Coworking – Page 9 – The Global Coworking Blog

How To: Create a Local Meet-up Group for Freelancers

8 (easy!) steps for creating a local meet-up group for other freelancers and small business owners.

By Angel Kwiatkowski

Hello My Name is... by bump on Flickr — Host a local meet-up group--it's easy!

Coworking naturally creates community—it’s the beauty of freelancers and independents working together in a shared office space. No doubt you’ve benefited from this coworking community goodness. But have you ever thought about having a group that is more focused on a niche you’re interested in? Here are 8 easy steps for how to create a local meet-up group for other freelancers and small business owners.

1. Choose a topic & purpose.

Who do you want to get together and why? Do you want to get freelance web designers together to talk about the latest Adobe Illustrator shortcuts, or would you rather get people from diverse professional backgrounds together to talk about a specific industry? There are limitless themes around which to organize a meet-up. Make it specific, but allow yourself some creativity! (For example, a meet-up named “Freelance Writers”? Boring. A meet-up named “Freelance Writers Who Care About Going Green”? That’s more like it!)

2. Ask two people to join you.

“Two?! Only two people?!” you shriek. Settle down. Ask two people who would fit the niche meet-up group to help you. For example, two other programmers if it’s for a programming group, or two other freelancers interested in non-profit organizations. Not only will having two other minds make choosing a time and venue easier, it will help diversify and grow the meet-up. And even if it’s just the three of you that end up attending the first meet-up, three people can do a lot of brainstorming and sharing.

3. Choose a time.

Check to ensure that your meet-up idea isn’t already happening somewhere in your area. If a similar group exists—great! Offer to join forces. If not, make sure your meet-up doesn’t conflict with other events in the area. Will the event be weekly, monthly or bimonthly? Will attendees likely have availability before, during or after work hours, or perhaps on the weekend?

4. Choose a venue.

Coffee shops, restaurants with private rooms and local community centers are a great place to find free or low-cost space for your group. But y’know what would be even better? Ask your coworking space if you can use the space during an off-time (evenings or weekends).

5. Set up an online event.

There are several online tools that allow you to share event description, time and venue with others. Make it simple for potential attendees to find the pertinent who/what/where/when/why info. Some easy-to-use online event tools include:

6. Share the event with your network.

Post information about the meetup at your coworking space.
Tell your friends on Facebook and your followers on Twitter.
Talk about it on your blog.
Announce it at other events you attend (but only if it’s relevant!).
Share with your professional groups.
Send an email to friends, former colleagues and anyone else in your network that seems like a perfect fit for the meet-up (especially if it’s someone that might not use Facebook or Twitter very often).

7. Be prepared.

If the meet-up group is hosted at your coworking space, do you want to provide snacks or refreshments? Or perhaps you’ll need a whiteboard & markers, a giant brainstorming notepad, or a laptop for taking notes and looking up websites. An LCD project and screen? Nametags and markers? Think again about the topic and purpose of the meet-up group, and ensure you have all the materials and “little things” needed to make it a great event.

8. Have fun!

The meet-up group you’ve helped create should be fun, information-rich and valuable for everyone involved. Enjoy it!

Why have a meet-up? Because it builds community. Because you can share resources, tips & tactics. Because you can help someone else by sharing your knowledge and skills. Because it’s awesome to hang out with other awesome people. (That’s awesomeness squared!)

Have you ever started a local meet-group? What worked and what didn’t? Tell us below in the comments!

Image Credit: Flickr – bump

Coworking Community Through Food!

Let your appetite make friends for you!

As I have come to discover at previous jobs, coffee,breaks,lunch breaks, and office meetings are synonymous with socialization. In the past this is how I’ve learned to create friendships with my coworkers. We could gripe about the last memo,or find out that we both enjoy kayaking on the weekends. Either way it’s been in these moments that I’ve learned that these are the opportunities that allow us as coworkers to get to know each other.

Now that I am actually a part of a coworking office space , I have discovered, and as I’ve read on several forums about coworking, that putting people together in an open space close together doesn’t necessarily make socialization as easy as one would think. I consider myself a social person but put me in a room with 15 or more strangers, you can find me with sweaty palms in the corner of the room,trying to figure out what to say. It’s creating and finding the right setting to put everyone at ease, that helps facilitate connections and bonds. At our office in particular I have discovered that the break room or “Cafe Disco” as we call it, has been that setting. From the first day I arrived, I was passed a menu and asked if I was in on “Fiesta Friday”, I love fiestas, and figured it would be a great intro to the group. Needless to say , it worked! We ordered and I was in my first group lunch with my new coworkers. It was great, a little awkward, but still a really cool way to get to know the people I was going to be seeing day in and day out. We are actually all employed under the same company so , we needed to find a way to include all the members of our workspace to our festive lunch breaks. Part of the difficulty in getting other companies to join us was the approach. We’re based in Downtown Miami, typically more corporate and stuffy than the rest of Miami. While the company was created by a freelance developer, we house an array of different companies, from interior designers to financial brokers, real estate agents to an Eco-friendly waste bag company. We couldn’t necessarily say we house simply one type of company. We had to find a way to grab the financial brokers, and agents attention (they’re typically the most serious out of all the members here).

So getting together with some of my the coworkers within my company we figured, “Fiesta Friday” was themed ,yeah there was only six of us but the homemade virgin margaritas, gwak’, and mariachi music we brought, really made it a fiesta. We figured if we applied a fun theme to most luncheons , it would also serve as a networking opportunity, and if we emailed all the companies within our space everyone would be aware, it could really entice all of our members . We officially had Caribbean Potluck Friday in the works! All day there was chatter about ox-tail, and coconut rice. For those who forgot to bring some traditional Caribbean dishes we told them don’t worry there’s plenty of food , just show up and embrace the Caribbean vibes! Our CEO got into it, he dressed his pup in a Rastafarian sweater, and blasted Bob Marley from the break room speakers, our idea was a success.

Here the Miami business style is all about connections, but it was always so serious,pretentious, and superficial. That day, we were able to actually create genuine connections between companies whose business and business concepts would have never lead them to one another. We found a way to appeal to all of our workspace coworkers .

Now, no one orders lunch without considering other coworking pals, if someone forgets to bring lunch and doesn’t want to order we share. We’ve just got a thing going, it’s our niche and it works for us. The old sharing is caring philosophy really works. As I read in other posts, people sitting close in an open space doesn’t just magically create a friendships or connections. You have to find something that works for all of your coworkers. If its not lunch maybe a jelly, whatever it is that grabs all your members’ attention, and can make them feel comfortable enough to join in the current social gathering.

New Collaborative Workspace Comes To Phoenix

Union WorkSpace is set up in an open community format, designed to foster creativity, networking, and relationship building. It’s a place to not only get work done, but create lasting relationships and establish strategic business alliances.

Union WorkSpace is a collaborative office concept catering to today’s independent professional. Uniquely situated in one of Phoenix’s most architecturally advanced office buildings, Union offers sophisticated work space to small businesses. Building off of the “coworking” platform more frequently seen across the World, Union WorkSpace is Phoenix’s newest coworking space.

Union WorkSpace members are fully supported with amenity rich services that include custom built desk space, Herman Miller task chairs, Wi-Fi, conference room access, mailing address, print/copy/fax capabilities, amongst other things.

“I wanted to create something that provided the stable platform needed to develop and grow your business and assist in helping you achieve the goals you’ve set forth”, added founder Austin King.

To schedule a visit, please contact Austin King at 602.330.6215 or [email protected].

You can also follow Union WorkSpace on Twitter and Facebook!

3 Reasons Broke Freelancers Should Be Coworking

You might think that being broke means you can’t afford coworking, but here are three reasons why you can’t afford not to.

By Angel Kwiatkowski

Leaving a traditional job for the freewheeling life of an independent professional is exhilarating in many ways: you decide your schedule, choose your clients, and finally realize the dream of going to work in your pajamas.

One less-exhilarating consequence of becoming a freelancer is that you lose the security of a regular paycheck. Traditional professionals know that check is going to magically appear every two weeks, regardless of whether they worked their ass off or spent most of the week sneaking cat naps at their desks.

Not so for the brave freelancer. When you’re self-employed, no work means no pay. Period.

If you’ve recently decided to branch out on your own, you’re probably already feeling twinges of that deep abdominal panic that occurs when the bank account dips below the ‘safety’ level. You might think that being broke means you can’t afford coworking.

Here are three reasons why you can’t afford to not be coworking.

New Opportunities – They abound in a coworking space. Whether it’s bartering work with your neighbor, or raising your hand when someone says, “Hey, I have a friend that’s looking for someone to upgrade her website,” coworking attracts work. There’s also the chance that your coworker will see an online job posting you missed, or tell you in advance that their company is looking for some contract help. If you’re not there, you won’t be able to take advantage of it.

Encouragement – You know that panic I mentioned earlier? You’re not the only one that’s felt it. Every single freelancer or business owner has felt that same fear, and lain awake at night wondering how they would make ends meet. Belonging to a community of empathetic freelancers will allow you share those fears without embarrassment or judgment. Better yet, you’ll get free advice (ok therapy) from experienced entrepreneurs about how to budget, survive, and find new work.

Distraction – Being broke isn’t any fun, but that doesn’t mean you have to spend your days hidden in your home office. Instead of retreating from this unique and often difficult life, embrace it. Use your coworking community as a sounding board for ideas, attend networking events and schedule meet-ups. Relax. Laugh. Remember that you chose freelancing because it’s what makes you happy, not because it will make you a millionaire.

Image Credit: Flickr – katerha

Two Simple Ways to Build Community

You can help build community in your coworking space by doing two simple things: ask and promote.

Coworking is not just about freelancers sharing desks, chairs, and wi-fi. It’s about connections, interactions, conversations, collaborations. In a word, coworking is about community. Independents working together is a testament to how coworking both fosters and sustains community. And you can help build community by doing two simple things: ask and promote.

1. Ask
Believe it or not, if you ask someone for help in a way that’s respectful of their time and knowledge, you’ll probably make their day! What better way to build community than recognizing the awesomeness in others?

Ask another member to join you for coffee. Grab coffee or lunch with another member—perhaps someone you don’t yet know very well; snack breaks never hurt anyone.
Ask another member for help or feedback on one of your projects. And perhaps offer to treat them to the aforementioned snacks in return for their time!
Ask other members for some funny. Does that sound kinda silly? It should! Ask your neighbor if they’ve read a funny blog post or seen something funny lately. Laughing is always a great way to connect!

2. Promote

Fistbump lion — Promoting is like fist-bumping.

We’re not talkin’ about smarmy self-promotion. Oh no. We’re talking about promoting others. As you grow your own business, you can contribute to your coworking community by helping to promote others—in small and big ways. It’s kind of like a community fist-bump.

Comment on fellow members’ blog posts. Many freelancers members have blogs, whether personal or business. Pop by every once in awhile to leave a comment.
Retweet or share on Facebook another member’s latest website design or their latest article. If you think a fellow freelancer is doing interesting work, share that work with your networks.
Refer work. You’re writing content for your client’s website, and they mention that they need help with website design. There’s probably another member (or four) that you could potentially refer work to.

The great thing about asking and promoting is that it works like community karma: if you ask and promote others, in turn they will likely do the same for you.

Image Credit: Flicker – otama | sarah sosiak

Space Catalyst 101

As a brand new space catalyst, I am riding the highs and lows of the early process. When I began fleshing out the idea of starting a coworking community in my town, my mind was buzzing with the excitement a new project brings. I envisioned the utopian community, the modern and functional workspace, and the throngs of interesting people who would want to be a part of it all. And of course, in this Hollywood-esque reverie, everything falls magically into place. The community forms itself. The ideal coworking space (situated on the best block of downtown) effortlessly falls into my lap. Funding flows freely, and there are no proverbial “bumps in the road.”

Then, the actualization process begins. Queue the squealing brakes.

As there is not a set standard for what makes a successful coworking space, I found myself absolutely inundated with information…and questions. So many questions. Where do I begin? Will people join? Is my town ready for this? How much is this going to cost? You get the picture. So, instead of trying to sort through it alone, I sought wise council and joined the closest coworking community to me.

My best advice to anyone who is thinking of starting a coworking space is a.)hire a professional, and b.)find a space that you would like to mirror (and hang out there.) Consulting with a successful space owner is the best investment, of my time and money, I have made thus far. I have a wealth of knowledge and experience being poured into me with every meeting. My incredible consultant has helped me form a plan, find a starting point in the process, and-most importantly- informed me what holes not to step in. I have made new contacts, been informed of resources that I never knew existed, and given homework to complete throughout the week. There is nothing, but nothing bad about getting the beef from someone who has been through the process of starting a coworking community and made it work.

I’m still in the process. I still have my sights on that dreamy vision of the perfect coworking community, but now I have a plan to get there. And with the help of a person (dare I say…new friend) who has paved the way before me, it just might all come together some sweet day soon.

3 Things You Need To Cowork Successfully

You might find it hard to believe that groups of people sitting together in the same room can really be productive. While it’s true that coworkers often have super-human talents, they also have some tricks up their sleeves.

Those new to coworking are often amazed that groups of people sitting together in the same room can really be productive. While it’s true that coworkers often have super-human talents, they also have some tricks up their sleeves.

Headphones

If you’re a freelancer that’s been using the local coffee shop as your office, you already know the power of a set of earbuds. This amazing device plugs into your computer in a matter of seconds, delivering the sweet sounds of your favorite musical artists. Or newsprogram. Or motivational speaker. Most importantly, it will drown out the chatter of those with a lighter workload on any particular day.

A To-Do List

Nothing helps put your mind on the fast-track to success like a prioritized list of tasks. Some days at Cohere, we’ll designate a white board as a “public to-do list,” so that the entire community can see what the other members are working on. Who knows? Someone might have a tip or suggestion about how to tackle that bothersome project.

An Open Mind

If you’re thinking about coming down for your first day of coworking, it’s important to keep an open mind. Those that have recently transferred into the freelance life might not expect people to laugh and converse at their workspace, or to have someone offer to help with a professional problem- but these things happen all the time during coworking. Be flexible, realize that successful days come in all shapes and sizes, and be ready to soak up all the community has to offer you.

Cohere is a membership-based collaborative workspace & coworking community for freelancers, entrepreneurs and remote workers in Fort Collins, Colorado.

Image Credit: Flickr – pastaboy

Study on Coworking: The Coworker

Very few academic studies about coworking and coworkers have ever been carried. Berlin university student Lukas de Pellegrin set out to change this by conducting research on coworkers, setting out three important questions: who are coworkers, how should their workspace look like, and why?

He harvested responses from the users of coworking spaces in Berlin, and Deskmag is publishing the results. The survey is the forerunner of a worldwide study in which readers can participate.

This first survey was conducted in Berlin coworking spaces, like here at Studio 70.

The typical coworker

The typical Berlin coworker is self-employed, male and 31 years old, at least on average. Almost all coworkers are self-employed – more than 95%. Women make up 40% of coworkers. The majority of coworkers are between 30 and 40 years old. Very few are older, and slightly less than half are younger, most of them in their mid to late 20s.

Coworking Spaces are centers for programmers and web designers

Coworking spaces in Berlin have established themselves as centers for programmers and web designers, who together make up almost half of all users (42%). Yet those looking for translators or architects will also find plenty in these workspaces.

The working life of a coworker is one of projects. And most projects run for an average of six months. Many also work on shorter contracts – 25% of all projects take less than two weeks.

Loyalty to coworking spaces lasts much longer than a project

Coworkers are very loyal to their coworking space. The overwhelming majority identified very strongly with their space, and have been there for just under 18 months. (although most coworking spaces are not more than 18 months old). When a coworker chooses to leave a coworking space they do so quickly, within three or six months of arriving. Those that have been there a year often remain for much longer.

Coworkers told de Pellegrin that the thing they expect most of coworking spaces was the opportunity to interact with other self-employed people. Many coe for the interesting mixture of different professional fields. They don’t want to work at home, and see coworking spaces as a simple solution. One in twelve coworkers are on a temporary stay in Berlin.

Looking for new connections

However, the low cost of coworking spaces is the most important deciding factor when selecting a certain place to work. The second criterion was the possibility for chance discoveries and encounters with people that could have a positive impact on future work. Interacting with other people yet still remaining autonomous was the third-most important factor.

Another important factor is short travel distance. In Berlin, coworkers rarely commute more than four kilometers to their workplace, and the average distance is three kilometers. More than half go by bike, one in three uses public transport, one in five by foot, and only one in ten by car.

Once there, they make most use of a computer and desk, kitchen facilities, printers and filing cabinets. This is followed by leisure facilities and interactive spaces. Most also go to restaurants or snack bars nearby for their food.

The most important factors for coworkers are low cost, new (unexpected) connections, interaction, and staying autonomous at the same time. More pictures on Deskmag.

Starting a worldwide survey

The results are the basis for a worldwide survey that de Pellegrin will start with in the next few months at the 600 or so coworking spaces worldwide.

And users can participate directly. How do you feel about the results? What important questions were overlooked? What do you want to know more about coworkers or coworking spaces? You can send your questions and comments to Deskmag, or simply tweet on our Twitter page. Your contributions on Twitter will be included in the survey. The results will be published soon.

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[email protected]

By Carsten Foertsch

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Lukas De Pellegrini is about to graduate in architecture. His home university is Berlin’s Technische Universität (TU Berlin).

Deskmag is a magazine about the new places we work, how they look, how they function and how they could be improved. We especially focus on workspaces which are home to the new breed of independent workers, such as coworking spaces, private shared studios and executive offices.

3 Coworking Benefits for the Entire Family

Guest post from a member’s husband. Coworking has far reaching benefits beyond what individual members gain from the experience of coworking.

Since my wife has started coworking it has unexpectedly improved my life in a few ways, and it has nothing to do with additional income. It has increased the quality of our life here at home, making me a huge fan. Not that we want to get rid of her, but we are thrilled that she is coworking! Here’s why:

1. Quality one-on-one time with the kids

I work all day and have few quality moments with my boys during the week. I get home during the chaos of dinner and bedtime routines. On coworking nights, my boys and I set up the living room like a movie theater, turn off all of the lights and wrap up with blankets and popcorn. We watch fun movies and eat candy that my wife probably wouldn’t let them eat during the day. We call this “Boy’s Party” and it’s the highlight of our week.

2. Decreases guilt/increases balance for personal activities

I am an avid fly fisherman and the river is my sanctuary. Being able to get out with my flyrod is really important and recharges me. With my wife having a dedicated night for coworking, I’ve been able to have a dedicated fishing night. It’s a great balance and we don’t feel guilty for having our own personal interests.

3. Moments of peace and quiet

On the nights that my wife coworks, after the kids are in bed, the house is silent. There’s nobody to talk to, there’s nothing to think about. It’s a treasured moment of true peace and silence, which is much needed after a long day at work. It’s quite relaxing and restful – everyone should have a few moments to themselves to decompress.

You’d think that with our busy life and day’s full of activities that my wife leaving for night coworking once a week would be taxing, but it’s not. It actually helps us balance some important aspects of all of our lives.

4 reasons to avoid being “Home Alone”.

EXPENSES: Sharing resources in a coworking space (coffee, electricity, water, photocopies, phone & internet) lessens your individual burden of having to purchase all of this for your home office.

PERSONAL LIFE / PROFESSIONAL LIFE: Separating your job from your domestic life is the Rosetta Stone of the 21st century. Do you think it is good idea meet all of your customers & partners in your home office?

PRODUCTIVITY: Ask anyone who works from home about having to endure their neighbors, children, traffic noise, home sellers, postman, the washing machine. Almost all professions need a quiet, creative and inspiring work space.

LONELINESS: In isolation, a creative mind takes very little to become blocked. The synergy of a couple of coworkers helps you reach your fullest creative potential.