In the research for our book we are constantly looking out for emerging business models that might help guide independents and entrepreneurs by example. One really intriguing and promising model that has recently come online is Conjunctured, the Austin-based co-company. Conjunctured was founded on the idea that participants can remain self-employed within their individual businesses, but can be brought to bear as a company for specific projects and clients.
Round 3 Media appears to be doing something rather similar in Philadelphia, so this for us seems to be an increasingly viable model. Creative talent comes together on an as-needed bases to do a project…
Westside Studio
In this month’s issue of Communication Arts, a feature article on Toronto’s Westside Studio is an absolute joy! Westside is, other than perhaps in word, a co-company. It is a photography studio founded in the early 1980s and has grown to become one of Canada’s most influential studios. Most of its work is adverstising-related, and its client list is blue chip.
But it is the ownership model that really strikes me. I want to quote a bit of Tiffany Meyers great article on Westside:
Today a force in Canadian advertising, Westside houses thirteen of Canada’s finest photographers. Operating their own individual companies under the Westside umbrella, they share six studios, two full-time agents and five producers in 14,000 gleaming-white square feet.
Each photographer has her/his own company, but they go to market through Westside. Interesting model, really. Seems that the growing army of individual talent now gathering in coworking spaces- like Conjunctured and Round 3- are already doing this sort of thing. Might be worth it for all of us to learn a bit more about Westside and how they’ve managed to keep this going for 25+ years.
The Butcher
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