We use a LOT of Ikea tables...cheap, light and moveable! Also whiteboards. T
On Wed, Jul 21, 2010 at 4:08 PM, Craig Baute <baut...@gmail.com> wrote: > Tara: I apologize for incorrectly stating that Citizen Space is a for > profit venture. Congratulations with the success of Citizen Space. I > love following Citizen's progress. > > Alex: Thanks for the input and the numbers. I look forward to > following the numbers and wish you the best of luck. > > I absolutely agree that a coworking space is about the ecosystem and > the ability to collaborate, bounce ideas off of individuals, and > finding creative solutions through chit chatting with a neighbor. I > worked in coffee shops for two years before discovering the concept of > coworking and it immediately resonated with me. The value is in the > people and the space. Thanks for reminder Alex. > > I'm a 'space guy.' I went to college near Herman Miller, SteelCase, > and Haworth furniture and have read their reports and studied their > furniture. I'm intrigued on how coworking space is using the flexible > furniture of having tables on wheels, moving bulletin boards, > incorporating the benefits of technology into physical space like > walls that work well with displaying projected images, etc. I enjoy > studying how people move and use their space as they work and > collaborate. Since coworking is a different beast than a traditional > office setting is their anything type of furniture or set that is > invaluable to your space? > > > On Jul 21, 4:11 pm, Alex Hillman <dangerouslyawes...@gmail.com> wrote: > > Same with Indy Hall. The doors that have been opened by operating a low > > margin "not-just-for-profit" business have led to much farther reaching > > success...and not just for me individually but for many of our community > > members as well. > > > > We've made the money invested into Indy Hall back, unlike Citizen Space, > and > > continue to invest our profit into growth. > > > > But looking at your estimations for operating a "profitable for profit" > > space is probably off. > > > > For some perspective, when we operated an 1800 square foot location we > > packed in ~22 desks (which was cramped) and even when we were at capacity > > AND had a waiting list, we were netting just a few thousand dollars a > month. > > > > Nowadays we operate a 4500 square foot location with ~50 desks (and room > to > > grow). In under 6 months we were able to recover from our increase in > > overhead to operational breakeven, and are month-to-month cashflow > positive, > > but even with our growth projections leading up to this space being at > > capacity, we're still only netting a few thousand dollars a month. > > > > There's an article coming out within the week where we "bare all" > regarding > > our numbers, I'll be posting it here if Imran doesn't beat me to it, and > > then sharing the raw numbers with some of my own context here as well. > > > > Apart from "dialing the numbers" on the business side of a coworking > space, > > the other thing you really need to consider is the sociological > implications > > of running a coworking space as your business. By default, you need your > > members more than they need you. Until they need you more than you need > > them. In both cases, you're likely to fail. > > > > Instead, a symbiotic and mutually beneficial relationship is what's > really > > needed between the founder/owner/operators...and that takes a lot more > work > > than the setting up and operating of a space does. > > > > Before you jump in headfirst into the dollars and cents of a coworking > > space, I strongly urge you to consider your goals here and focus on the > core > > value of "community" and what it means to you...and see if that resonates > > with others. > > > > If it does...you might be on to something. > > > > -Alex > > > > /ah > > indyhall.org > > coworking in philadelphia > > > > > > > > On Wed, Jul 21, 2010 at 3:41 PM, Tara Hunt <horsepig...@gmail.com> > wrote: > > > Just an FYI...Citizen Space is not a profit-making space. We have a > > > part-time general manager (Hi April!), but only put enough money in the > bank > > > for a rainy day...of which we've had a few. I actually have about > $25-30k > > > sunk into the space I doubt I'll ever see back. I consider it an > investment > > > in the community and the world as a better place. > > > > > Why the altruism? Well, I used to do it to get me laid (kidding! it > never > > > helped with that...), but now I realize that my investment there makes > it > > > possible for me to move forward quicker with my other business > pursuits. I > > > meet great people because of it, I have built trust in a wider > community and > > > the businesses helped by Citizen Space have supported me along the way. > It's > > > a contribution to a great ecosystem and cost me WAY less than a radio > ad or > > > a fancy SEO person. > > > > > T > > > > > On Wed, Jul 21, 2010 at 1:16 PM, Craig Baute <baut...@gmail.com> > wrote: > > > > >> This groups has been a great group to follow. I'm from Grand Rapids, > > >> MI where two coworking spaces have opened up in the last year. I > > >> recently graduated with my MBA and have been a marketing consultant > > >> for the last three years and would like to start a new career. I would > > >> like to spend a year or two as an office manager or marketing member > > >> for an existing space and learn about the business and the exact needs > > >> of the community. I am open to moving to any location for this > > >> experience. Please let me know if you know of any opportunities. > > > > >> I'm excited about the concept and would like to start a new facility > > >> with the intent of managing it and expanding. The goal here is to > > >> provide an open creative space, but also generate a profit with a > > >> possibility of multipul locations. It seems most coworking spaces are > > >> opened by a small team of people that operate the facility and > > >> performing consulting work on the side with a goal of breaking-even or > > >> generating a small profit, but not substantial sum. > > > > >> I believe, if coworking is going to change the way people work on a > > >> mass scale then it needs to be a profitable venture for people. It > > >> seems Citizen Space and Sandbox in San Francisco are successful > > >> ventures and are hiring staff or opening second locations. Does anyone > > >> know of any other coworking spaces that have matched their success? > > > > >> Here are my take-a-ways to being a profitable coworking space (with a > > >> brainstorm of ideas on way to improve coworking following): > > > > >> Space to fit 30 to 40 people (starting around 2500 - 3000 sf, please > > >> let me know if these numbers seem wrong) > > >> Conference rooms (1 or 2) that fit 6 to 12 people > > >> T1 internet access with wireless, of course > > >> Coffee and snacks, partnerships with a local cafe seems popular. > > >> Community effieciency kitchen > > >> High quality printer > > >> Common area with a comfortable sofa and chairs in the greeting area > > >> Magazine and newspaper selections - Wired, NYT, Fast Company, Business > > >> Week, etc. > > >> A diverse set of members ranging from graphic designers, interior > > >> designers, consultants, online marketing, etc. > > >> Community events once or twice a week based on business education/ > > >> networking/art/business launch events > > >> Flexible rates with an introduction rate at $250 and going up to $450/ > > >> month. Small team package available. > > >> LOTS of flexible space furniture and whiteboards > > >> Downtown location with a bit of personality > > >> 24/7 card access > > >> Lockers or someway for people to store items > > > > >> Brainstorming ways to improve coworking: > > >> Some of these ideas I've taking from visiting a local FedEx Office > > >> (Kinkos) location > > > > >> 1-2 Public heavy duty desktop computer for tasking visual editing work > > >> with Adobe CS available for everyone > > >> 2-3 Public large monitors for laptops to hook up to for comfort and > > >> other editing purposes > > >> Teleconferencing rooms designed for soundproof phone or video > > >> conversations (this is present at a Grand Rapids location) > > >> Membership discounts on cell plans or local restaurants > > >> Bike and scooter storage > > > > >> If you opened a coworking space: > > >> What are the starting cost for opening up a coworking space in your > > >> area? Where are you located? How many members do you currently have or > > >> average? > > > > >> If you participate in coworking: > > >> Please let me know what you have noticed to be consistant among > > >> successful coworking spaces? What are features that people don't seem > > >> to care for? How did you discover coworking? > > > > >> I'm very interested in coworking and would like to start a career in > > >> it. Any information would be helpful and greatly appreciated. > > > > >> If you would like to contact me personally please feel free to contact > > >> me at BauteCM [at] Gmail.com. I look forward to hearing from everyone > > >> and I apologize about the long starting post. > > > > >> -- > > >> 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. > > > > > -- > > > tara 'missrogue' hunt > > > > > Company: Shwowp (http://www.shwowp.com) > > > Book: The Whuffie Factor (http://www.thewhuffiefactor.com) > > > Blog: HorsePigCow: Marketing Uncommon (http://horsepigcow.com) > > > Twitter:http://www.twitter.com/missrogue > > > phone: 514-679-2951 > > > > > -- > > > 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. > > -- > 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. > > -- tara 'missrogue' hunt Company: Shwowp (http://www.shwowp.com) Book: The Whuffie Factor (http://www.thewhuffiefactor.com) Blog: HorsePigCow: Marketing Uncommon (http://horsepigcow.com) Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/missrogue phone: 514-679-2951 -- 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.
