“I would do things differently if I ran this place.”
“I’ve got a great idea. I wonder if it would fly in the marketplace?”
“I really want to work on my own and avoid the office politics.”
These are just a few of the reasons why people leave organizational life and strike out on their own. But one of the top reasons why people stay tethered to organizational life is the community of colleagues that come built-in with an organizationally-based position. (And employer-provided health insurance, of course.)
Well, that may have changed as the concept of coworking hits the Twin Cities. Coworking is geared toward those professionals who work independently from home but who benefit from social interaction with a community of like-minded individuals in a shared work space. A person buys a membership based upon her needs. The coworking site has amenities such as WI-FI, conference space, kitchen area, and work spaces.
I had the opportunity to visit The Third Place recently, started by Josh Becerra, local social entrepreneur, and some of his friends. The Third Place is located on Como Avenue in St. Paul and is billed as “not home, not work, but a third place where entrepreneurs, creatives, and independent professionals congregate and collaborate.” It is no Class-A space, but it is open, airy and had a good vibe about it. I could get a lot done there.
As more and more people start businesses in this recessionary era, coworking sites may be the workplace of the future.
Co-working is about sharing resources, building contacts, and helping ideas grow. It’s about working on your own terms and taking a break for a quick chat, asking for advice and learning from others. Co-working is meeting other people that think like you.
Co-working is great as we here at TheCube can proof.
http://www.thecubelondon.com
Is possible for you add LinkedIn as one of your share options?
I’ve been an independent software consultant for over 16 years, working remotely on a full-time basis with out of state clients for much of that time. At the very beginning, it took a little while to get used to being ‘out of the office’ and now I don’t miss that ‘regular office life’ at all. In fact, I now prefer working remotely.
So, while I don’t find the ‘co-working’ idea personally appealing, I can easily see how co-working can be a godsend in certain situations…
‘People people’. I know several very social people that went through some real personal stress when they tried the remote worker lifestyle. They went through ‘people withdrawal’ while working remotely and several couldn’t take it and went back to working in the office. Co-working is built-in solution for these folks.
‘Undisciplined’ Working remotely requires personal discipline. It requires discipline to start your ‘work day’ and discipline to end your ‘work day’ and transition to ‘personal time’. This is a huge issue for entrepreneurs and other ‘benevolent type-A’ personalities, too. When you love what you do, it can be all-consuming. In situations like this, co-working can provide some structure to your day…you go to the ‘office’ and then leave at the end of the day, putting natural time constraints back into your day – something often lost when working remotely or out on your own.
I don’t know if there is enough of a market in the area to sustain the many co-working locations popping up all over town – that remains to be seen over time. I expect some will thrive with a loyal following and others will not. However, I applaud the people starting co-working places for identifying a niche need and filling it. That is, after all, the essence of the American spirit.