Tag Archives: San Antonio

Lunchtime Learning: Future of Work

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Tuesday, January 25 – 11:30 am – 1:00 pm

C4 Workspace, 108 King William Street 78204

Lunch included for RSVPs. RSVP Now.

What Will Work Look Like?

How will we be working? Where? What will that space look like? Who will be around us? Will anything be different?

Very likely.

This first C4 Workspace Lunchtime Learning Series session will look at tomorrow’s work styles, tomorrow’s workers and tomorrow’s workplace. Our three speakers will present and discuss the opportunities that the Future of Work will bring.

Clay Spinuzzi, Ph.D.

How Adhocracies Fit into the Future of Work

Clay will explore the world of kinetic organizations, new relationships and organizational forms and the “third place.”

Clay is an associate professor of rhetoric at The University of Texas at Austin.

Gina Schmidt

Harder Working Spaces

Gina will look at the key issues that businesses face today: enabling collaboration and teamwork, attracting and retaining the right talent, using the workplace as tool to build brand and reflect organizational culture.

Gina is a Workspace Consultant with Steelcase and a graduate of UTSA.

Todd O’Neill

It’s a Movement!: Coworking Around the World

Since 2005 coworking has grown from 0 to 600 space worldwide. Todd will look at what it is about this work style that appeals to so many people around the world.

Todd is the catalyst behind C4 Workspace, San Antonio’s first coworking space.


RSVP Now

This event made possible by:

Ways to Go and Pledge Rewards

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Thank you to Donald Wilcox, Mark Toppel, Martin Medina, Shelley Cook, Brian Dopp, Leticia Callanen, sonny parafina, Ricardo Reyna, R Erik Bosse, Joy-Marie Scott for pledging to support coworking in San Antonio.

We still have a ways to go. One of our members, Leticia Callanen from Clipboard Consulting, made good point on Facebook. If every one of our 725 Facebook Fans pledged just $10 we would meet our goal handily.

Three Ways to Help

Pledge Gifts Available

(I’ve always wanted to work for NPR!) Check them out below.

  • $ 10.00 One C4 Proud button
  • $ 25.00 One C4 Workspace “Work Solo Not Alone” T-shirt; One C4 Proud button
  • $ 50.00 One C4 Workspace “Work Solo Not Alone” T-shirt; One C4 Proud button; One pass for two to our Winter 2011 fundraisers.
  • $100.00 Two C4 Workspace “Work Solo Not Alone” T-shirts; Two C4 Proud buttons; One pass for two to our Winter 2011 fundraisers.
  • $250.00 Lifetime membership; Two C4 Workspace “Work Solo Not Alone” T-shirts; Two C4 Proud buttons; One pass for two to our Winter 2011 fundraisers.
  • $500.00 Lifetime membership; Partner logo on the website; Two C4 Workspace “Work Solo Not Alone” T-shirts; Two C4 Proud buttons; One pass for two to our Winter 2011 fundraisers.

Besides pledging how can you help?

Attend one our of fundraisers!

  • January 22 (Saturday) – Sneak Peek Benefit - food, drink, fun and …burlesque. Local burlesque troupe Stars and Garters will give us a “Sneak Peek” to their show on February 29 at the Jump Start Theatre. $10.00 donation at the door.
  • February 4 (Friday) – First Friday – C4 Workspace member Industry Screenprint will host an evening of screen print art and music. Come and screen print your own custom T-shirt! $10.00 donation at the door.

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.

Survey Says!

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Deskmag did an international survey of coworkers about why they like the coworking space the work in. A total of 661 people from 24 countries took part in the survey.

Here’s the numbers.

  • 85% said they are more motivated
  • 88% said they have better interaction with other people
  • 57% now work in teams more often
  • 60% organize their working day better so they can relax more at home
  • 42% of all coworkers report earning a higher income since joining a coworking space (only 5% suffer from a loss of income.)
  • 54% said the price was exactly right
  • 21% think it was a little high but still fair
  • 20% of respondents would be willing to pay a little more
  • 6% said it was too expensive

So, you could sum this up like this. Coworking enables:

  • Motivation
  • Interaction
  • Teamwork
  • Organization
  • Relaxation

While at the same time helping you earn more at a cost that is fair.

If we did a survey like this in San Antonio do you think we would see the same kinds of results? Let us know in the comments.

p.s. Support Your Local Coworking Space!

More Than a Rented Desk

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Here’s something to get your New Year started. The operative word is “New”.

“Coworking for Your Small Business is More Than a Rented Desk“ is a post from a favorite company, Outright.com. (We use Outright for our C4 Workspace bookkeeping and I use it at DoingMedia as well.)

Read the whole article but here’s the themes:

  • Coworking is Community
  • Coworking is Collaboration
  • Coworking is Commerce

Hmm, just like our Four C’s!

So add coworking to your list of resolutions.

Coworking Across Texas

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The thing about coworking is that it is Everywhere!

C4 Workspace is the only space in San Antonio (right now). Austin just added their 8th space (that’s like more than 7, less than 9) and the first space in Austin just doubled it’s space. Dallas has six spaces from downtown to Flower Mound. The first space in Texas is Creative Space in Bryan, and they’re growing as well. And Houston checks in with 3 spaces.

C4 Workspace members can visit almost any space in Texas, or across the U.S., (or around the world for that matter) for free under the Coworking Visa program. So anywhere you go, there it is. Check out this map of over 400 spaces in the U.S. and around the world.

But before you travel around the world to cowork set a reminder to try it out first close to home. Work Solo, Not Alone.

KSAT 12: New Wave Of Workspace For Self-Employed

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Well, we beat out natural disasters and politicalscandalsand made the 10 o’clock news last Wednesday night (July 14). It’s sweeps month and KSAT 12 reporter David Sears came over to get a cool, local human interest story. And what could be more human of interest than coworking?

(Here’s a link to the story on the KSAT 12 site.)

Thanks to Debbie, Regina, Erik , Drew and Key for the cameos!

A Northside Coworking Space?

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We’ve been presented with an opportunity to open a C4 Workspace in the 281 corridor. But, before we do we want to see if you would be interested in using the space as your home base, full time office or as anoccasionalDaily Desk or Conference Room user.

So,here’s a link to a nifty Google survey. We’ve kept it pretty short and sweet.

We appreciate the time you’ll take to fill out the survey. If you leave your name and email we’ll send along a Daily Desk pass.

An Open Letter to the San Antonio Community

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(We will really appreciate if you read through this entire, longish note.)

Thanks toeveryone who has coworked at C4 Workspace. You’ve seen the value and reaped the benefits of a collaborative, social working environment.Over the past 8 months we have been very successful getting the word out and getting involved in the community by hosting a pretty wide range of events. With the help of many of you we were able to open and launch last June.

Here’s the deal

Rent, phone, Internet and utilities = $3800 a month. C4 Workspace hasa monthly shortfall of $2000 which the three partners have funded up to now. But this is not about us.Debbie, Perla Escobar and I invested in this idea knowing our investment wouldn’t pay back overnight.We are onlythe catalyst for this movement in San Antonio.

We’re thrilled that our Full Time Resident desks are right on track. Erik Bosse, Media Justice League, Local 782, DoingMedia, and soon Michael Druck from On Cue Studio are all working at C4 Workspaceday to day.

The Community Space usage (paid) is a little ahead of plan; the pro bono usage is about where we expected.

However the Part Time Coworker desk plans which are running about 70% behind plan and Conference Room usage which is 80% behind.

C4 Workspaceneeds you to come and work. For a day or sign up for a monthly Coworker or Resident plan or hold a meeting in the conference room.

How can you help?

In a month if we had…

  • 30 Daily Desk visits (about 7 a week) = $600 ($20 each)
  • 2 add’l Resident Desk Plans = $560 ($280 each)
  • 4 add’l Coworker Desk Plans = $600
  • 4 Conference Room bookings = $280
  • 6 Community Space Bookings (3 hours each) = $450

…(or any combination of the above)we would meet our monthly expenses.

What will you miss?

(if we can’t make the monthly budget?)

  • A downtown address
  • A Professional Office
  • The possibility of any of the events we’ve hosted over the past 8 months
    • Film Screenings
    • Workshops
    • Beer making
    • Art shows
    • Mixers
  • The cheapest, coolest event space in San Antonio
  • Connection to an amazingly diverse group of people

Did you know…

  • Parking is free
  • Printing is free
  • WiFi is free
  • Coffee is free
  • People will talk with you…and smile

C4 Workspace is 10 minutes from…

  • The Airport (via 281)
  • The Northwest side (IH-10 and 410) (About 5 minutes more during morning and evening rush.)
  • The Convention Center
  • The Riverwalk
  • All of Southtown

We know. We’ve timed it. We’re 15 strolling minutes to The Majestic Theatre, Blue Star Complex and most of the major hotels and downtown corporate offices.

What’s Your Answer?

  • Has your business grown lately?
  • What is your marketing budget?
  • What is the productivity cost of working at home or a coffee shop?
  • Where did you meet the last person who had a significant effect on your business?
  • How many clients have complimented you on your choice in coffee shops?

Our coworkers express these answers each time they use C4 Workspace.

C4 Workspaceneed your help.

We know the coworking concept is valuable. We think you know that too. If you have coworked at the space you know the value. If you haven’t coworked at the space now is the time to find out.

C4 Workspace needs you inthe next 30 days and throughout the year. Be more than a visitor (much less a stranger) and become a coworker who is actively invested in one of the most innovative ideas in San Antonio.

Thanks again for your support.Looking forward to seeing you soon!

Regards,

Todd O’Neill
Catalyst/Partner

Debbie Curtis
Manager/Partner

Perla Escobar
Partner