Joanna, I am NOT a veteran of coworking. Heck, I want to open one someday. (Someday, over the rainbow.) :)
But I do have a couple of suggestions, if you don't mind? You're in San Fran, right? Home of Venture Capitalists? I would send out a brochure/paperwork/coupons to every VC firm/Angel Investor/networking group around. The types of people they work with are the types you want around, right? How about the local papers, and what is your twitter handle? I'd retweet for you, happily. That april special is awesome! Hope you don't mind me spouting off. Joshua On Mon, Mar 28, 2011 at 3:21 PM, Joanna Portillo <joa...@co-spot.com> wrote: > Good Afternoon/Good Morning to All, > > Our coworking space in SF SoMa region has been open for about 2 full months > and we've experienced less luck in gaining clientele. At present we have a > few virtual office clients and have been showing our space at least twice a > week with a few phone calls of interest sprinkled throughout the week. > > My questions to the veterans are: > > 1. How were your beginning months? Where did you find was the primary > source of potential clients and interest came from? (craigslist postings, > online directories like Shareyourspace.com or loosecubes.com). > > 2. In addition to online advertising, what else did you find helpful as > getting the word out? > > 3. Any experience in collaborating with other coworking spaces? Advised? > > 4. Reached out to universities? If so, what was your approach? > > In the last month we have been doing the following: > > - Post our ad on Craigslist daily. > - Subscribing and adding to online free directories like > shareyourspace.com, sharedbusiness.com, and loosecubes.com. > - Hosting one upcoming lunch for the other tenants in our building in > hopes of generating more business from friends and colleagues of our > building tenants. > - Our printed advertising material has just been printed so we plan to > paper surrounding coffee and restaurants. > - Reaching out to certain organizations, i.e. non-profits that are > assisting emerging local businesses. > - And to generate buzz we're offering a one month rate April [not] > Fool's Special of only $1.00. > > This entire process of starting one's own business and thinking of creative > and low-cost ways to advertise is incredibly challenging.... but we're > hopeful and excited to join this dynamic movement of coworking. > > Thank you for taking the time to read this email, I look forward to any > advice that can be offered! > > Best, > > -- > Joanna Portillo > CO-Spot LLC > *Collaborative Office Space to Work, Think, Innovate & do Social Good* > 350 Townsend St. Suite 210 > San Francisco, CA 94107 > Tel: 415.800.6890 > Cel: 650.863.1075 > www.co-spot.com > > -- > 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. > -- 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.
