Tara - Thanks for this grounding perspective, specifically on starting a coworking space being a labor of love not a profitable venture, and that it isn't a "build it and they will come" type of venture.
Like Rebecca, I've also been "tossing around" the idea of starting a coworking space, but in the far north suburbs of Chicago, because there simply isn't a facility like that up here. I've started a group called Envision Lake County with the thought that we'd getogether to collaborate once in a while at restaurants & coffee shops, and maybe a community would grow out of it that would all want to go in on a space. What you said validates some of my thought, and makes me feel more secure in slowing down the process of securing space early/ quickly. I was looking to lease some space soon, thinking that "if I build it they will come", but I realize now I need to be more patient to ensure I don't make a bad business decision. So again, thanks for these thoughts - very grounding and real, and I appreciate it. -Heather On Mar 20, 5:05 pm, Tara Hunt <horsepig...@gmail.com> wrote: > My question would be: > > What is precipitating your need to start another space in SF? > > There are at least 3 in SOMA: Citizen Space (mine), PariSoma, Sandbox Suites > - two in Dogpatch: Hat Factory and Felicity 's new place - at least one in > the Mission... > > Not to mention the dozens of coffee shops that people are still very fond of > that seem to suit them well. > > If this is a business decision, let me tell you as a fellow SF coworking > space owner (and one of the pioneers), this is a labour of love, not a > profitable venture. Citizen Space is now fairly sustainable, but it's been > 3.5 years and a great deal of work and community building. I also don't > expect to get my $25k+ I've personally invested over the years back. > > If this is a need decision, fabulous, but it's better to have the need > yourself first and notice a community around you that is seriously lacking a > space. Coworking is not a build it and they will come situation. It's a > build a community and then a space may emerge (or may not) out of it. > > I don't want to make assumptions, but have you visited and worked/spent time > in any of the established coworking spaces in SF? I'd recommend trying them > all. We did a coworking space crawl in 2007 that was awesome. Rented a > biodiesel bus to hop around. > > Tara > > typed choppily on my Nexus One.... > > On Mar 20, 2010 3:43 PM, "Rebecca Brian" <rebecca.br...@gmail.com> wrote: > > Hello! > > Thank you for welcoming me into your group. I'm in "catalyst" stage of > launching a coworking space in San Francisco. I'd love some advice on > some key questions if you have a moment. > > One of the most important things to figure out is where - multiple > locations already exist in SoMA, with more on the way. One is in the > Dogpatch. One in Berkeley. Emerging locations in the Mission. > > I put together a little poll to get your feedback - where needs it the > most? Downtown where the clients are? In one of the outer > neighborhoods like the Sunset? I'd love feedback, or feel free to > answer the poll directly at the blog we set up:www.whiteboardsuites.com. > > The second most important after location is, how big? The bigger it > is, the more potential profit, but the largest capital raise needed. > The smaller it is, the easier to get off the ground, but less room for > profit without expanding. What is ideal? 4k sqft? 6k? 10k? > > Thank you for any wise words. > > Best, > > Rebecca > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Coworking" group. > To post to this group, send email to cowork...@googlegroups.com. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > coworking+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com<coworking%2bunsubscr...@googlegroups.com> > . > 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 cowork...@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.
