Comments on: Co-Working – A Place for Entrepreneurs, Consultants & Freelancers to Find Community http://www.leadershipandcommunity.com/2010/01/20/co-working-%e2%80%93-a-place-for-entrepreneurs-consultants-freelancers-to-find-community/ Awareness, Development and Action in the Twin Cities Wed, 08 Feb 2012 21:43:15 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: THECUBE http://www.leadershipandcommunity.com/2010/01/20/co-working-%e2%80%93-a-place-for-entrepreneurs-consultants-freelancers-to-find-community/comment-page-1/#comment-329 THECUBE Thu, 04 Feb 2010 10:44:52 +0000 http://www.leadershipandcommunity.com/?p=703#comment-329 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. www.thecubelondon.com 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

]]> By: Kittie Fahey http://www.leadershipandcommunity.com/2010/01/20/co-working-%e2%80%93-a-place-for-entrepreneurs-consultants-freelancers-to-find-community/comment-page-1/#comment-293 Kittie Fahey Thu, 21 Jan 2010 01:06:08 +0000 http://www.leadershipandcommunity.com/?p=703#comment-293 Is possible for you add LinkedIn as one of your share options? Is possible for you add LinkedIn as one of your share options?

]]> By: Paul Scivetti http://www.leadershipandcommunity.com/2010/01/20/co-working-%e2%80%93-a-place-for-entrepreneurs-consultants-freelancers-to-find-community/comment-page-1/#comment-292 Paul Scivetti Thu, 21 Jan 2010 00:26:24 +0000 http://www.leadershipandcommunity.com/?p=703#comment-292 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. 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.

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