Raines, Thank you for your feedback! I've responded below in blue:
From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Raines Cohen Sent: Thursday, September 23, 2010 8:38 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [Coworking] Link Coworking - Austin's latest Coworking Space Congratulations, Liz! I've been following your progress via this group for the last year-and-a-half, and I'm glad to see you made it to the point of opening the doors (during a period in which some others failed to launch). It looks like Austin is keeping SF on its toes in the (friendly) competition for most coworking spaces per city (I'm told NYC is up there too, but I don't see the same visibility here of the diversity of spaces). Have a (virtual) kolache this morning on me! The Kolaches are amazing.sorry you can't be here. Since your location <http://www.linkcoworking.com/drupal/our-location> is (to my urban west-coast geography-major bicycle-and-subway-commuter sensibilities) relatively "suburban," I'm curious about what led you there. I was looking for a space that had the following: - Less than 1 mile from Mopac (main freeway/corridor through town) - Covered outdoor seating - Tons of parking - First floor - Walking to retail and restaurants This space can be accessed from anywhere in town within 15 minutes. The new center of Austin is actually at Burnet and Anderson Lane (the next intersection from me). In addition, this area is experiencing a regeneration. Do you expect to serve people living in the NW of Austin proper, and surrounding cities? I expect to serve about a 20 mile radius (remember, Austin is not San Francisco - we Texans drive) Is the association with the medical and related businesses in that quadrant, not to mention the extended University crowd, significant? Medical not so much, but maybe you're onto something I need to explore. Grad students aren't going to pay my prices and have adequate free alternatives. Were parking and/or rent significant factors for your customers based on market research? Yes. Parking is huge. If you're on a call, you want to park and walk in. You don't have time to look for a space and getting frustrated will just lead to leaving the area. Rent needs to be in line with other Coworking spaces but I believe that my customers will be willing to pay a little more for the amenities the space provides. I think your 9/5 blog post <http://www.linkcoworking.com/drupal/blog/what-i've-learned-reflections-cowo rking-entrepreneur#post> does a better job of conveying your lessons from the journey, bulleted here without your detail: * Follow your Gut * Get Mentors * Outsource * Ask for it * Gratitude Since your blog doesn't allow comments, I'll use this forum to say: Each of those could make an interesting post in its own right, with more detail on what led you there. Good idea, will do. Your website is fairly captivating and navigable - was it a pain bringing up your Drupal install, or did you have good help/templates in that regard? I hired some geniuses and then pushed them hard. The site is easy to maintain and I'll be doing that myself. I like that your main "overhead view" photo and supporting ones appearing in the small photos include people (although on closer inspection the big one has the flavor of a an architect's mock-up), but the shots that seem to pop up the most are of (elegant, colorful) furniture and empty spaces, which in some cases can be inviting ("we're waiting for you to sit here") but can miss the most important element of Coworking, showing actual folks at work. The photos on the site were provided by my partner Turnstone. They are using Link as a living showroom and I got an excellent deal on the furniture. If you look on FB or my Picasa photos you will see my space. I'm waiting to post professional photos to the website and hoping to book the shoot by Friday. I do plan on using models (my friends) and some empty spaces. I like your suggestion of picture yourself here. (and I have to ask - did you choose the couch color to match the apples, or vice versa?) ;-) That was turnstone, but I do have a shocking amount of green here at Link. In the News section I recommend including in the text the name of the source (and/or the logo) - I shouldn't have to roll over a title and look at the URL to learn that the "Shared office provider" is a news story printed in a paper. Thank you for the suggestion. Will do. The rollover effects on the strip of small images are nice, but I would expect them to link to supporting pages when I click. You've already got me half-engaged, pull me all the way through to action or more detail because you know I'm interested in that aspect. Another excellent point. In the Members section, it might be worth saying something about how you're just getting started, and how not all members are listed - the text makes it appear that it is a full list of all members, which (a) might make folks say "only four members? including you? and co-promotional partners?" or (b) might make someone reluctant to join if they thought that they would have to be publicly listed. And on opening day, calling them "member success stories" doesn't ring true - clearly the successes at this point are from their pre-Coworking days. Ditto (excellent point and will be reworked). In general (and you're not at all alone in this), watch out for the transition issues around a website that is designed before you open to reflect a business-in-operation, but which doesn't fully support your launch period. I often recommend that people plan not one website fully deployed at startup, but a phased approach that gradually evolves. Remember, the website isn't just a box to check on your launch plan, but the primary point of exposure/contact for not just your members but your whole extended community that will be essential to your long-term success. We did do a static page to begin with and then develop the interactive site. The site is far from complete and the member section will be very robust but behind the curtain. I have been getting on average 3 leads a day from the web. I'm curious about your membership model; it seems like a one-time $200 fee creates a potentially significant "barrier to entry" compared to some other spaces, including ones in Austin; do you have any drop-in rates, day-rates, trial periods, or other ways for people to "try before they buy?" I see any scheduled tour includes a day free, but it seems like that wouldn't offer a full experience; Is the concept that members make a major commitment? Is any portion refundable? (the discounted rates for a year's contract put me in mind of cell-phone service; will we eventually see Coworking spaces offer to pay early cancellation fees for other spaces?) To launch Link, I went with a very simple plan. I have looked at hundreds of Coworking websites and I found many of the models to be way too complicated. I do feel people need to make a commitment to the space so the $200 is non-refundable. I'm also not going after the typical client. I worked from home for 9 years and I wanted a space just like Link. I believe there is a market in Austin that wants a slightly higher-end space and they'll be willing to pay a little more. All that being said, If I get feedback that I'm wrong, I'll revisit my model. A day trial is free and I wanted the tour because I'm a sales person and I want to talk to every potential client. I'm also a little surprised that half-day rentals for rooms seems to be the minimum; in my Coworking experience, I use an hour here or there most of the time, and that lets your shared spaces get more users per time period. Again, simplicity was the driver. However, if the community wants it changed, I am open to change. In Events, it's hard for someone to "be on time as a courtesy to our speaker" when the lunch events don't list a start time Oversight on my part, will fix asap! And it looks like there's a typo in the firm name for your 10/13 speaker Thank you for catching that. And if you can include links from the speaker names, that would make it easier for people to learn more about why they should come. Good point. Remember to update your Twitter bio - "memberships available starting in July" is clearly no longer your main message (Changed), and at this point a photo as background or even as user icon might be more captivating/engaging. I'll take that into consideration. Thank you very much for your generous feedback, suggestions, and advice. I really appreciate your candor and time you put into exploring Link. I look forward to continued growth and learning as part of this community. Thank you! Liz Elam Raines Cohen, Coworking Coach <http://www.CoworkingCoach.com/> @CoworkingCoach <http://www.twitter.com/CoworkingCoach> Planning for Sustainable Communities (Berkeley, CA) Upgraded to "unlimited" membership at The Hub <http://BayArea.the-hub.net/> (Berkeley) this month, and enjoying late-night and early-morning productivity. But also delighted to discover that NextSpace <http://nextspace.us/> 415 is right across the street from the Commonwealth Club <http://www.CommonwealthClub.org/> 's SF office, where I often participate in events. My top project today: matchmaking between a six-person business and Bay Area spaces, determining whether my client's phone patterns are compatible with the various spots and whether some combination of office plus coworking in the same building might work best. On Thu, Sep 23, 2010 at 5:18 AM, Liz Link Coworking - Austin <[email protected]> wrote: I started working on my vision to open a Coworking business in Austin in November 2008. I reworked my business plan multiple times, changed my financing model, and visited over 15 Coworking locations from New York to LA. This group has been a great inspiration and source of information. I hope I can now add some value back to the group. We opened our doors yesterday, If you're ever in Austin, please stop by! Liz Elam Link Coworking 512-632-4591 www.linkcoworking.com -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Coworking" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. 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. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Coworking" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. 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.
