Tiago - Before I left my last job, my employer and I clashed big time as well and I felt stifled. I know how horrible that can feel. I did a pretty rare interview about the experience and the impact it had on Indy Hall <https://soundcloud.com/the-beautiful-struggle/013-alex-hillman>, if you're interested in some commiseration.
Point is, I feel for you on that "need to get out" AND I know how great it feels to get out, so I'm rooting for you :) I'll still stand by my statement that getting an income-earning freelance or consulting practice up and running quickly is much, much much easier path. Check out that interview - it's got some serious gold inside that I think can help you make this next step. -Alex ------------------ *The #1 mistake in community building is doing it by yourself.* Join the list: http://coworkingweekly.com Listen to the podcast: http://dangerouslyawesome.com/podcast On Wed, May 4, 2016 at 12:09 PM, Tiago Vasconcelos <talvasconce...@gmail.com > wrote: > Well, i do some extra work, mainly for myself right here at work. I know > it's not the same, but i get to do some web development, i sell online, > etc... At the moment i need to get out of here. I've been wanting to do the > consulting stuff for a while now, it's nice you've pointed out. My > profession is CAD Drafting, and as it's something i know very well, i > thought about setting up a blog (another one to manage) teaching some > skills, maybe a course and offer some consulting on Autodesk implementation > on businesses, best practices, etc... > > On Wednesday, May 4, 2016 at 5:00:42 PM UTC+1, Alex Hillman wrote: >> >> Hey Tiago, >> >> I often recommend folks coming from the corporate world to try their hand >> at some kind of consulting or freelancing before getting into the overhead >> and challenges that come with running a Coworking space. >> >> *Three reasons:* >> >> 1) it'll help you understand your (potential) members better. If you've >> never been in a similar situation as the person you hope to create >> something for, it's very easy to make assumptions and be DEAD WRONG about >> what they actually need, want, and value. >> >> 2) consulting is a nearly overhead-free business, compared to coworking. >> You can start it the second you find your first client. No long term >> commitments like leases. A lot of people learn their taste for running >> their own business as a consultant. If you find that you love it, awesome, >> and you have a huge advantage over someone who doesn't have the same >> experience (back to my first reason). And if you find out that it doesn't >> live up to the dream, you're not on the hook for a lease and furniture and >> all of the other things that come with opening a coworking space. >> >> 3) consulting gives your skills and revenue to fall back on while your >> coworking space is growing and stabilizing. Especially during the first 2 >> years. Our model of building the community first and involving them in the >> process allowed us to be profitable 4 months after opening our doors, but >> that included 12 months of work before we opened our doors during which my >> consulting allows me to be more in control of my time and income to work on >> the community and the business. >> >> I've run a profitable Coworking space for nearly a decade and I've seen a >> lot of patterns in success and failure. Comparatively, consulting in >> nearly any B2B industry is a MUCH easier path to sustainable income than a >> coworking space, especially as a first venture. >> >> Set yourself up for a win and maybe even try consulting on the side (so >> long as it doesn't conflict with your employment contract). You'll learn a >> LOT that will benefit you in running a coworking space. :) >> >> -Alex >> >> >> ------------------ >> *The #1 mistake in community building is doing it by yourself.* >> Join the list: http://coworkingweekly.com >> Listen to the podcast: http://dangerouslyawesome.com/podcast >> >> On Wed, May 4, 2016 at 11:57 AM, Tiago Vasconcelos <talvasc...@gmail.com> >> wrote: >> >>> Thank you all for your replies, i really appreciate them. >>> >>> @Tony >>> My goal is to ditch this crappy work, or eventually do it remotely. >>> Although i have 2 months behind of getting payed, i still need it to pay >>> the bills. I have 15 years of my life here and i don't want to get out with >>> my finger up my butt. I already tried and agreement with thm to let me go >>> but it didn't work out too well. >>> >>> My goal is that exactlly. Make something of value, change something, >>> help people, bring them closer... i'd like it to be my legacy (ok, a bit >>> too romantic...) !! Also i think is a business oportunity, i can't eat >>> fullfilment and they don't accept that as bank payments either. So i guess >>> my drive is a little bit of both. >>> >>> You make some very good sugestions. Maybe the in-person ones are a bit >>> difficult for me, i'm a shy guy at first, but maybe i'll try and start >>> contacting the 50000 hostels around and try to understand if they have many >>> costumers that actually do some work, etc... Start a FB group/community on >>> the subject... Only one doubt, do i make this approach as a "business" >>> owner/entrepeneur obviously community member and caring fellow coworker or >>> do it has just another coworker trying to reach out and then come up with a >>> "solution"... a cowork space? The latter doesn't make me feel very good >>> about myself, as i feel i'm tricking people and using them... (not sure if >>> i made myself clear on the point!!) >>> >>> @Trevor >>> thanks for sharing your experience. I read somewhere that the idea is >>> about 5% of a "product", so not to woory about the idea getting stollen. >>> But there's always a risk and i'm glad you understand my fear. >>> Read your post, nice going man. I'm not sure i want to go the coop way, >>> but it's nice to see you came out on top with that all story. >>> >>> Best regards, >>> Tiago >>> >>> >>> On Tuesday, May 3, 2016 at 1:25:20 PM UTC+1, Tiago Vasconcelos wrote: >>>> >>>> Hello everyone, just discovered this group. Already consumed so many >>>> information here, thank you all for this. >>>> >>>> I'm looking to open a cowork space but i have many doubts and no >>>> money!! The place is a highly touristic place by the ocean and a known surf >>>> spot. I'll be counting with some nomad surfers, or digital nomads that surf >>>> or just people who want to be in a nice place by the beach and do some >>>> work. >>>> >>>> At the moment i'm looking for real estate but don't know what to look >>>> for exactly. I found a couple of stores from 60 to 100m² . Last week i >>>> found what it used to be a hostel and it blew my mind and got me starting >>>> thinking big. So what should i be looking for in a place? >>>> >>>> Secondly, after some research i found that most places are open 24/7 >>>> and people have keys to the place, is this mandatory?! I found also that >>>> there's management software for costumers. How does this work? Do people >>>> have to do a login of some sort or have a check clock to punch in? >>>> >>>> What comodities are a must for a coworking space? >>>> >>>> I guess for now these are my biggest doubts... i have many more that >>>> i'll be asking, if you don't mind, later! >>>> >>>> Thanks in advance, >>>> Tiago >>>> >>> -- >>> Visit this forum on the web at http://discuss.coworking.com >>> --- >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>> Groups "Coworking" group. >>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send >>> an email to coworking+...@googlegroups.com. >>> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. >>> >> >> -- > Visit this forum on the web at http://discuss.coworking.com > --- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Coworking" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to coworking+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. > -- Visit this forum on the web at http://discuss.coworking.com --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Coworking" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to coworking+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
