Co-working Space – Should we have one?
When we two Vermonters walked into a co-working space in San Fransisco, we gasped. In front of us was a large room with long tables at which people were sitting laptops plugged into outlets in the middle of the tables.
It was quiet. Some people were walking around. A tour showed us the phone booths, a conference room, the coffee gallery (of course, it was San Fransisco) and and upstairs space where companies were renting larger offices. The space was specifically for “social entrepreneurs.” For us two, who at the time regularly camped out at the Blue Moose, it was a vision of what we lack here.
As a one-person business, I generally work at home. However, there are times when I think it would be really nice to go somewhere where I could work in the company of others. So I go to town, choosing which of the wireless cafes will put up with me nursing a cup of coffee. I’d go to the library but I do like having a coffee.
I get to live in Vermont because of the internet and computers. I get paid for a variety of work all of which is essentially writing, teaching or coaching. The writing is on the laptop, the teaching by teleconference, and the coaching using videoconferencing. Being on line allows me to do work for companies around the world. I have currently have clients in: Amsterdam; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Austin,Texas; and Greensboro, North Carolina and Brattleboro. My internet-dependent employment is not unique.
How many of us are there? Are there enough of us to support a co-working space in town? Would our seasonal visitors help support it? I can picture a range of memberships with day passes for the occasional user. I’ve had a dream of creating such a space many times. It would have phone booths, a conference room, and blazingly fast internet. I daydream about having treadmill desks. It would be visible from the street so that passersby notice it.
Usually I dismiss the idea with “there aren’t enough people to make it work” and “no one will want to pay for something when they already have a home office.” But the idea is nagging at me, so I thought I’d try to find out. If you think you’d use a co-working space, part-time or full-time or if you want to work on this idea, please contact me at this address. Coworkingbrattleboro@gmail.com.
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This is a cross posting of an article The Commons published last week. I am reposting it because I think it possible that folks here might not have seen it there. : )
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yes
I attended a meeting in Boston in a co-working space. It was great. Some private rooms and some with many tables. Small kitchen space. Centrally located on the Red-line. Always utilized. Had to book the rooms, even tables, at certain hours. Relieves overhead costs for start ups and non-profit groups.
Maybe
A large co working space like this is not an altogether unworkable plan, but not necessarily suitable. It suggests there isn’t space available now, but it is. Locally we have reserved/paid for space, reserved/pro bono space and best of all, a vibrant coffee shop culture that does much the same thing. Amy’s, The Works, Tulip, Mocha Joe and as mentioned Blue Moose all come to mind…
A large pooled space may or may not route the laptop and roundtable culture to its spacious environs. It likely will not have the charm of scene and be seen places that are situated around eateries.
Why would people visit from out of town for that? Brattleboro is not exactly a convention center hub.
Blue Moose, New Location, Fantastic Food
The new location for Blue Moose is not conducive to this use. HOWEVER, have had two fantastic meals there now. Very highly recommended.
There already is one
https://sites.google.com/a/gradschool.marlboro.edu/technology-integration-lab/home-1/the-bridge