Fantastic thread! thanks to everyone who responded I have tried to absorb what was said and I will hopefully put this advice to good use. I'm going to look into community interaction and think about hosting/participating in democamps as well as finding out more about "jelly" sessions.
On Wed, Feb 25, 2009 at 3:48 PM, turbo2ltr <turbo2...@gmail.com> wrote: > > As someone who "put the cart before the horse", I would agree with > Alex, don't worry about the business plan at this point, get the > people first, then the business plan will define itself. I made this > mistake and now I have a space that is open but has no users (yet). > > -Mike > > > On Feb 25, 10:36 am, Matthew Wettergreen <mwettergr...@gmail.com> > wrote: > > This coworking group exists because we've all learned a wealth of > > knowledge from each other and have a firm commitment to the greater > > community to in turn help everyone achieve success and sustainability. > > Over the past three years (congratulations everyone), this sharing has > > cemented the methodology for opening a successful coworking space. > > Followed properly these steps are financially low-risk and move at the > > pace of the community's needs. By jumping steps or opening a coworking > > space in a vacuum you're making a high-risk move that could result in > > something nobody wants, financial loss or worse, the closing of your > > space. > > > > These low-risk steps start with going out into the community and > > talking about coworking but mostly listening (this is something that > > Alex mentions again and again as being important) which will help you > > discover what the needs and desires of the community are. If there is > > no community then you build one through jellys or meetups. Once you > > have the support of the community the next low-risk step would be > > getting a commitment (not necessarily financial immediately) out of > > the people who will become your anchors when you find a space. The > > next low-risk step would be to document your search for a space based > > on the stated needs of the community. With the community behind an > > idea you're less likely to take a financial or business bath when you > > open the space. Additional low-risk steps that relate to financials > > would be to build based on the usage of your community, ie not > > spending money on superfluous equipment until demonstrated need. > > > > Low-risk steps and high transparency to your community and to the > > google coworking group are essential for all of this. By doing this > > you can immediately avoid problems like an empty space or thinking you > > need an advertising or marketing budget to make your space successful. > > By dropping a space into the landscape and saying "it's here, everyone > > come" you're not only taking high-risk but you're working backwards > > from a PROVEN methodology that will allow you to open with a path > > towards success and a leg up towards sustainability. The most > > successful coworking spaces have been the ones who have been the most > > open with their process to both of these communities from the > > beginning.Tara and Alex and Jacob and others were incredibly helpful > > in the infancy of Caroline Collective preventing us from taking > > financial or community missteps that could result in reduced success > > for the space. > > > > I dont' think anyone's arguing against forming a strategy but forming > > a business plan for a coworking space before having a community behind > > it might be putting the cart in front of the horse. A business plan if > > eventually needed, should be simple because you can cull from > > discussions with the community: the ones who will ultimately utilize > > the coworking space, financially contribute, provide sweat equity and > > ultimately evangelize the virtues of coworking. From another > > standpoint, you already have a dynamic business plan and business > > advisors: this google group, several posts by members of the coworking > > community and the coworking wiki. There's enough information in those > > places as well as the wealth of resources from the voices on the > > google group that can help overcome any problem that people will come > > up against. But this is only if you are open and transparent about > > these problems. > > > > Matthew > > > > -- > > Matthew Wettergreen, Ph.D > > coFounder - Caroline Collectivehttp://carolinecollective.cc > > > > cell: 713.825.4613 > > email: mwettergr...@gmail.com > > twitter: organ_printerhttp://matthewwettergreen.com > > -- > > > > On Feb 25, 9:59 am, Alex Hillman <dangerouslyawes...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > > > Susan, > > > Your point that every market is different is exactly the point I'm > making: > > > not that you should go in unplanned, but a traditional business plan > > > template isn't going to properly serve a venture like this in my > opinion. > > > > > The plan you described: *bullet points & flexible goals*, and I'll even > go > > > so far as to define a *mantra* or set of *core values,* is going to > help you > > > have the check points for making decisions along the way. > > > > > Planning is extremely important, and running your coworking space like > a > > > business is important for your sustainability. > > > > > Just be ready for that plan to change once new people enter the mix :) > > > > > -Alex > > > > > -- > > > ----- > > > -- > > > ----- > > > Alex Hillman > > > im always developing something > > > digital: a...@weknowhtml.com > > > helpful:www.unstick.me > > > visual:www.dangerouslyawesome.com > > > local:www.indyhall.org > > > > > On Wed, Feb 25, 2009 at 10:46 AM, Susan Potter < > > > > > su...@acropolisproperties.com> wrote: > > > > While I completely agree with Alex that walking in to a bank with > financial > > > > statements that show revenue already coming in is far better than > going into > > > > a bank with an idea, a business plan should be used a tool by > business > > > > owners. I am not sure about Alex's business/startup experiences, but > as > > > > someone who has started a number of ventures from scratch I have > found > > > > having a basic business plan (just in bullet point format for my own > and > > > > partner reference) to be very beneficial, especially when you have > partners. > > > > You might be able to "wing it" by chance or because you have the > right > > > > connections, but if you don't have connections on your side, basic > > > > preparation is key no matter what business you want to start. > > > > > > There isn't just one exact model for a coworking space or any > business idea > > > > out there, there are multiple and every situation will likely be > different. > > > > I am not suggestion you violate the notion that a coworking space is > about > > > > the people - not at all. > > > > > > Each market (in this case physical location and target audience) has > > > > slightly different needs (i.e. in larger cities people might be > > > > willing to travel 20 miles to a coworking space - in a small college > town > > > > that would NEVER fly without anything *very* different about the > offering, I > > > > don't know what though?). Also while the target markets for all > coworking > > > > spaces might seem to be the exact same in every location, I don't > think that > > > > is true. For example, I know in some areas there are large numbers > of tech > > > > freelancers (e.g. SF bay area and Raleigh-Durham both places I have > lived > > > > and worked in before - not to mention Boston, DC metro, etc), whereas > in > > > > other areas the types of freelancers will be less tech more > professionally > > > > oriented (e.g. architects, lawyers, designers, etc.). Having a plan > to > > > > target the specific target audiences that are relevant to your area > is > > > > definitely a good idea. It helps you think through things like "who > do I > > > > really want to attract to my space to make it a better experience for > all > > > > involved", which creates a better overall ambiance and will be the > backbone > > > > of your longer-term success. > > > > > > Home grown spaces can work, in fact, many on this list have proved it > can > > > > work. However, that does not mean planning and preparation don't go > a long > > > > way too. I use business plans as a tool for organizing my thoughts > and > > > > addressing potential pitfalls before they show up. Since leaving the > bay > > > > area I have steered away from VCs and only occasionally sought loans > from > > > > banks or private investors, but I now always "write" a business plan > if for > > > > no one else than for myself. If you are using a business plan this > way it > > > > doesn't need to suck the soul out of a venture. > > > > > > Best, > > > > Susan > > > > -- > > > > Susan Potter > > > > Collective Turf Coworking > > > > Urbana, IL USA > > > > > > On Wed, Feb 25, 2009 at 9:19 AM, Alex Hillman < > > > > dangerouslyawes...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > > > >> Trevor, > > > >> Stop right there: > > > >> You don't need a business plan just yet, you need some people. Those > > > >> people will be your business plan. > > > > > >> Yes, you could walk into a bank with a 10 page document explaining > how and > > > >> what you are going to do with their money...or you could walk in > with signed > > > >> checks from 10 paying members and say "see, they're already willing > to pay > > > >> for it". > > > > > >> Developing the community before you think "business plan" is > critical, > > > >> because your business plan is likely to NOT jive with the people > you're > > > >> ultimately trying to reach. > > > > > >> There are some great recent posts about community development > roadmaps, > > > >> and I have one that's a little more abstract that I crafted after > seeing > > > >> MILK at the end of last year: > > > > > >> > http://www.dangerouslyawesome.com/2008/12/22/a-roadmap-for-community-... > > > > > >> Good luck! > > > > > >> -Alex > > > >> -- > > > >> ----- > > > >> -- > > > >> ----- > > > >> Alex Hillman > > > >> im always developing something > > > >> digital: a...@weknowhtml.com > > > >> helpful:www.unstick.me > > > >> visual:www.dangerouslyawesome.com > > > >> local:www.indyhall.org > > > > > >> On Tue, Feb 24, 2009 at 4:58 PM, Trevor <trevord...@gmail.com> > wrote: > > > > > >>> Hi everyone, > > > > > >>> My name is Trevor I live in Mississauga, Ontario which is very > close > > > >>> to Toronto for those of you who aren't familiar with the area. I'm > > > >>> relatively new to the concept of coworking but I'm so excited that > > > >>> this exists. I have been thinking about creating my own space and > I > > > >>> would like to start preparing a business plan. I don't really know > how > > > >>> to get started writing a business plan are there any good templates > to > > > >>> use? Can anyone suggest a good starting place? > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ 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 coworking+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/coworking?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
