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Coworking Europe 2010

by Office Nomads on Nov 23, 2010

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The Fast Growth of Coworking at Coworking Europe 2010 in Brussels by Jacob Sayles from Office Nomads in Seattle, Washington.

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The Fast Growth of Coworking at Coworking Europe 2010 in Brussels by Jacob Sayles from Office Nomads in Seattle, Washington.

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THANK YOUSpecifically the fast growth of coworkingThe focus here is on the big picture and I'm going to speak from my experience at Office Nomads over the past three years.I’m going to start out with a little historyAnd then dive in and explore what is behind this amazing growthI’ll then talk about what we’ve done specifically at Office NomadsAnd where all this leadsWho owns a space?
I thought I had invented it. Seriously! It’s not surprising, it’s a great idea!I had been dreaming about it for years before I discovered coworking. My vision was more along the lines of a coffee shop that was focused on productivity. When I discovered coworking I realized I didn’t need the coffee shop. This all came out of my career as a software developer. I always chose startups because I love the excitement and the small, tight community of individuals….Since then I’ve been very passionate about coworking and I jumped in with both feet.I’m excited to share what I’ve learned.
2005 - Brad Neuberg penned the term “Coworking” in 2005. Don’t under estimate the power of the word.He worked with a group of people including Chris Messina and Tara Hunt to start a live/work space called The Hat Factory in San Francisco2006 - Chris and Tara went on to start a dedicated work space called Citizen Space.Together they started the Coworking Google Group and worked to spread the word.
In Early 2007 when I started really exploring this idea I had been dreaming about, a friend tipped me off that some folks down in San Francisco were doing something that sounded similar. I met Susan Evans a few months later and interestingly enough SHE thought she had invented it. I brought her up to speed and we were able to open our doors at Office Nomads soon after.
The idea has evolved into a movement and has grown exponentially and spanned the globeAnd the fact that the movement has accelerated despite the downturn in world economies shows that it’s an industry with tremendous strength, adaptability and opportunity
It’s simple. Coworking works because people need it!So what do people need?
We surveyed the members of Office Nomads and asked why they joined. The two biggest reasons by far are to increase productivity and because they were feeling isolatedLet’s explore that by taking a look at some examples we’ve seen at Office NomadsAnd then we can look at how a coworking space can meet those needs.
Trevor is a resident nomad. Here he is with his daughter Sparks.He’s a computer programmer with a pretty interesting path. He was a researcher at Xerox Park and has worked for large corporations and small startups and he discovered he really needs to be independent.The trusted network and open, collaborative culture at Office Nomads feeds his entrepreneurial spirit and allows him to live the life he wants to live.
Robyn and her husband Chris lived in NYC when he was in medical school and She got a job as an urban planner for a firm in New Jersey. They wanted to get back to Seattle and Chris landed his residency at the University of Washington. Her company didn’t want to lose her because she is a rockstar so they agreed to let her work remotely.It didn’t take long to realize she couldn’t stand working from home but she was pretty committed having moved across the country. Her company really didn’t want to lose her and they agreed to cover her membership at Office Nomads.
These stories, and the millions more just like them, contain some common themes. They wanted a more personal and connected lifestyle and they are now enjoying the amazing benefits that brings.
What we are not hearing are a lot of stories like “My business is so much better because I didn’t have to buy my own laser printer!” Shared resources are certainly a large benefit but not the point that it can drive a movement as energized as this.It’s the personal stories, the feeling of being isolated and the need for more productivity that is driving this
It really is that simple
As more and more people realize this and understand how to prioritize their energy, and focus it where it really matters, we’ll see more and more successful coworking spacesWhich will lead to more and more successful entrepreneurs and small businessesWhich gives rise to an industry that embodies these values and has a powerful impact on world economies.
So how do we do it at Office Nomads? How do we prioritize our energy so that we are most efficiently addressing people’s need to be more productive and their feelings of isolation?
Office Nomads is simply a platform.We created a simple structure and then work hard to stay out of the way.
We prioritize simplicity in everything we do
The design of the office
Our pricing plans
Our daily operationsSigning in, meeting rooms, etc
We have clear intentions
We are not in the printing business. We have a modest B&W multi-function laser printer and it’s included in the membership.
We are not in the phone business. We add little as a middle man or reseller and we all have cell phones anyway
We are in the coworking business.
We promote a culture of trustWe are heavily invested in the culture of Office Nomads
Our community of members trust and respect us because we trust and respect them
Our members are smart and are going to make the right choices for themselves.
It’s important to note that we are members.We are not sitting in a corner office playing the roll of “the person in charge”. We are small, independent business owners, just like all our members, and we enjoy the same benefits of collaboration, inspiration, and support they doWe bring our own passions and interests to share
Rather then having “Board Meetings” we hold regular State of the Nomad meetings where we invite all our members to talk about where we are as a company and solicit feedback.When we needed more feedback we pulled all nomads who had been with us for over a year to have a move involved discussion about our business plan and our progress
We had a room in the back of our space we called “The Cave”. We THOUGHT some folks would like to have a quiet area a little apart from the rest of the space. Turns out, everyone liked sitting up front where all the people were. I guess if they liked isolation they wouldn’t have made the choice to work at a coworking space
We opened the wall up and now everyone likes working back there. Our members have helped us build Office Nomads from the very beginning.We opened our space just three weeks after getting the keys to the building and worked together with our members.
We even changed our pricing structure to respond to customer feedback. We were originally TOO simplistic and people wanted more ways
People wanted more ways to be involved and join in We created memberships for people coming in 3, 5, 10, or 15 days/month
We regularly participate in the international google group
We open our doors to members of other coworking spaces around the world through the Coworking Visa program and encourage our members to stop in and say hello when they are traveling
We started a group in Seattle aptly called Coworking Seattle to unify the movement locally and promote the growth of the industry at home
We invest our time in ways that are beneficial to the entire community. We are starting the Coworking Database project to help organize the global list of spaces We have open sourced Nadine, the software we use to run Office Nomads.
That’s how we’ve done it at Office NomadsWe created a platform that is simple enough to not get in the wayWe are continually evolving with feedback from our membersAnd we participate in our local community, and the global coworking communityWe didn’t need to manufacture anything. We have been able to attract amazing people simply by being attentive to their needs.
We are taking everything we have learned over the past three years and putting it to the test as we prepare to open a second coworking space in Seattle. This introduces new challenges. The highly personal business model we’ve developed doesn’t lend itself too well to the traditional cut & paste, grow grow grow mentality. We are excited to this on and learn from it.It’s a difficult thing to bottle up and reproduce.
It’s important to understand where small and personal has advantages to BIG. It’s a lot easy for us to ask for help from the people who will become our members. And that is just what we are doing.
We put our intention out there in the form of a page on our website
We have a few supporting documents to clearly explain what it is we are trying to do, and what it will take to make it happen
There is a survey on there asking what neighborhood people would like us to move into and we are gathering feedback.
Why have I spent the last four years completely transforming my life and my career?Because I believe in coworking. I see the need for it. I needed it. I wanted to live a more personal, connected life surrounded by an amazing communityAnd that is my life today I’m happy to say.And most of all
It’s a heck of a lot of fun and I would certainly recommend it to anyone!

Coworking Europe 2010 — Presentation Transcript

Coworking
Office Nomads: Individuality Without Isolation
Office Nomads: Individuality Without Isolation
A Simple Idea: Coworking
2005
“Coworking”
Brad Neuberg
Chris Messina
Tara Hunt
2006
Hat Factory
Citizen Space
Google Group
Brad Neuberg at The Hat Factory
San Francisco, California
Office Nomads: Individuality Without Isolation
Photo: Business Week
2007 – Seattle, Washington
Office Nomads: Individuality Without Isolation
A Global Movement
Office Nomads: Individuality Without Isolation
So what is fueling this growth?
Office Nomads: Individuality Without Isolation
Coworking works because people need it.
Office Nomads: Individuality Without Isolation
What do people need?
“Why did you become a member at Office Nomads?”
From Office Nomads Member Survey, May 2010
Office Nomads: Individuality Without Isolation
Trevor
“I didn't want to sacrifice my independent career just because I was hitting productivity walls.”
Office Nomads: Individuality Without Isolation
Robyn
“Everyone thinks that working at home is ideal, until you do it. I was going crazy not having anyone to communicate with.”
Office Nomads: Individuality Without Isolation
Office Nomads: Individuality Without Isolation
Common Themes
These stories illustrate basic human needs that were not getting met working from home, at coffee shops, or in a corporate environment
Office Nomads: Individuality Without Isolation
Common Themes
Shared resources are certainly a huge benefit of coworking but not to the point that it can drive a movement as energized as this.
Office Nomads: Individuality Without Isolation
Coworking works because people need it.
Office Nomads: Individuality Without Isolation
Where This Leads
More successful coworking spaces
More successful entrepreneurs and small businesses
The industry of coworking
Office Nomads: Individuality Without Isolation
How Do We Do It?
Office Nomads: Individuality Without Isolation
Photo: The Seattle Times
We Created a Platform
Simple structure
Clear intentions
A culture of trust
Office Nomads: Individuality Without Isolation
We Created a Platform
We prioritize simplicity in everything we do
Office Nomads: Individuality Without Isolation
We Created a Platform
We prioritize simplicity in everything we do
- Design of the office
Office Nomads: Individuality Without Isolation
We Created a Platform
We prioritize simplicity in everything we do
- Design of the office
- Our pricing plans
Office Nomads: Individuality Without Isolation
We Created a Platform
We prioritize simplicity in everything we do
- Design of the office
- Our pricing plans
- Daily operations
Office Nomads: Individuality Without Isolation
We Created a Platform
We have clear intentions
Office Nomads: Individuality Without Isolation
We Created a Platform
We have clear intentions
- We are not in the printing business
Office Nomads: Individuality Without Isolation
We Created a Platform
We have clear intentions
- We are not in the printing business
- We are not in the telephone business
Office Nomads: Individuality Without Isolation
We Created a Platform
We have clear intentions
- We are not in the printing business
- We are not in the telephone business
- We are in the coworking business
Office Nomads: Individuality Without Isolation
We Created a Platform
We have promoted a true culture of trust
Office Nomads: Individuality Without Isolation
We Created a Platform
We have promoted a true culture of trust
- Our community of members trust and respect us because we trust and respect them
Office Nomads: Individuality Without Isolation
We Created a Platform
We have promoted a true culture of trust
- Our community of members trust and respect us because we trust and respect them
- Our members are smart and are going to make the right choices for themselves
Office Nomads: Individuality Without Isolation
We are Continually Evolving
We are members
Open communication
Remain responsive
Office Nomads: Individuality Without Isolation
We are Continually Evolving
We Are Members!
We are independent business owners like all of our members, and we enjoy the same benefits of collaboration, inspiration, and support they do
Office Nomads: Individuality Without Isolation
We are Continually Evolving
Office Nomads: Individuality Without Isolation
We are Continually Evolving
Office Nomads: Individuality Without Isolation
We are Continually Evolving
Office Nomads: Individuality Without Isolation
We are Continually Evolving
- Original Pricing Structure
- $475/month for dedicated desk
- $25/day for daily use only
Office Nomads: Individuality Without Isolation
We are Continually Evolving
- Original Pricing Structure
- $475/month for dedicated desk
- $25/day for daily use only
Current Pricing Structure
$475/month for Resident Members
$50/month for Basic Members (3 days/month)
$75-$225/month for Part-Time Members (5, 10, 15 days/month)
$25/day for non-members
Office Nomads: Individuality Without Isolation
We Invest in the Larger Coworking Community
SXSW 2009 – Austin, Texas
Office Nomads: Individuality Without Isolation
We Invest in the Larger Coworking Community
International Google Group
Coworking Discussion
SXSW, Austin, Texas
Office Nomads: Individuality Without Isolation
We Invest in the Larger Coworking Community
International Google Group
Coworking Visa
Coworking Discussion
SXSW, Austin, Texas
Office Nomads: Individuality Without Isolation
We Invest in the Larger Coworking Community
International Google Group
Coworking Visa
Coworking Seattle
Coworking Discussion
SXSW, Austin, Texas
Office Nomads: Individuality Without Isolation
We Invest in the Larger Coworking Community
International Google Group
Coworking Visa
Coworking Seattle
Collaborative projects (CoworkingDB, Nadine)
Coworking Discussion
SXSW, Austin, Texas
Office Nomads: Individuality Without Isolation
Office Nomads: Individuality Without Isolation
Applying What We’ve Learned
http://officenomads.com/grow
Office Nomads: Individuality Without Isolation
Photo: The Seattle Times
Applying What We’ve Learned
We are starting by asking Seattle what they want and where they want it
http://officenomads.com/grow
Office Nomads: Individuality Without Isolation
http://officenomads.com/grow
Office Nomads: Individuality Without Isolation
http://officenomads.com/grow
Office Nomads: Individuality Without Isolation
http://officenomads.com/grow
Office Nomads: Individuality Without Isolation
Why am I doing this?
Office Nomads: Individuality Without Isolation
People rarely succeed unless they have fun in what they are doing – Dale Carnegie
Office Nomads: Individuality Without Isolation
Keep in touch!
http://officenomads.com
jacob@officenomads.com
@jacobsayles and @officenomads
http://coworkingseattle.org
http://wiki.coworking.com/CoworkingDB
http://wiki.coworking.com/NadineProject
Office Nomads: Individuality Without Isolation

Coworking Europe 2010

by Office Nomads on Nov 23, 2010

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Coworking Europe 2010 — Presentation Transcript