastoralia. I worry about there being enough traffic to > > sustain a co-working space right where I live. A space in New Paltz > > maybe would be a better bet. A lot of professionals connected to NYC > > in the area. Looking at the map of CW spaces, they all seem to be in > > major urban areas. Maybe I'm mad to be thinking of this, but it's a > > need a I really feel in myself. > > > > And there seem to be a lot of freelancers right around me. Writers and > > designers. At the moment, we just bump into each other at caf�s. I > > don't think any of us are connected meaningfully. > > > > Don't suppose anyone has ever tried to launch a CW space conveniently > > located five minutes from the middle of nowhere...? > > > > Sean > > > > > > > > > -- ----- -- ----- Alex Hillman web.developer.innovation.consultant vocal: 484.597.6256 digital: [EMAIL PROTECTED] | skype: dangerouslyawesome visual: www.weknowhtml.com | www.dangerouslyawesome.com local: www.indyhall.org --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Coworking" group. To post to this group, send email to coworking@googlegroups.com 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 -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
