Hi Carol, My name is Yeves Perez and I'd like to help open the location in North County. I am a co-founder of a green coworking space in San Diego and my partners own a building in Vista and are willing to open up a duplicate of our model here in Kerny Mesa... Please read here and let me know if you'd like to work together...
http://www.sheepless.org/magazine/shorts/ecohub-brings-new-meaning-green-building-san-diego On Sat, Jun 5, 2010 at 9:30 AM, Carol F <carolinafar...@gmail.com> wrote: > Congrats Diane on getting started with opening a coworking site. > Please keep us posted on your progress. > > Mark- Thank you for sharing all of your extensive knowledge! I'm > thoroughly impressed with the level of detail you've provided. Thanks > again. > > I too, am in the planning/researching stages of starting a coworking > site in North County San Diego. There are a couple locations in the > Downtown areas of San Diego but a little too far for the people that > live North. In the surveying I've done, it seems as though the > community wants & needs a coworking space. > I'm glad that the coworking community is so open & willing to share > ideas. I know have a better understanding of what questions to ask as > well as what expectations to set. > I grow more inspired every time I read the coworking group thread to > get the ball rolling. So the journey begins... > > Carol Farrar > > San Marcos, CA 92078 > carolinafar...@gmail.com > > > > On Jun 4, 8:56 am, mark gilbreath <mfgilbre...@gmail.com> wrote: > > Diane > > > > Paraphrasing your question: "is it better to start small...OR...lock in a > > good rate now"? > > > > Let me offer a third approach: work with a property owner to craft a > > solution that does both. > > > > First the big picture: The real estate world has changed. Commercial > real > > estate vacancies in the US are in excess of 20% and many, many buildings > are > > sitting 100% empty. This situation is likely to get even worse before it > > gets better. Contrary to what a commercial broker may tell you, there > are > > not an abundance of potential tenants chasing after a limited amount of > > great spaces. I presume that the market situation in Springfield MO is > not > > unlike most other mid size and large metro areas across the west. Boise > ID > > where I have operated a CoWork facility is also ~250,000.) So, (write > this > > in big letters on a post it on your monitor) if you are in a position to > > occupy space in a building, with an interesting new business, you are a > VERY > > VALUABLE resource to a building owner. > > > > Your potential value to the landlord goes beyond just the potential to > pay > > rent. The very nature of a CoWork operations creates additional value > for > > the buildings and the immediate communities in which they resides. > CoWork > > spaces create buzz and activity. They drive physical traffic... meetings, > > events, day to day workflow. CoWork facilities spawn new businesses that > > themselves may seek new/more space in the same building or nearby over > time. > > CoWork facilities generate news and press releases. They capture the > > interest of local politicians, chambers of commerce and assorted > > non-profits. ALL of these impacts can be positioned as beneficial to the > > landlord. Many landlords will be deaf to this. But not all. The right > > landlord for your facility, is one who will share in your excitement > about > > the concept, and will see that your presence has many other benefits for > > him/her. > > > > So what could this mean? > > > > Well, going back to your original question: "start small or committ to > more > > upfront. In general with any startup or early stage company, you want > to > > limit your fixed economic commitments until you have confirmed the needs > of > > the market. So ideally, for your CoWork space, you'd like to start > small > > ECONOMICALLY, AND have the space to grow as the needs of your business > > grow. (this is no different that the situation faced by your future > CoWork > > members who will be considering you as their home, because of the > community > > that you provide AND because of the economic flexibility that you > provide). > > > > Here are a couple non-standard ideas/models that worked for us that you > > could explore with t*he right* motivated landlord. > > 1) Participating lease - this is a well established model, popular in the > > restaurant industry, and also being used by large serviced office > providers > > like Regus. Basically, you and the landlord reach an agreement to have a > > lower Base Rent (could even be $0) and to share in the proceeds of the > > business (this could be a % of the top line revenue... your membership > fees > > for example, or could be a % of your operating profit). In this model > you > > are asking the landlord to share in the risk. You take on the risk of > > business operations. The landlord takes on the risk of the building. > Why > > would the landlord consider this? a) They are desperate for any cost > > recovery in their building b) You've done a great job of presenting the > > case for your CoWork and all of the other benefits that the landlord may > > enjoy. > > 2) Find a building with room to grow and secure terms in your lease that > > allow you the first right to take more space. Here you are presenting a > > very optimistic picture to the landlord (who is desperate for anything > the > > least bit optimistic). "I'm starting this exciting new CoWork business. > It > > will be the first in Springfield. The phenomena is spreading worldwide > and > > I believe it will be a great success here as well. I expect to grow, but > I > > want to do in a careful smart way. I'd like to start with this first > space > > xx ft and then add additional space as our membership grows. It would be > > better to be able to stay with you long term than to have to seek new > space > > to grow." > > 3) Enlist the support of the local muni government and or Chamber. We > had > > great success launching a Grant program, funded by our local City to > > actually pay the membership fees for new startups that located in our > > facility. ANY endorsement or programmatic support that you can enlist > from > > the public sector should be presented to the potential landlord as > evidence > > of how your business will prosper and add value to his/her building. > (I'd > > be happy to share more details on the "Meridian Green Grant Fund" that we > > launched if you like). > > 4) IF you sign a lease, try to include an early out option, in the terms. > > For example, if you were to go with a 3 yr lease, pursue an early > > termination option at 12 or 18 months. This equips you with the > flexibility > > to adjust the space or move elsewhere depending on the status of your > CoWork > > business. > > 5) Free rent or Tenant Improvement $s. Most landlords lack the capital > > today to provide the TI incentives to prospective tenants that they would > > have 2+ years ago. In lieu of that, purse an extended period of free > rent. > > You could also combine this with the Participating Rent structure. For > > example: First 6 months $0 rent. Mos 7-18 Base rent of $1/ft. Mos > 18-36 > > Participating rent, landlord gets 10% of gross revenue. Mos 36+ Base > rent > > $1.60 + participating rent of 5%. > > > > There are lots of ways that you can package this. Sorry this has turned > > into a ramble. My bottom line advice would be: > > > > * In todays market, in any landlord partnership, you are bringing > > substantial value. > > * Do everything you can to limit your economic commitments and maximize > the > > flexibility and scalability of your operation. > > > > Happy to elaborate further or brainstorm with you if you like. > > > > Best > > Mark Gilbreath > > > > > > > > > > > > On Thu, Jun 3, 2010 at 10:51 PM, DeeDee <hendersondm...@hotmail.com> > wrote: > > > Hi, everyone! Just like a lot of other people, I have been watching > > > this group for a long time and have finally decided to jump in. I > > > have been researching coworking for about a year now and am now > > > seriously considering opening a space. > > > > > I live in Springfield, MO (area population about 250,000) and as far > > > as I have been able to determine there are no other coworking places > > > open here. My background is taxes and bookkeeping so I've spent a lot > > > of time in offices! But just in my own family, I have found a real > > > need for coworking (built-in customers, right?). And just discussing > > > this with family members who are in networking groups, I think there > > > is a real need here. > > > > > I have started building a budget and looking at property for lease. I > > > have found 3 properties of various sizes in an area that I think would > > > work well. Here is my dilema: Prop 1 - decent size, smallest of the > > > three but not a lot of room for expansion, all inclusive lease, no > > > long term lease required. Prop 2 - larger space, triple NNN 3-5 yr > > > lease. Prop 3 - even larger space, won't use all of it to start, so > > > have room to grow, all inclusive lease, 3 yr min with some free rent > > > for longer lease. All three spaces have comparable sq footage rates > > > and can get in with minimal expense and time delay. > > > > > Question: Is it better to start smaller, keeping expenses to a > > > minimum, then expand by opening a second location in another area of > > > town OR lock in good rent rate now on bigger space and expand there > > > rather than opening a second location? > > > > > I have knocked the pros and cons around on this for a few days now; > > > but wanted to see what you all thought. > > > > > Thanks in advance for your help! > > > Diane > > > > > -- > > > 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> > <coworking%2bunsubscr...@googlegroups.com> > > > . > > > For more options, visit this group at > > >http://groups.google.com/group/coworking?hl=en. > > > > -- > > Mark Gilbreath > > > > PO Box 2830 > > Ketchum, ID 83340 > > > > mobile 208-720-8107 > > skype mfgilbreath > > twitter markgilbreath- Hide quoted text - > > > > - Show quoted text - > > -- > 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 at > http://groups.google.com/group/coworking?hl=en. > > -- -- Thank you for your support. Sincerely Green, Yeves R. Perez, CEO + CGO EINI, Inc. a. The EcoHub 4542 Ruffner Street, Suite 170 San Diego, CA 92111 t. 1-866-960-9495 yt. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxWYIlVKa4E Please consider the environment before you print this email and check out our Flagship Brand: The Eco Investment Club http://www.ecoinvestmentclub.com "Where Green Dollars Fund the Green Movement" http://twitter.com/ecoinvestors This message may contain confidential and legally privileged information and is only for the use of the intended recipient. If you are not the intended recipient, distribution or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you received this message in error, please notify us by return e-mail immediately. Join the conversations, too... http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/glenn-croston/starting-and-growing-green-businesses/what http://ecopreneurist.com/2008/11/05/75-green-start-ups-that-can-make-a-difference/ http://forums.treehugger.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=6979&start=0&st=0&sk=t&sd=a http://forums.treehugger.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=7069&start=0&st=0&sk=t&sd=a http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0u3OAXzPgM http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHk5bO7r--w This message may contain confidential and legally privileged information and is only for the use of the intended recipient. If you are not the intended recipient, distribution or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you received this message in error, please notify us by return e-mail immediately. -- 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. 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