Comments on: The Business of Coworking http://notanmba.com/blog/2008/05/the-business-of-coworking taking the stupid out of business Thu, 20 Nov 2008 15:14:11 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Redefining Coworking - Dusty Reagan http://notanmba.com/blog/2008/05/the-business-of-coworking#comment-3441 Redefining Coworking - Dusty Reagan Wed, 04 Jun 2008 14:50:12 +0000 http://notanmba.com/blog/2008/05/the-business-of-coworking#comment-3441 [...] reading The Business of Coworking at NotAnMBA I was inspired to write this [...] [...] reading The Business of Coworking at NotAnMBA I was inspired to write this [...]

]]> By: Andrew http://notanmba.com/blog/2008/05/the-business-of-coworking#comment-3404 Andrew Tue, 03 Jun 2008 03:59:07 +0000 http://notanmba.com/blog/2008/05/the-business-of-coworking#comment-3404 I agree Dusty, this is why, in my eyes, Jelly is SO coworking. The distinction that I've read about, where Jelly is somehow downgraded to 'casual coworking' belittles what is going on there. Once a week, or 11 times a week, coworking is coworking. This sort of pragmatism is one of the things that defines the Austin approach... cheers I agree Dusty, this is why, in my eyes, Jelly is SO coworking. The distinction that I’ve read about, where Jelly is somehow downgraded to ‘casual coworking’ belittles what is going on there. Once a week, or 11 times a week, coworking is coworking. This sort of pragmatism is one of the things that defines the Austin approach…

cheers

]]> By: Dusty Reagan http://notanmba.com/blog/2008/05/the-business-of-coworking#comment-3400 Dusty Reagan Mon, 02 Jun 2008 23:44:50 +0000 http://notanmba.com/blog/2008/05/the-business-of-coworking#comment-3400 I believe coworking is a group of people deliberately meeting to work together, separately. In my opinion the space is merely a detail like the date & time of the meetup. So whether the space is for profit or not is irrelevant to whether or not it's a coworking space. It's a coworking space if people choose to meet there to work together. Let's rewrite the definition on the wiki. ;) I believe coworking is a group of people deliberately meeting to work together, separately. In my opinion the space is merely a detail like the date & time of the meetup. So whether the space is for profit or not is irrelevant to whether or not it’s a coworking space. It’s a coworking space if people choose to meet there to work together. Let’s rewrite the definition on the wiki. ;)

]]> By: Austin Coworking - Is it still coworking if you make a profit? - LaunchPad Coworking Blog http://notanmba.com/blog/2008/05/the-business-of-coworking#comment-3396 Austin Coworking - Is it still coworking if you make a profit? - LaunchPad Coworking Blog Mon, 02 Jun 2008 16:44:06 +0000 http://notanmba.com/blog/2008/05/the-business-of-coworking#comment-3396 [...] From The Business of Coworking: [...] [...] From The Business of Coworking: [...]

]]> By: Andrew http://notanmba.com/blog/2008/05/the-business-of-coworking#comment-3309 Andrew Fri, 30 May 2008 16:26:30 +0000 http://notanmba.com/blog/2008/05/the-business-of-coworking#comment-3309 Thanks for all the feedback! Rachel, I hear what you are saying. Commercial lease-structures in Canada might be a bit different. While there are exceptions here surely, for the most part commercial real estate agents require 1 person to be on a lease. The concept of a group entering a lease is one of those changes that needs to happen here because, it actually spreads risk around and makes more financial sense for the property owner. However, this is just one more area where the traditional business mindset is stuck in the past and refuses to experiment with the future. Indeed, I think that when some commercial property group gets hip to this, new kinds of coop-based leases will come online and be a part of the industry I've been talking about. Are you at Indoor Playground, or are you talking about a new space? Thanks for all the feedback! Rachel, I hear what you are saying. Commercial lease-structures in Canada might be a bit different. While there are exceptions here surely, for the most part commercial real estate agents require 1 person to be on a lease. The concept of a group entering a lease is one of those changes that needs to happen here because, it actually spreads risk around and makes more financial sense for the property owner. However, this is just one more area where the traditional business mindset is stuck in the past and refuses to experiment with the future. Indeed, I think that when some commercial property group gets hip to this, new kinds of coop-based leases will come online and be a part of the industry I’ve been talking about. Are you at Indoor Playground, or are you talking about a new space?

]]> By: rachel http://notanmba.com/blog/2008/05/the-business-of-coworking#comment-3303 rachel Fri, 30 May 2008 11:25:35 +0000 http://notanmba.com/blog/2008/05/the-business-of-coworking#comment-3303 up here in toronto, we are attempting to balance the community with the business, taking in to account all of the factors that independents face (finances, emotions, health, etc) and will be pursuing setting up a coworking space as a co-op. this is the only way we can see that if an anchor company leaves/moves on, the community isn't left holding the bag bacause the community composes the fluid membership of the company. it is a more true test of the word community in that everyone ensures the success of the space because each member of the community is an owner. up here in toronto, we are attempting to balance the community with the business, taking in to account all of the factors that independents face (finances, emotions, health, etc) and will be pursuing setting up a coworking space as a co-op. this is the only way we can see that if an anchor company leaves/moves on, the community isn’t left holding the bag bacause the community composes the fluid membership of the company. it is a more true test of the word community in that everyone ensures the success of the space because each member of the community is an owner.

]]> By: dangerouslyawesome » Add Equal Parts Business and Culture. Blend until Smooth. http://notanmba.com/blog/2008/05/the-business-of-coworking#comment-3289 dangerouslyawesome » Add Equal Parts Business and Culture. Blend until Smooth. Thu, 29 May 2008 22:05:02 +0000 http://notanmba.com/blog/2008/05/the-business-of-coworking#comment-3289 [...] a post today on Not An MBA, the boys evaluated the business side of [...] [...] a post today on Not An MBA, the boys evaluated the business side of [...]

]]> By: Tony Bacigalupo http://notanmba.com/blog/2008/05/the-business-of-coworking#comment-3279 Tony Bacigalupo Thu, 29 May 2008 20:05:26 +0000 http://notanmba.com/blog/2008/05/the-business-of-coworking#comment-3279 The issue of money versus community in regards to coworking is a complicated one, but let me see if I can shed some light. 1. Without profitability, a coworking space cannot exist. It cannot serve the community unless it can turn a profit and stay in business. 2. Running a coworking space with personal gain in mind is perfectly okay-- but up until recently, anyone who's approached this space with money in mind has ended up running a space without making the community the business's most important offering. You can totally try to make money running a coworking space-- and that space would still be a "true" coworking space-- but to do so, your business must offer not just desks in a space, but a culture of community and sharing. People may have drawn a divide between the two because people who run many of the existing spaces aren't making a living off running their spaces, but that's going to change. LaunchPad will be a shining example. The issue of money versus community in regards to coworking is a complicated one, but let me see if I can shed some light.

1. Without profitability, a coworking space cannot exist. It cannot serve the community unless it can turn a profit and stay in business.

2. Running a coworking space with personal gain in mind is perfectly okay– but up until recently, anyone who’s approached this space with money in mind has ended up running a space without making the community the business’s most important offering.

You can totally try to make money running a coworking space– and that space would still be a “true” coworking space– but to do so, your business must offer not just desks in a space, but a culture of community and sharing.

People may have drawn a divide between the two because people who run many of the existing spaces aren’t making a living off running their spaces, but that’s going to change. LaunchPad will be a shining example.

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