Category Archives: Business

Collaborative Consumption?

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C4 Workspace member Deanne Cuellar passed along this article form Change Observer blog. The Age of Coworking: Collaborative Consumption for the Creative Community looks at coworking as  a component of the “shift from an ownership economy to an economy of sharing.” Hmm. A movement as part of a movement. Check out this quote.

The shift from an ownership economy to an economy of sharing has been one of the most important movements of the past few years – a concept most eloquently captured in Rachel Botsman’s notion of collaborative consumption. From car- and bike-sharing to bookcycling reading clubs, the decentralization of resources is enabling us to have more by owning less — because, as Kevin Kelly puts it, “access trumps possession.” So far, however, the majority of this resource-sharing has been experienced on the individual level: though enabled by a community of car-sharers, your ride in a ZipCar is no different and no less solitary than a ride in any other car. But an emerging groundswell is bridging shared resources and shared experience by taking collaborative consumption to a promising new frontier: The workplace.

So, what do you think? Leave a comment whydoncha?

Stop Surviving and Start Thriving

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The following is an excerpt from Lawrence Jordan’s upcoming book, tentatively titled: If I’m So Good at What I Do, Why Does Business Stink So Bad?: How To Stop Surviving and Start Thriving as a Creative Professional in the New Economy.

I’m not going to mince words here, times are tough and this so called “recession” we’re in SUCKS. (Feels more like a depression, but hey, who are we to argue with the geniuses who quantify these things in Washington and on Wall Street?)

The following is a list of 10 techniques you can use right away to get started finding that coveted position or simply, more project work as a freelancer.

  • Build Yourself a Website
  • Build Yourself a Business Blog
  • Create a Business Page on Facebook
  • Create a Linked In Business Profile
  • Create a Business Twitter Account
  • Build Your “List” (or start one)
  • Create a Direct Mailing
  • Create a Referral Culture
  • Learn to Manage Your Time
  • Develop a Habit of Continually Educating Yourself

The rest at Ken Stone’s Final Cut Pro website.

So…can you check off all those items?

To Profit or Not to Profit

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[This post was started 2 weeks after C4 Workspace opened in June 2009. It was intended to explain how the space worked and how it needed to operate.]

I started coworking because I like working with other people and I have found that I don’t like working alone at home. So, when I heard about the coworking concept I thought “This is for me!” Coworking seemed like just the place I was looking to work in. Not only a workstyle I wanted to adopt but a “place”. A place to work in for a long time.

To stereotype myself I am not a typical coworking space catalyst or owner. After working professionally for 25 years I think of myself at mid career. To stereotype a bit, most coworking space catalysts are older Gen Y. You might say “hipsters.” So, now back to the whole profit thing.

Profit for Purpose

In order to work in a coworking space for a long time it needs to be like a perpetual motion machine. It needs to sustain itself over time through the actions of the community. Coworking spaces are not like any other traditional business investment, at least not the typical “I want my return as soon as possible; did my investment go up in value and/or deliver dividends this quarter, this month, this week, in the last hour.” It is, and can only be, a long term investment in the community.

Not One Business

It is many businesses together. It has much more in common with a co-op or an incubator. The “profit and loss” formula should be nearly break even, with just enough profit to fund larger capital improvements.

Many businesses. Working together. Collaboration is one of the core coworking values.

Coworking spaces that fully embrace the value of community are not owned by anyone. They may be funded by individuals and other sources but they are “owned” by the community.

How C4 Workspace Got/Gets Its Groove On

It was funded by three people: Todd O’Neill, Debbie Curtis and Perla Escobar.

It was created by : Steve Vanderver, Chris McDermott, Regina Villalobos, Dan Hong, Bo Lora, Bob Hotard, Erik Bosse, Patti Porter, the Blevin family, the Price family and many others.

It is hosted day-to-day by Debbie Curtis, and marginally, Todd O’Neill, and all the other people working in the space.

Its is sustained by Resident members Calley Gonzalez, Stacy Pape, Todd O’Neill, the Media Justice League; Coworker members Sofia Parafina, Knowbility, Susana Canseco and Brandon Seale; and regular Daily Desk folks like Patti Porter, Brian Dopp and others.

So you see there are a lot of moving parts.

ROI of C4 Workspace?

Does a return on investment exist for a coworking space? If it is sustainable, yes. Part of the overhead expense goes to repaying the initial capital with an agreed return. So that’s either a loan or an investment, depending how you look at it and how it was structured. The bigger picture here is it a sustainable member of the community?

Can a sustainable coworking space, that embraces the core values of collaboration and community, exist in San Antonio? That story is being told.

It is important for San Antonio that this coworking story has a happy ending. Not just a happy ending for the “Northern Wedge” but for the entire city.

Advice for Entrepreneurs…or Not

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I don’t make a habit of reposting items in total but this was too good to pass up. This is from TED Fellow Nitin Rao from MIT SLoan School. (I follow his Posterous feed.)

So, what do you do?

Make ‘The Idea’ Easy:

By defining the customer need yourself, because you know better
By not asking more questions, because you’re the ‘big picture’ person
By using your own use cases, because you are the average user
By rubbing it in to others about your sacrifice, because you’re better than them

Make ‘The Product’ Easy:

By doing something very different, because the current players got it all wrong
By outsourcing development, because you are better than tech
By betting it all on one campaign, because that’s what everybody is waiting for
By making it online, because we’re all headed to the cloud

Make ‘The Team’ Easy:

By not reaching out to potential advisors, because they may say No
By bringing to team first person who listens, because they are good enough right there
By not dropping the co-founder who’s not active, because they may be offended
By hiring the very best and doing it all, because anything less isn’t worth it

Make ‘The Money’ Easy:

By getting all the money you can now, because you’ll figure out an exit big enough
By not worrying about unit economics, because we’ll figure out these minor details
By giving each person a big company salary, but they may be too valuable
By making upfront payments, because you’re sure

Make ‘The Highs’ Easy:

By hogging the press, because others are just in it for the ride
By not letting go, because it seems to be working fine
By not investing in building trust, because nothing will change
By making everybody CXO, because, well, just because…

Make ‘The Lows’ Easy:

By blaming your team, because they had to be lazy
By not shutting down, because a pivot is around the corner
By not learning from mistakes, because, wait, what mistakes?
By not sharing your experience, because others will figure out themselves

… Or NOT

Nitin Rao | MIT Sloan School of Management | 1 617 470 5311 | http://leverageddabbler.com | @nitinbrao

Coworking as Political Platform Plank

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There is a large community of coworking space operators out here and we use the Coworking Google Group to stay in touch. Angel Kwiatkowski, the operator of the CoHere Coworking Community in Fort Collins, posted about this a week ago. Peter Carr, independent candidate for governor of Colorado, has added coworking as a plank in his platform. Cool.

Here’s his proposal about how coworking can stimulate business.

“I propose a merger of private entrepreneurs, coworkers, state business development officials and venture capitalists that will establish and maintain an incubator/coworking center in every county in Colorado. If you currently work in Denver or Boulder, I would encourage you to spend some time at a center, Colorado is a great place to see, and a week’s working vacation wouldn’t hurt. I”m a firm believer in “Pay it Forward”.

The centers would afford existing entrepreneurs currently working at home the ability to meet others, share ideas, and work in a far more conducive atmosphere.”

Pretty forward thinking if you ask me. Or it could be hot air. What do you think? Comment below!

Coworking and Coffee Shop Tips

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It's all about balance

Lisa Barone at Outspoken Media has some great tips for coworkers and coffee shoppers alike. A summary below but heck, go read the whole thing. Don’t miss the comments. There’s some great stuff there too.

  • Bring headphones
  • Curb chatterboxes
    • A chatterbox you brought with you
    • A chatterbox that works there
    • A chatterbox at the next table
  • Be selective about your space
  • Get around…but have a steady
  • Make friends with the owners/workers
  • Eat & drink often
    • Also, don’t forget to tip.
  • Know when to go
  • Don’t be “that guy”

Why Co-Working Makes Sense for Small Businesses

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Oh, this is too easy.

One of our cohorts in NYC Joe Raby from Sunshine Suites takes this on in Mashable. “Why <does> Co-Working Makes Sense for Small Businesses“? Got me stumped. Haven’t heard one good argument yet.

Yet San Antonio clings to the coffee shops. When was the last time your barista solved a technology problem for you? Or shared a referral. I’m just saying.

Give it a read and then consider what coworking could do for you.

Digital Nomad or Limbo Worker?

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There are so many different kinds of workers: cube dwellers, telecommuters, coffee shoppers, work at homes and of course coworking folk.

CNN Living covered this in an article, “Working in ‘Wi-Fi’ limbo“, a few months back and we thought we would dig it up.

Which one are you? Why do you like that over something else?

And does work Purgatory exist?

Discuss.

Ever Thought of a Virtual Assistant?

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It’s pretty amazing what you’ll find by hitting seemingly random links. I found “The Art of Hiring a Virtual Assistant“ over at the Bad Lizard blog. It’s avery good summary of, apparently, the author’s experience finding and hiring one. Glad they found the land mines before I did.

How did I find this great article?

Well, there I was, mindin’ my own business, when along comes this retweet of a post I did yesterday. So I take a look. The retweet came from some mook named @flyingleo. So, I’m thinkin’ “I like flying. My uncle’s name was Leo, may he rest in peace, let me do some investigating.” Checked their profile-thingamabob and come to find out this palooka is a commercial pilot. And a dame to boot! I click on the link to her blog, Bad Lizard and there it was: The Art of Hiring Virtual Assistants. (I think that means they’ll be assistants until they get married.)

Hope you like it.

Uh, by the way. That’s a copy machine. Ya just gotta love woodgrain. And velour. With vinyl slipcovers. THOSE were the days.