Best of Cohere: 3 Reasons To Give Thanks For Coworking
November 21st, 2011
‘Tis the season to be counting your blessings and appreciating the things in life that really matter. As coworkers (or those that are interested in trying it out) there are a lot of things, big and small, that coworking does to enhance our lives and businesses.
As you gather with family, relax, and gorge yourself on delicious food this week, consider some of these blessings, and offer thanks to the community that provides them.
1. A reason to hang up your suit and tie for good.
Being your own boss means that you make the rules, and coworking is definitely a movement that embraces the casual Friday look every day of the week. If you’ve spent all night working on a project, and skipped the shower- we won’t judge. If you’re having one of those days where pajama pants are the preferred fashion, we’ll still love you in the morning.
2. The ability to control your own destiny.
The economy is bad and people are desperate for jobs, but instead of complaining, coworking communities are getting to work. While the life of an independent professional might not always be glamorous, it takes your reliance off of some company and puts it where it belongs, on you. Tough days come and go, but you’ll never have to fear layoffs again.
3. The gift of free coffee.
Those that have spent time on the coffee shop circuit know the frustration of shelling out three bucks (or more) every time they need a WiFi connection and a clean surface. Finding a coworking community to call your own will not only eliminate the need for this extra expense, it will also remind you how much more productive you are when you don’t have to fight shoppers and soccer moms for your workspace.
Are you appreciative of something else that coworking provides, eliminates or facilitates? Give thanks in a comment!
Image Credit: www.makeandtakes.com
Posted in Advice/Tips, Benefits of Coworking, Community, Coworking | 7 Comments »
What The 2nd Global Coworking Survey Says About You
November 14th, 2011
In 2010, about 600 people responded to the first global coworking survey by Deskmag.com. Without knowing it, those respondents helped to form the very first baseline study on the international coworking movement. A year later, the folks over at Deskmag were at it again, issuing a second survey to help gauge growth and explore the true motivations behind this new collaborative style of work.
The 2011 survey enjoyed 1,500 respondents from 52 countries around the world. Whether you’re a hardcore coworker or participating for the first time, the results are revealing. Even if you didn’t take the survey, you should be proud to be counted among such a productive, independent, compassionate community.
You Are Not Isolated And Lonely
The survey confirmed the key findings from last year’s study, which showed that individuals increase their productivity and networks by joining a coworking space. In the latest survey, 93% said their social circle had increased a lot, 86% said their business network had grown, and 76% reported an increase in productivity. 88% said their isolation had decreased.
You Value And Trust Your Community
96% of respondents said community is an important value among members in their coworking space. To confirm this, the survey also checked how many people knew the first names of their fellow coworkers and vice versa; after all, a community can’t be too cohesive if people don’t know each others’ names. The responses showed that 74% of people know all or many of their fellow coworkers’ names.
Another indication of community is trust. The survey asked whether respondents would feel comfortable leaving their laptop in their coworking space when they left the room; 54% said “yes, always”, 29% said “yes, for several hours”, and only 2% said “no”. Similar results were received in a second group with the same question about mobile phones.
You Think People Are More Important Than Price
The importance of community was repeated in the answers to the question, “What do you like most about your coworking space?” 81% said they liked the people, 61% said the location was the most likeable factor; only 46% said the price was the most important element.
Now, these are only preliminary results, but I’d say coworking is looking pretty good just based on these early observations. Be proud! What other community can boast these attractive characteristics? Help spread the word to other freelancers and business owners by sharing this post on Facebook or Twitter!
Download graphs of the 2nd Coworking Survey results without commentary on Prezi.
Image Credit: Flickr – rafagarces
Tags: Coworking, coworking traits, Deskmag, freelance, global coworking community, independent, productivity, survey, trust
Posted in Benefits of Coworking, Community, Coworking | 9 Comments »
Things I Appreciate About Coworking Now That We’re On A Break
November 7th, 2011
by Cohere Member-at-large Beth Buczynski
Coworking and I are going through a rough patch.
I thought I could just move away to another town, and everything would still be alright. I would visit a couple of times a month, and still come around for special occasions. We’d talk on the interwebs, and everything would be ok even though we wouldn’t see each other every day.
It’s not the same.
Coworking, I miss the way you used to motivate me to brush my teeth before noon and put on pants that weren’t of the pajama variety. When we were together, I got up early, took regular showers, and left the house excited for what our day together would hold. Now I sleep until the very last acceptable minute, wander across my living room, and sit in an office chair for almost 8 hours without talking to anyone but the cat.
I miss the way you would help me find new work, and point out opportunities for fun collaboration with our mutual friends. I’m still doing ok at work, and have even found a few new gigs since I’ve moved, but it’s not the same without people with whom to share my excitement.
Most of all, I hate thinking about all the good times you’re having with everyone when I’m not around. Parties, workshops, Snooze pancakes–I can only imagine all the great freelancers and business owners you’re meeting without me. I miss belonging to that kick ass community of motivated entrepreneurs. By the next time I come back, you’ll have so many new friends and they won’t have any idea who I am at all.
Don’t forget about me, ok Coworking? I know it might be a while until we can get back together, and I hope you’ll wait for me. I’m sorry that I had to spend a few months without you to truly appreciate all the ways you made my life better. I hope whoever you’re spending time with now knows how lucky they are to have you. I promise that if we get a second chance to make things work, I’ll tell you I love you every day.
Yours from afar,
Beth
Tags: benefits, business owners, community, Coworking, entrepreneurs, freelance, long-distance
Posted in Advice/Tips, Benefits of Coworking, Community, Coworking | 20 Comments »
Tips From The Coworking Community: Welcoming New Members
October 31st, 2011
In our casual culture, the art of welcoming someone into a new situation seems to have gone the way of the newspaper or the hand-written note: it’s nice, but who has the time?
What we must remember as a global community is that while coworking may be as familiar as sending a text message, the idea of shared workspaces is still odd and sometimes intimidating for new or potential members. Since we’re all interested in growing our coworking spaces into sustainable communities and businesses, it seems that retaining new members plays a big part in our collective success.
I started wondering how that “first impression” of coworking plays a part in new members feeling like they belong. Are we missing an opportunity to create a lasting relationship by assuming that people can figure it out themselves? I asked 10 coworking space owners around the country to share their onboarding process for new members, and thoughts about whether or not it played a roll in new members becoming permanent members. Here’s a summary of what they said–I hope it will help us all be become better hosts and communities!
First, all of the space owners or managers that replied acknowledged that they had an onboarding process, though some were more formal than others. Alex Hillman of Indy Hall said, ”the only theme I can speak to concretely is the importance of having an “Indy Hall moment” (IHM). It varies from person to person, and usually involves making a personal (non-professional) connection with at least one other member. When somebody goes longer here without having an IHM, the possibility of them not sticking around long-term increases. Looking at our last 6 months of member exits, the only people we’ve really lost were people who never got a chance to “buy in”, which is the main result of the IHM.”
I think most of us can agree that there was a moment when something unexpectedly cool or helpful occurred while we were coworking. This “moment” helped us decide that coworking was something good, and that we wanted more of it in our life. Of course, you have to feel comfortable enough in the space to reach out or participate in that moment, which is why there needs to be a process for encouraging new members to “take off their coat and stay a while.”
Liz Elam from Link Coworking shared her process for getting new members settled in, which included everything from a welcome folder to help them get acquainted with the space and surrounding area to the creation of a member profile on their website.
“Once they have the folder in their hands we ring a bell and everyone claps, whoops etc.,” said Elam. “I do think it makes a difference. They feel like they’re part of something and official.” Elam also takes the time to introduce new members around and when a few join at one time she hosts a happy hour/mixer so current members can connect with new members. “I also recommend that they introduce themselves on Mavenlink (we use their networking feature for members to communicate) and toss out a question for members to ask them,” she said.
Most of us have member profiles on our websites, but as Craig Baute of Creative Density pointed out, making a literal member wall is an easy to spark conversation and make the community aware of new members.
“The member wall [has] fun facts about people and what they do. I notice several people drift over to it once a week or so to see if any new people are part of Creative Density. I also announce new members on the white board and remind people to give them a high-five. Overall, members pay attention and notice when new members are listed and seek them out so that this helps introduce people into the community.”
Baute also had an interesting suggestion about assigned seating for the first few days of membership:
“ I recommend that new members spend a day at our high-top table where conversations usually flow and people quickly build relationships. Most members do spend a day or two at the high-top before moving off to the larger coworking floor with low tables and they end up being part of the community quicker because of it. If they don’t, I join them for half a day in the room that they choose. I figure everyone is pretty comfortable with me since I’m here all day and I might spark a conversation or connection.”
Although the general consensus seems to be that yes, having a process–however quirky–for welcoming new members makes a big difference in how quickly they become comfortable in the community, it doesn’t guarantee that they will fall in love and stay forever.
“As I think about the real life examples of the people who have done well and not so well here, I’m increasingly of the belief that the work we do in the beginning is less relevant than the person and their needs and expectations,” said Tony Bacigalupo of New Work City. “I think the onboarding is critical as a way of informing and empowering the people who will thrive and contribute, while it is less valuable to those who are more or less destined to not get much out of the experience in the first place.”
So if you’re planning new member soiree’s but people still drop out after a month or two: like we’ve said before, coworking isn’t for everyone, and its important for your community to coalesce organically. Don’t force it, factilitate it.
One key to truly facilitating a welcoming atmosphere is getting the rest of the community involved. You can hold a new member mixer, but if no one attends, it won’t feel that welcoming. You can introduce new members out loud in the middle of the space, but if everyone immediately replaces their head phones or returns to their private conversations, it’ll make the new kid want to bail as quickly as possible.
Sit down with some of your permanent members, and get them talking about their “aha” moment in the coworking community. Ask them who or what made that impression on them, and then get them thinking about how they could help make that happen for a new member. Encourage people to leave their go-to desk for a seat next to a new member; find out what their favorite lunch spot is and organize a group lunch; or simply make a point to ask them (by name) for feed-back when bouncing ideas around the room.
Also, if you or a staff member isn’t always there to welcome new members personally, make sure your community feels empowered to explain the little things that make a big difference on the first day: i.e. the grand tour, how to get online, guidelines for conference room usage, hours, printing, online resources, phone calls, keys/how to lock up, etc.
And of course, we’re all still figuring this out. There is no perfect combination of actions that will guarantee a new member will stay forever. “There’s a natural barrier to joining a new group and it’s important to overcome that and welcome people in,” said Jacob Sayles of Office Nomads. “I also think it’s easy to get comfortable and not approach each new member as something new because ‘new members’ come in all the time. Consistency supposedly helps that out but we are still working out the best ways of doing all this.”
On that note, let’s hear some ideas!
What was your AHA moment when you joined your coworking community?
How can coworking space owners/managers create the best environment for new members to have their own “coworking moment”?
Tags: advice, community, community managers, Coworking, coworking hosts, coworking space owners, new members, onboarding process, relationships, tips
Posted in Advice/Tips, Community, Coworking | 12 Comments »
PJs & PB&Js Night Coworking
October 27th, 2011
One of the best parts about being in business for yourself is that you get to pick your dress code. Every so often Cohere members will show up in pajamas, sweats or yoga pants to crank out their to-do lists.
At the prompting of long-time member Kristin Mastre, we dusted off an old coworking event and revitalized it with bacon, friendship bread and a plaid blanket.
PJs & PB&Js night coworking was reborn. The premise of the event is pretty simple. Wear your finest or comfiest PJs and contribute a fixin’ to the PB&J bar. Kristin always outdoes herself and brought ingredients to make a first ever peanut butter, apple butter and bacon sandwich. I had it and it was awesome. The bacon itself was a huge hit and we had to take turns at the microwave to keep the supply flowing.
Other ingredients included marshmallow fluff, Nutella, homemade blueberry jam and extra crunchy peanut butter. Potato chips, Oreos, Amish friendship bread and hot cocoa completed the lineup.
A high lite of the night was that Kevin forgot to pack his PJs before his commute to work and ended up donning a plaid blanket as a cape for the evening.
Don’t miss out on a whole week of events at Cohere November 7-11. Details and RSVP.
Tags: events
Posted in Community, Coworking | 5 Comments »
Want To Support The 99%? Occupy Your Local Coworking Space
October 24th, 2011
The Occupy Wall Street protests have attracted lots of media and social media attention over the last five weeks. In cities and towns across the nation, people are gathering together to voice their opinion on systems they think are broken and share their vision for a better country.
Yes, many of the issues #OWS seeks to address are political and polarizing, and no, I’m not going to try to convince you to carry a sign or camp out in a park. Coworking is a way of life, and at the core of these issues are things near and dear to the heart of every coworker:
The importance of a community that shares its time and resources; the belief that small, independent businesses are essential to a strong local economy; and the vision of a world where independence and innovation are rewarded with the respect and salary they deserve.
Just today, the Cohere Community learned that former-member Suzanne Akin’s home had been destroyed in a fire. Without any prompting or pleading, the community mobilized itself to communicate needs and offer help. This is a perfect example of the myriad non-tangible benefits that come from belonging to a community like ours.
Just like our country, Cohere is going through tough, tumultuous times. Just like our economy, we’re not sure what the future holds or where the money will come from. But just like the Occupy Wall Street movement, I believe that the answers will come from you, the people.
That’s why I’m asking you to Occupy Cohere.
In the second issue of the Occupied Wall Street Journal (yes, it has its own newspaper–completely funded by a Kickstarter campaign), there’s a full page editorial that reads, “We are speaking to each other, and listening. This occupation is first about participation.”
None of the seemingly-impossible things that #OWS hopes to accomplish will happen if people refuse to leave their comfort zones and get out there on the street to talk about it.
None of the amazing feats of community that we’ve experienced at Cohere will continue unless EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US agrees to leave our warm houses and coffee-shop offices and come back to the wavy tables.
To entice you back and get you talking, we’ve planned an entire week of Occupy Cohere events starting November 7th. Tell your clients and your friends. Get excited about what you’ve been missing. Bring your talent, your sense of humor, and your lovely face back to Cohere. The future of our community depends on it!
Occupy Cohere Events
Monday 11/7: Free Coworking Day Kick Off, 9a-4p
Tuesday 11/8: New member coffee social: all members who have joined Cohere in the past 4 months are invited to get to know one another, 10am
Wednesday 11/9: Night Coworking ‘Free for All’, 4p-10p
Thursday 11/10: Pancake Breakfast at Snooze: guided discussion on a set topic, 7:30am-8:30a
Friday 11/11: Frank Friday: show and tell us about a project you are working on OR get feedback on a business problem, 12p-1p
Got an idea for a neat Occupy Cohere event (can be planned any time)? Share it in a comment, or with Angel directly.
Image Credit: Flickr – shankbone
Tags: community, Coworking, events, local economy, occupy cohere, occupy wall street, small business
Posted in Benefits of Coworking, Community, Coworking, Current Members | 27 Comments »
Cohere Unicorn Potluck Recap
October 19th, 2011
by Hannah Toole
The evening was kick started with a ceremonial candle lighting in honor of our unicorn forefathers, Ashok Amaran and Alex Chiang, who may or may not have died in a tandem unicorn crash.
The Cohereans’ conversation did not stray far from the topic of unicorns. Questions discussed ranged from the sex of a unicorn, to the color of a unicorn, to who could draw the best unicorn. The greatest question posed was, what does unicorn poop look like? Personally I like to think it looks like rainbow dippin’ dots, but others would argue that unicorn poop is pink and frozen.
Throughout the evening there was a unicorn coloring contest that members participated in. I must say, that by this age you would think people knew how to use a crayon without breaking it but that definitely was not the case. All members put forth a valiant effort, but the overall winner of the contest was Kevin U. with his majestic blending of colors. The least colorful of all this unicorn drawings was Skippy’s. However, if the contest was judged based on accuracy Skippy would have won. He is the only person who has ever seen a unicorn in person, and according to him, all unicorns are white . . . how disappointing.
Following the coloring contest was the unicorn potluck contest. The categories and winners were as follows:
Unicorn Meat Dish: Skippy’s Unicorn Meatloaf and Rainbow Mashed Potatoes
Unicorn Spirit Dish: Hannah’s Rainbowlicious Cake
Unicorn Horns/Tales/Manes/Hooves Dish: Lindsay’s Forbidden Forest Trifle
Best Presentation: Lindsay’s Forbidden Forest Trifle
Other dishes worth mentioning were Spicy Unicorn Eyes (which Ashok took the liberty of making a how-to video for), Unicorn sliders (unicorn meat on a powdered sugar donut), unicorn Rice Krispies Treats and 2 “meta-dishes”: a single kernel of corn in a dish and a single candy corn in a container of marshmallow fluff.
Our next giant potluck will be the Second Annual Chili Makes It Hotter event in March, 2012. What was YOUR favorite part of the Unicorn Potluck?
Posted in Coworking | 9 Comments »
Understanding The Value Of Coworking Part 1: Be More Than A Seat Filler
October 17th, 2011
The coworking community talks a lot about the value of coworking, and what makes it such a life-changing style of work. Each coworking space has unique characteristics that set it apart from others and define its community.
But there are some universal attributes that apply to coworking in any setting, whether it’s a massive space in New York City or a tiny community in rural Virginia.
The importance of community engagement and participation is one of these universal truths. Basically, the more you put in to your coworking experience, the more you’re going to get out of it. Period.
If someone shows up for the open desk and the free coffee, and leaves as soon as their work’s done, they’re not giving much to the community. Chances are their coworking experience will be shallow and forgettable. And when it comes time to renew their membership, these “desk fillers” probably won’t see a reason to return.
But when members make a conscious effort to be a resource and encouragement to other members, they often find that the community returns the favor ten-fold. Don’t believe me? Here’s what Cohere members had to say about “getting what you give.”
“The give/get thing is the essence of coworking. Without the exchange of energy, information and camaraderie you just have a bunch of people together in a room.”
“I absolutely believe that [you get what you give]. However, I feel like I was given so much before I was able to give back. I still feel like I have received more than I’ve given, and it’s that self-lessness from the community that encourages me to pay it forward in every way I possibly can.”
“What you get out of coworking is one part how you perceive your involvement in the community, and one part how the community perceives you. If you see the community simply as a place to network and toss your business card around, you may or may not get good connections — it depends on what the community expects. If members expect to be networking most of the time, you will be welcomed with your card, otherwise, you won’t be. Each coworking facility has its own rhythm, its own beat. And if you don’t move by it, you won’t get anything out of it, no matter how much you give.”
“I think if you come in to a collaborative workspace, put your head down and work away, than people won’t talk to you and you won’t be tapping into the “collaborative” part of what coworking offers. However, if someone just wants a workspace in an environment with a bunch of cool people, but doesn’t really want to interact, that’s okay. It’s not bad, it’s just that they won’t get quite as much out of the experience as someone else might.”
“The main reason I joined [a coworking space] was for the community and quality memebers. It’s nice to have a different space to work outside of my home office, of course, but it’s my connections with the amazing, generous, open-minded community members at Cohere I value most as a solopreneur. I offer advice, assistance and resources to other members as well, without feeling obligated. It’s all very natural.”
In case you’re thinking that all of this collaboration and connection takes hours of effort, most of the members who responded to our little survey stated that all they had to “give” was a positive attitude, a friendly personality, honest feedback, an expert opinion, or news of a work opportunity.
Coworking folks tend to be an upbeat bunch, so for many of you, becoming more than a seat filler simply means being yourself!
Got an opinion about “getting what you give” in a coworking community? Share it in a comment!
Also watch out for the next installment of this series!
Image Credit: Flickr – nateOne
Tags: benefits, community, Coworking, engagement, involvement, participation, value
Posted in Advice/Tips, Benefits of Coworking, Community, Coworking, Current Members | 14 Comments »
Why A Coworking Space Is Important To The Local Economy
October 10th, 2011
There are some who still view coworking as a a quirky niche instead of the future of work. That might be hard for those of us who love coworking to believe, but important for us to remember as we try to grow our communities.
While it’s true that coworking isn’t for everyone, and certainly doesn’t work for every industry (we still need grocery stores and plumbers), coworking can serve as both a model and a hub for creating better communities at large.
Most people can imagine what shared office space looks like. It’s harder to understand the larger economic benefits of participating in such a space until you experience it first hand.
If you’re on the fence about joining a coworking space, here are some big picture positive impacts to think about.
Coworking Keeps Stellar Talent In Town
Coworking spaces are “office buildings” for those who had the talent (and balls) to create their own job in a crappy economy. Without coworking, many in mid-sized urban areas like Fort Collins would have to commute or move their families to bigger cities with more opportunities. Coworking helps them stay in town, preserving their money, talent, and enthusiasm for use in the local economy.
Coworking Supports Small Business
Don’t let the mega-corps fool you: they are not job creators. They employ people only because it’s necessary for the creation and dissemination of their products and services, not because they want to revitalize a town. Small to mid-sized businesses are the lifeblood of a local economy. They live and work and shop locally, and give a crap about the personal lives of their employees.
Shocking fact: 95% of coworking desks are occupied by a small business. (Ok I made that stat up, but you get the picture — most). It might be a freelance writer who just formed her LLC or couple of buddies who decided to create their own design company. Either way, these businesses are driving down unemployment rates at a time when multi-billion dollar companies are still laying people off. Joining a coworking space means these tiny businesses will have a safe place to grow and learn from more experienced members. When’s the last time you saw Wal-Mart swapping trade secrets with the new family-owned retailer?
Coworking Creates A Network For Collaborative Consumption
The quest for bigger, better, faster has crippled our economy. People are tired of keeping up with the Jones’ and just want to keep their families fed. Collaborative consumption means reusing, growing, renting, bartering and making instead of buying. But the sharing economy demands a network of friendly, trustworthy people to make it work. Like the people who work right next to you in a coworking space.
Yes, coworking allows you to share your professional expertise and network with other successful freelancers. But you could do that at a once a month meetup. What makes coworking unique is the sharing that takes place on a personal level–be it a potluck meal or vegetable seeds or a ride to a conference in Denver.
When a community is connected and open to sharing, people save money, learn new skills, and reduce their impact on the environment. New ideas emerge, problems are solved in creative ways, and the community at large reaps all the rewards of a happy independent workforce.
What other “trickle-down” benefits have you seen in the coworking community? Share your experience in a comment!
And if you’ve got friends who are still unsure that coworking is worth the monthly investment, share your experience (and this article) with them as well!
Image Credit: Flickr – mdanys
Tags: benefits, community, Coworking, freelance, local economy, small business
Posted in Benefits of Coworking, Community, Coworking, entrepreneurship | 68 Comments »
4 Factors That Prove Coworking is a Way of Life
October 7th, 2011
I’ve been thinking about what environmental and personality factors make coworking attractive for some and utterly horrifying for others. A text from a homeless friend early this morning helps illustrate what I’ve been thinking AND that these concepts span across all situations making coworking less of an office trend and more of a way of life.
Text message I got: “I felt weird about going in to Wal-Mart this morning to brush my teeth. When I got to the men’s room, I found a small Chinese man already in there taking a bath in the sink. So I’m like screw it, I’m ALL IN too. I met a total stranger and now we might become roommates!”
What does this story have to do with coworking? It might be hard to tell at first glance but hang with me a bit longer.
Fulfillment of a need: my friend and his budding roommate needed to take baths and brush their teeth. They went to the same place to do it. In coworking, members need a place to get stuff done and they all come to a shared coworking space.
A container for those actions: when you’re homeless, getting a shower is just a matter of finding a public restroom that works. Coworkers need wifi, desks, chairs and a sprinkling of other people. Coworking spaces are the container.
Something in common: it was easy for my friend to join in the restroom hygiene routine because someone else was already doing it. It normalized the behavior! Coworkers attach to a coworking community faster when they find things in common with one another like the same client problems or the inability to get off social media when procrastinating!
A sense of adventure and openness: taking a sink bath isn’t anyone’s first preference but because both my friend and the man were OPEN to what might happen they will probably end up mutually solving their housing problem by sharing resources (rent). Coworkers who merely want a desk are unlikely to enjoy the experience of coworking. Coworkers who remain adventurous and open to what *might* happen themselves collaborating and having richer experiences within the community.
If you need a place to go, want people to have something in common with and have even a little adventure/openness in you please don’t put off trying us out! We won’t be bathing in the sink but we might be coloring pictures of unicorns. Are you willing to make coworking your way of life?
Join us for our Fall Potluck on Friday 10/14 from 6p-8p.
Image credit: mathplourde
Tags: benefits, Cohere, collaboration, community, Coworking
Posted in Benefits of Coworking, Coworking, Misc | 6 Comments »