[Coworking] Re: Thoughts On Social Functions Inside Coworking Spaces
Angel, Thank you for your input. Our overriding concept is being driven by the community we are assembling so many of the operational components will be derived from them. I think my interest in this particular aspect of coworking is more academic than anything. I remember growing up, when my dad didn't have an office outside of home, he would work from home and he would have a dedicated space to work. I know a lot of other people do that to. A few years back I stopped taking my laptop into my bedroom so I would not be compelled to work in an area that was earmarked for rest and relaxation. Though my iPad now makes that slightly more difficult (I scheduled our postings for our facebook page for today from that last night.) I have just intrigued by the theory behind this movement and its broader implications. As we watch the way the world works start to change, what does that mean in a broader social sense and what role will the spaces play. And this has been my big picture, post coffee train of thought for today. :) Be well, stay safe. RC PS. I have had several people tell me you are the next person I need to connect with on this journey we are on. RC On Friday, August 16, 2013 9:07:43 AM UTC-6, Angel Kwiatkowski wrote: The brilliant part of the coworking model is that you don't have to separate work from your social life if you don't want to. You can have it all in a coworking space! We have lots of social functions at Cohere but they are rarely formal unless you count beers on the patio as formal. We also make an effort to NOT host networking functions in our space. As a group, we shy away from any ninja star flinging of business cards and would much rather know you as a person before we care what you do to pay the rent. So, ask your members what they want? Do they like networking events but want to hold them on the roof? Then do it. Would they rather go out to lunch in smaller groups? Do it. Do they prefer scheduled things or impromptu stuff? Do THAT. Angel On Thursday, August 15, 2013 3:01:33 PM UTC-6, Coworking Colorado wrote: Hey Everyone, My team and I have been kicking around a couple ideas on how to manage the extra functions we will potentially host in the space. What are your thoughts on hosting purely social gatherings at a location beside the space while hosting any networking or business related functions at the space. I've seen this done in other venues, though not in a coworking space. The most notable is the business school my fiance is attending in PA. They have classes and university sponsored activities on campus, but then when it comes time to socialize as a class, they meet up somewhere off campus. Generally all 180+ students are there and they are all networking and building connections as effectively as they would have anywhere else I suppose. The theory behind the idea not to hold strictly social gatherings in the coworking space is to make sure, even on a subconscious level that people see it as a place to connect, be creative and get things done, but not necessarily as a place to party and goof off. Does that make sense? I could see the cost benefit of holding it in the space, especially if you are bringing together a large community. I've heard of spaces that have separate rooms for games and stuff and that often times peer pressure tends to keep people working and producing. We are just looking for some feedback into this to see what other spaces and people thought and how they may have addressed this topic. Thanks in advance. RC -- 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/groups/opt_out.
[Coworking] Re: Hello from Wisconsin! (Also maybe please help?)
Matthew, Sounds like you are heading in the right direction. Nicely done! One thought I had in relation to #3. You may look into hackerspaces and makerspaces as well. While a different concept from coworking, they do have elements of coworking and collaboration to them and they may prove to be valuable partners as well. We are working on such partnerships in our area as well. Specifically because we don't want to get into the hackerspace/makerspace market, but a partnership may be useful. I will definitely try to stop by if I'm back in town. Its been a while since I was back in WI, so I need to get back there. Keep up the strong work. -Rob C On Friday, August 16, 2013 9:24:49 AM UTC-6, Matthew Straub, Avenue HQ Community Manager wrote: Hey RC, Thanks so much for the thoughtful and encouraging response! It means a lot. I have tried a few of those things, and I'm particularly focused on meetup groups and finding and connecting to people on a one-to-one basis. In regard to #3, I'm workin' on that! There's only one other coworking space in the area, and that's about 40 minutes away. I've been trying to meet with the co-founders for quite some time actually. I'm also trying to put on some kind of professional development classes or workshops here, and I've been connecting to various organizations and institutions and getting some support for such a thing. It's a little bit difficult in summer when schools and colleges aren't in session and all the faculty are gearing up for the start of the year, but I do agree that it's a really great idea and it makes people see the space as a place of value. If you're ever in the area, please stop by! I lived in Madison for 7 years (went to school at UW), so I absolutely love that city. It's exciting that coworking has suddenly (finally) started to take off there in the last year or two. Thanks, Matthew On Thursday, August 15, 2013 3:50:53 PM UTC-5, Coworking Colorado wrote: Matthew, How are you? Hope this finds you well. I've actually been chewing on your situation since I first read it a few days ago. Just because things have worked in the reverse of how it is suggested, I'm not certain there are hard and fast rules in this space, just things that work better than others. Given the opportunity you were given I may very well have jumped at the chance too. We're building our community and as it grows I'm trying to figure out where we are going to plant these spaces and how that will work out. So I wouldn't beat myself up too much if I were you. Here are a few thoughts I came up with over the last few days, and many of them have already probably crossed your mind. But really its doing the same steps that you would to build any community. What I consider an advantage in your situation is that you have a space. In our situation, we are building the community and what the final space will look like is not readily apparent just yet. I think this could be an advantage to you in that your potential members will be able to see what they are getting, you'll be able to offer free coworking days and stuf like that. Leverage the space to your advantage. *1. Build a Facebook Page for your business. * I saw you did that, just liked your page from Colorado! If I were you I would spend $100 on building an ad for facebook and promote the page. Get some likes and then use that as a point to start networking from. That will give you a pool to potentially pull from to start generating a buzz and potentially interest in joining your space. *2. Set up a Meetup group and join other meet up groups in the area* Set up your own to get the word out about your space to a different audience. While facebook is a powerful took to reach people, meetup has given us a separate avenue an a slightly quicker connection than facebook because on meet up the people will commit to meeting with you as you schedule things so its far easier to get connected face to face. Then host an event at your space. Give a short presentation on coworking and then let the people who have come mingle and meet one another. At the end of the day it is them you will want to have connect well, and then you give them a place to connect. Also, if you join meet up groups you can network with other members of your community. Join Startup meetups, entrepreneur meetups, tech meetups, web development meetups. Any kind of meet up that may hold people who would potentially look to use your facility. Freelancers, entrepreneurs, techies, hackers, etc. *3. Connect with other co-working spaces in your area. * This is powerful because according to the deskmag study, spaces started in isolation tend to have a harder go of it. I think this is because sometimes the word about coworking has not reach the four corners of the earth, so in addition to building a community
[Coworking] Re: Why I/you started a coworking space?
Mike E. Most definitely. I will help where I can. Take care. RC -- 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/groups/opt_out.
[Coworking] Re: Hello from Wisconsin! (Also maybe please help?)
Matthew, How are you? Hope this finds you well. I've actually been chewing on your situation since I first read it a few days ago. Just because things have worked in the reverse of how it is suggested, I'm not certain there are hard and fast rules in this space, just things that work better than others. Given the opportunity you were given I may very well have jumped at the chance too. We're building our community and as it grows I'm trying to figure out where we are going to plant these spaces and how that will work out. So I wouldn't beat myself up too much if I were you. Here are a few thoughts I came up with over the last few days, and many of them have already probably crossed your mind. But really its doing the same steps that you would to build any community. What I consider an advantage in your situation is that you have a space. In our situation, we are building the community and what the final space will look like is not readily apparent just yet. I think this could be an advantage to you in that your potential members will be able to see what they are getting, you'll be able to offer free coworking days and stuf like that. Leverage the space to your advantage. *1. Build a Facebook Page for your business. * I saw you did that, just liked your page from Colorado! If I were you I would spend $100 on building an ad for facebook and promote the page. Get some likes and then use that as a point to start networking from. That will give you a pool to potentially pull from to start generating a buzz and potentially interest in joining your space. *2. Set up a Meetup group and join other meet up groups in the area* Set up your own to get the word out about your space to a different audience. While facebook is a powerful took to reach people, meetup has given us a separate avenue an a slightly quicker connection than facebook because on meet up the people will commit to meeting with you as you schedule things so its far easier to get connected face to face. Then host an event at your space. Give a short presentation on coworking and then let the people who have come mingle and meet one another. At the end of the day it is them you will want to have connect well, and then you give them a place to connect. Also, if you join meet up groups you can network with other members of your community. Join Startup meetups, entrepreneur meetups, tech meetups, web development meetups. Any kind of meet up that may hold people who would potentially look to use your facility. Freelancers, entrepreneurs, techies, hackers, etc. *3. Connect with other co-working spaces in your area. * This is powerful because according to the deskmag study, spaces started in isolation tend to have a harder go of it. I think this is because sometimes the word about coworking has not reach the four corners of the earth, so in addition to building a community, you are also educating a community as well, and if you've ever seen Shark Tank, educating your customer base can be a challenge as well, but well worth it. *4. Set up a bi monthly series of classes* Connect with professionals in your area, investment bankers, venture capitalists, leadership coaches, marketing professionals, any one who would consult with a start up, growing or established business. Ask them to give a presentation in your space and then see if they can leverage their name and network to get people in the door. I have a ton more thoughts but gotta get onto some other things. Feel free to reach out to me if you would like and we can discuss this more, but thought I would toss what I could at the wall and see if I could help you out. Most importantly, get creative and stick with it, you'll figure it out. I have a good friend who lives in Madison (yes 2 hours south of you it appears) But I would love to stop in and see your space next time I am in WI. Thanks RC coworkingcolorado[at]gmail[dot]com -- 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/groups/opt_out.
[Coworking] Thoughts On Social Functions Inside Coworking Spaces
Hey Everyone, My team and I have been kicking around a couple ideas on how to manage the extra functions we will potentially host in the space. What are your thoughts on hosting purely social gatherings at a location beside the space while hosting any networking or business related functions at the space. I've seen this done in other venues, though not in a coworking space. The most notable is the business school my fiance is attending in PA. They have classes and university sponsored activities on campus, but then when it comes time to socialize as a class, they meet up somewhere off campus. Generally all 180+ students are there and they are all networking and building connections as effectively as they would have anywhere else I suppose. The theory behind the idea not to hold strictly social gatherings in the coworking space is to make sure, even on a subconscious level that people see it as a place to connect, be creative and get things done, but not necessarily as a place to party and goof off. Does that make sense? I could see the cost benefit of holding it in the space, especially if you are bringing together a large community. I've heard of spaces that have separate rooms for games and stuff and that often times peer pressure tends to keep people working and producing. We are just looking for some feedback into this to see what other spaces and people thought and how they may have addressed this topic. Thanks in advance. RC -- 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/groups/opt_out.
[Coworking] Re: Hello, introductions and all that jazz
Beth, Glad to have your support! Follow the facebook page. Specifically, the Coworking Colorado one and we will have announcements about meetings and what not. In the mean time if you can get as many people as you can in your area to like the page that would be great as well. We are targeting our initial efforts around where we are getting the strongest responses. Thanks for your support and I will definitely be reaching out very soon. Thanks RC As we gauge interest On Tuesday, August 13, 2013 2:15:55 PM UTC-6, Beth Buczynski wrote: Robert! How am I just now hearing about these pages? Consider them liked. I first coworked in Fort Collins, but then moved to the Denver suburbs where one car (and crappy public transport options) made commuting into the city almost impossible. Colorado suburbs, and cities along the 1-25 corridor NEED coworking!! Personal plea to make your first space in Longmont. I'm sitting in a downtown coffee shop there now, surrounded by laptop workers. I think it's just the right size for a community, but of course have selfish reasons for saying so :) Please let me know if I can support your efforts in any way! Beth On Sunday, August 11, 2013 10:34:25 AM UTC-6, Coworking Colorado wrote: Hello, I just joined this group after connecting with the Coworking wiki and wanted to say hi and introduce myself. My name is Robert and I am the admin for the Coworking Colorado and Coworking Communities pages on Facebook and LinkedIn. I am currently putting together a team whose goal is to help suburban communities and smaller cities in Colorado set up sustainable coworking spaces. I have been chewing on this idea for some time now (4 years to be precise) and am no looking to make it happen. We are aiming to have our first space opened in early 2014 somewhere between Denver and Boulder. Looking forward to the advice and support from everyone and to contributing as I am able. Thanks RC Coworking Colorado https://www.facebook.com/coworkingcolorado https://www.facebook.com/pages/Coworking-Communities/494337197325285 -- 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/groups/opt_out.
[Coworking] Re: Why I/you started a coworking space?
I am a touch late to the fray, but will share my thoughts... For me the journey to start a space has been interesting. It started out of a simple desire to build a better coffee house. One that was more accommodating to people who were working. No round tables, plenty of plugs, reliable internet, etc. As I developed this idea, I ran across the concept of coworking and realized what I had envisioned for this coffee house was really a coworking facility. So we retooled our focus and that is where that came from initially. Now I have only recently come the depth of the reasons for wanting to do this. One reason is because I have a set of skills that I have not been able to plug effectively into any job description. As a result of that, I have struggled to find a place where I can adequately use these skills for much of my working experience. However the main reason is because some of the most rewarding experiences I have had have been helping friends or coworkers sort through their ideas during that ever familiar conversation about wanting to start a business we all have had. I have always been supportive in the Yeah, that's a good idea way. But in the last few years, fueled largely by my own obsession with ideas and how to get them to take off, I have taken a different approach. Instead of just being supportive, I'm not supportive and inquisitive saying instead, that's a great idea, how would you do that? With those words, over a cup of coffee on a break, I have been engaged in some of the most interesting conversations. Not only have these conversations invigorated me and my belief in my own ideas, but they seem to have inspired those I have had them with as well. Because out of no where they start coming up to me and asking me about the idea and we start generating this dialog. I have back alley advised on training programs, on martial arts dojos, on software ideas, beta tested for apps, brainstormed with people who work with kids and adults on brain development, looked into starting a kids indoor bounce house in the mountains and even helped brainstorm a non-profit for special needs kids, an internet television show on beer and have regular conversations with my son who wants to start making and selling his own t-shirts and give 10% of the money he makes to anti-bullying campaigns. What all of this has told me is that I have a wide range of tastes and interests and that most any idea can stimulate me to brainstorm on; and that the look and excitement and belief you can instill in people, when moments before their idea seemed like a long shot and after a short conversation and some brainstorming, they start to believe even in the slightest that their idea is awesome and that they could do something with it, that is priceless. And that is what I hope to do in the spaces we open. To build a community and be involved in the dreams and ideas of other people and to help them make those happen, and share in their successes. That sounds like a great way to make a living in this world. Be safe. RC -- 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/groups/opt_out.
[Coworking] Hello, introductions and all that jazz
Hello, I just joined this group after connecting with the Coworking wiki and wanted to say hi and introduce myself. My name is Robert and I am the admin for the Coworking Colorado and Coworking Communities pages on Facebook and LinkedIn. I am currently putting together a team whose goal is to help suburban communities and smaller cities in Colorado set up sustainable coworking spaces. I have been chewing on this idea for some time now (4 years to be precise) and am no looking to make it happen. We are aiming to have our first space opened in early 2014 somewhere between Denver and Boulder. Looking forward to the advice and support from everyone and to contributing as I am able. Thanks RC Coworking Colorado https://www.facebook.com/coworkingcolorado https://www.facebook.com/pages/Coworking-Communities/494337197325285 -- 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/groups/opt_out.
[Coworking] Re: Do coworking spaces work in the suburbs?
This is actually one of the areas we are targeting with our plan, to get coworking spaces into suburbs and smaller communities that want them. One of our main goals is to bring awesome people together to do awesome things and give them an awesome place to do it. And we are doing it in that order. Our planning for this started 4 years ago with the idea for a more worker friendly coffee shop, as that evolved we came across the concept of coworking and now that is the primary focus. But even among my friends, most had never heard of coworking before. So we are seeing that there is educational component as well. So we are looking to build and educate a community at the same time. 140+ likes on our facebook page in just over two weeks says we are heading in the right direction. Keep at it, you'll figure it out and be fine. Be safe. RC On Monday, July 15, 2013 5:34:18 AM UTC-6, Susan Jones wrote: Hi Everyone, and thanks for the discussion. I'm in Australia and was talking to an angel investor here recently. He told me that there had been no successful coworking spaces outside CBD areas. I'm wondering - if that is true in other places around the world, - if coworking spaces need to be in city centres and - if they can work in suburbs, do they need to do things differently or cater to a different target market? Interested to hear your thoughts, Thanks Susan -- 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/groups/opt_out.
