Friday, January 14, 2011
Friday, September 10, 2010
Coworking: Rethink Office Space
The coworking movement is one that has every one rethink how they work. With technology giving us the ability to work wherever and whenever we want to, it then creates a unique situation where we crave for colleagues and social interactions after being cooped up for a long period of time.
“As working from home becomes more and more common for creative professionals – be they freelancers or otherwise – the need for social interaction in the workplace has become increasingly more apparent. While home offices allow the flexibility to do what you want, when you want, it is important to question how our environment affects both state of mind and productivity.”
“By bringing like-minded folks from diverse professions together into one place, you create a very powerful contingent of brain power.”
Read more about: New Workspace
Coffee shop versus coworking
Sundays are usually my day to unwind. It begins with me rolling out of bed later than usual, having a great brunch and then off to read a good book before going to yoga.
After settling into a Starbucks near my yoga class at Yyoga , I cracked open my book. I was enjoying 5 minutes of peace until some person decided that she wanted to yell at her boyfriend on the phone and she wanted to make sure I was involved by detailing the points of why she was right very loudly.
Like an uncomfortable third-wheel caught in the middle of a lover’s quarrel with no escape, I raised my book higher as if it would block out her voice. After perfecting my ability to tune out noises (well, I have to and not by choice!), the amount of caffeine now required that I need a quick bathroom break. After trying to make friendly eye-contact to see if someone was nice enough to smile back (so I can ask them to watch my stuff for a few minutes), I failed to make connection with anyone. So, I decided to haul my stuff with me. Oh yes! That includes my laptop, my yoga bag and my purse; my companions to the washroom.
When I came back to my seat, someone else had taken it. After 2 more times of this, I called it quits! I couldn’t lug all my stuff around anymore to re-situate myself every time I came back from the washroom. I will still do my meetings in coffee shops but I am finding it harder to focus or enjoy my book, perhaps what I read and what I need to do requires more concentration than before OR maybe as I get older I am sensitive to loud noises. I breathe a sigh of relief as I walk into the office after my yoga class, plopped myself on the sofa and quietly took in the peaceful enjoyment that awaits me as I dive back into my book without espresso machines competing for my attention or a loud voice to break my focus. My office lounge was quiet and nice enough for me to get through another 1.5 hours of reading.
I love coffee shops but I definitely love coworking just a little more :p
Friday, June 4, 2010
Coworking with coworkers
These past few weeks we have been talking to the owners of various work spaces throughout Canada that have embraced Coworking, the act of working in the same space alongside other independent professionals. However, the best way to explain what coworking is all about is to hear how members of coworking spaces feel about the concept from their own experiences. So, this week, we talked to a few members of our own space, The Network Hub, to hear how their experiences have been from coworking at the Hub.
“Coworking provides a relaxed atmosphere with extremely smart people. For early stage companies and small businesses it really helps to have an office that is not inside of your home,” Kenshi from A Thinking Ape says.
In a casual, shared space, Carlos of Bloom Marketing says, “I do twice as much at the Network Hub than at home or at a coffee shop.” This is partly due to the fact that the Hub grants all full-time tenants 24/7 access. “[For me], that is the primary reason,” says Ganesh, a software developer who is fairly new to the space. “[Plus], there’s usually someone around who knows someone who can help me.”
“The Hub is a brilliant place and source for inspiration, ideas and for making new friends or business ties,” says Chet, a former tenant who has experienced growth at the Hub that he has now moved into his own office to accommodate his new employees. Paul Preibeisch of B3D Multitech and a member of the Hub, jokes that he initially came into the space for “sanity’s sake”. As a programmer, he sits in front of the computer screen for most of the day. “A lot of my work requires creativity. In order to do that, I need a balance and some sort of social interaction. When I want to go on a break, I can actually talk to a human. And when working alongside other entrepreneurs, available work is referred to other members of the space,” he says, “so, everyone helps each other.”
“I [also] like the social aspect. I get to meet some very cool people who are self employed,” adds Carlos.
“The monthly meetups are great; I have actually met new clients at those events,” he points out. Minna Van organizes the Vancouver Entrepreneur Meetup – a monthly networking event aimed towards freelancers and entrepreneurs. “[She] is a fantastic networker and the events she organizes are top notch.”
“[It’s a] great influence and stimulation for start-ups,” advises Yuri of Shine Canada.
The casual environment at the Hub helps to build a spirit of community. “It’s Friday and nice, nobody really wants to work and every so often, a few people would gather in the main area and talk. The conversations are usually business-related but very organic, those times felt like being in a small business think tank/incubator,” says Chet. Just last Friday, members of the space enjoyed an impromptu barbeque on the patio.
Co-founder, Jay, encourages anyone interested in coworking to come down and take a look at the space.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Coworking: The freelancers’ sanctuary
This blog post originally appeared in techvibes.com as part of a series about Coworking around North America.
The popularity of the coworking movement in Canada is gaining ground. An alternative to working alone from home or in noisy cafes, coworking spaces allow freelancers to work independently alongside other professionals in a casual environment designed for work. This week we are highlighting one of Canada’s latest coworking spaces, Calgary’s CoworkYYC.
CoworkYYC was launched late last year by a trio of men: Nik Thierry, Jeff Gibson and Quinton Rafuse. Nik, originally from London, England, arrived in Calgary in March 2009 and worked out of his mother-in-law’s basement. “[I was] becoming even paler than in the damp climates of the UK,” he adds. Jeff is a freelance graphic designer who worked out of his office for a few years. “[I] slowly [started] going stir-crazy with the solitary confinement. But after CoworkYYC, “[ I’ve] been successfully re-learning to speak out loud (and get responses).” Last but not least, Quinton Rafuse; an oil & gas professional who is interested in innovation and technology worked downtown before CoworkYYC opened. He situated himself at the space to house his energy start-up.
Their reasons for opening up a coworking space are just as diverse as their backgrounds. Through a spectrum of reasons, in the end, it brought them to the same place. “After discussing the idea, we decided that the only way to get things underway was to look around and create the space ourselves. If you want to stay fresh and involved in your work you need a routine, and it really helps if you have a dedicated work environment,” agreed the entrepreneurs. “Our main goal is to create a working environment that gives people the space and social interaction that you can’t get from being home alone.”
Freelancers will find that discipline, focus and productivity are present in a coworking space. “We have discovered here is that people are finding they are getting their work done more efficiently, as the distractions of home (the pile of dishes to be washed, the unmade bed, that 10 minutes of bad morning TV) are being LEFT at home,” Nik points out. “With CoworkYYC based on the edge of the city’s centre, we’ve found that some workers can walk to work, and for those that drive, there isn’t ever any gridlock on the journey in.”
This easily accessible space houses a lot of different skill sets. “The majority are in the creative field, as the world of freelance fits in very well with the creative set,” explains Nik, “We’re pleased, though, to have quite a bit of diversity in our clients’ professions and skill sets – we have graphic designers, front and back-end web designers, an interior designer, a structural engineer and advertising/marketing people. Alongside these we’ve got an HR specialist, two international vocational trainers, a grad student and a communications professional specializing in emergency management plans.” On the whole it seems that almost anyone can use the space. “Though we’d probably draw the line at heart surgeon,” jokes Nik.
With a dynamic collection of creatives in one space, the first collaborative project started just a couple months after their launch when one needed a brand identity, printed stationary and a website. “The people who could do this work [were] sitting only a few desks away. It was a nice short trip across the office to talk the job through and get things underway,” explains Jeff.
The space is almost filled up after half a year into business. “We’ve only got six desks left until we reach capacity in our current floor plan, so we’re already drawing up options for the space to make it more efficient from a business perspective as well as for our clients’ needs,” says Quinton. The most recent announcement at CoworkYYC is a daily drop in rate for people that aren’t able to commit to a whole month or simply want to try the space out. There’ll definitely be a great vibe with the light-hearted and laid-back creative bunch behind it all.
Coworking: It’s a Learning Space
This week, we bring you a fairly new coworking facility founded by Chad Ballantyne: The Creative Space – a casual and laid-back place with a level of professionalism that is perfectly suited to bring out creativity, productivity and discipline while still including camaraderie. “The idea was to have a place where people can relate, collaborate and create,” he says. Nestled on Dunlop Street East by the water in Barrie, Ontario, the space is in a prime location for business start ups and entrepreneurs.
And like any coworking space, TCS includes the basic fundamentals: a meeting room, kitchen, bathroom and high speed internet. But the atypical placement of a foosball table in the middle of the room ensures a relaxed atmosphere. Fitting, as coworking spaces are meant to relieve some stress from the home office.
Since the launch early last year, Chad has gathered almost twenty full time tenants: graphic designers, a photographer, children’s worker, public relations, social media marketer, web developers, writers… and the list goes on. The wide range of tenants gave us a bit of insight on how TCS is helping their business run smoothly.
A business developer finds TCS very stimulating and healthy, adding that it provides a level of professionalism when talking to potential clients.
“I’m able to work but love that I can ask for help, suggestions and opinions,” states another tenant. “I have people around to ask a question or get help for a problem I have searched tirelessly for the answer to. I also am able to give back with my advice, experience and business savvy.”
In a space that is social and open, productivity increased and networking was made easier as referrals were made out of the office. “I had no one to bounce ideas off of working in an office. Now I parade my clients happily though our bull pen of creatives working away quietly or loudly depending on the moment.” For that reason, coworking exists. It relies on a team of people who make work social. Simply put, this is what coworking is all about.
“I’ve made a lot of new contacts, and I am constantly meeting new people. The interesting part is the way that many of the independent businesses collaborate, refer, and piggy-back off of each other in a way that consistently generates new clients and projects for almost everyone who enters the space.”
One tenant stated that working independently doesn’t provide an opportunity to ask questions or learn from others. And perfectly rounded out that TCS is not just a workplace but it’s a learning space.
Though a year of business has passed by, TCS’s one year anniversary was April 9th to be exact – the potential for the space is still a goal. The team hopes to see a working pod for 3-4 coworkers to interact and work. The expansion of TCS is always on mind. “It would be great if it could keep expanding as I really enjoy the creative environment and learning from others.”
The possibilities of the Creative Space are vast and endless. They believe that the coworking model will guide most of the businesses in the future. “When you think of all the positives to it, our clients are happier, we are happier; we have bigger bottom line results. How could it get any better?”
Social Space for Social Change
Coworking, as we’ve mentioned, is a movement that brings entrepreneurs and freelancers together in one space to share values and creativity while still being independent. Like all coworking spaces, you are sure to meet and discover new and different companies. This week, we are bringing you 10 Carden - a quiet congenial space where one can share what they’re doing or planning with like-minded people.
Julia Grady & Annie O’Donoghue opened 10 Carden in downtown Guelph, ON because they knew there was a real opportunity at hand to create an inviting multi-purpose meeting space and office space for organizations that didn’t need a full-time office. “We realized that a lot of organizations struggle with day to day sustainability, and that a shared space could alleviate some of the work, leaving them with more time and resources to do their work. And fundamentally, we believe that all groups have so much more to gain from working collaboratively,” says Julia.
10 Carden’s space is a bit different than most; they focus on not-for-profit organizations that help develop social change. “It made the most sense for a NFP to be working to bring together other NFPs, incubate new ones and also work with the for-profit social change businesses,” Julia explains, “Time, effort and funds put into 10 Carden all go to furthering the mission of the organization and we’re able to harness more community power this way. If 10 Carden wins, we ALL win.”
Being nonprofit, they have a committed team of volunteers to operate the space. And membership is not exclusive to NFPs: “We don’t make a distinction between [them]. It’s the long-term goal of social change that is the driver. The for-profits we support are generally small business or emerging social entrepreneurs,” says Julia.
The community is made up of individuals and members working on social change. “[They] are [all] very community-minded, collaborative, open to sharing and innovative. Expressive, fun, passionate and plugged-in are all other ways we’d describe our members. You’re going to discover a new social change project/workshop/group that tweaks your interest. This is where the real potential is.”
All members go through a detailed application because “part of [their] long range plan to harness the collective energy of all our member organizations. So, knowing about their missions are size, sustainability, etc is key to us being able to move forward together.”
To encourage growth and movement, individuals and organizations at the space can make requests for things they would want to add; programs they’d like to see run, ideas for expansions, and other services. They even have filing cabinet space members can book, a shared fax/printer/copier, a store-front window display and a projector & screen with seating for 50. The space also hosted an art show and sale that showcased original art, photos and poetry celebrating big tree(s) on March 20th.
The expansion of 10 Carden is still underway. “We see the public meetings, discussions, workshops offered by both 10 Carden and our list of more than 30 organizations as something that will continue to grow over the next year.”
