Behind the scenes with NYC’s best collaborative workspaces: Interviews

Last Wednesday, we held an amazing event with leaders from five of NYC’s best Co-Working Spaces. With the help of Jesse Podell, we were able to get the inside scoop on the recent rise of co-working from the founders and leaders of New York’s hottest co-working spaces: Benjamin from Grind, Marissa from Green Spaces, Jason from Alley, Tony from New Work City and Ted from We Work Labs.

Where were you before this? What made you decide to start/working for a co-working space?

Marissa Feinberg (@marissafeinberg):  I was working in social design. The Green Leaders Global group I organized enabled great dialog on sustainable topics.  We wanted a place to meet and work alongside one another every day, which led to the development of Green Spaces.

Ted Kramer:  I was working at a startup called Efficiency 2.0, and last spring we had our exit.  I loved the idea of working with startups and acting as a mentor to them.  Being able to share my experiences and expertise was very attractive.

Jason Saltzman (@SaltzmanJason):  I have been an entrepreneur my whole life. I worked mostly in different verticals such as real estate and marketing, but hated it. Made a ton of money, but I lacked a real sense of purpose in my life. Through one of the many businesses we created, my business partner Jonathan Ende thought it would be an awesome idea to destroy paperwork.  With the financial backing of a commercial real estate attorney, David Galanter, we started Seamlessdocs. When we started pitching the product in NY, we noticed a huge gap in the co-working market in Midtown. The area is prime for taking business meetings, and through validating the market, we knew we could get it done. I jumped on it and started marketing the space. That was one year ago, and now we are completely full and in the process of negotiating for more space.     

Benjamin Dyett (@BenjaminDyett):  My story is one originally rooted in necessity. Before I started Grind with my partners, I was a real estate investor and lawyer. I was just like any one of our Grindists, working for myself and in need of quality workspace. One day while working out of a windowless, dreadful, office at a business center in Manhattan, I became fed up with the space operator. I marched back to my closet of a workspace and cranked out a business model on Excel for what, a year and a half later, would become our first Grind location.

Who is the typical person that walks into your co-working space?

MF:  An entrepreneur with an idea to make our world better.

TK:  Someone who has a particular skill set but knows they can’t do it all on their own.  WeWork’s goal is to empower entrepreneurs with the tools to succeed.  We do that through our facilities, community, events, and diverse group of support staff.

JS:  AlleyNYC has an very diverse startup community. When vetting the people that apply to our membership program we do not care about how much money you make, or who your investors are, we care about you. We care about how collaborative you are, and if you’re an awesome person. We hate douchebags; we leave them at the door.

BD:  Grind is full of what we like to call ‘free radicals,’ who would rather work in a community than a company. We’re a members-only workspace, but that’s not because we’re elitist. We carefully curate our community in order to create and maintain a collaborative environment, not a competitive one. Our members tend to be slightly more experienced than your average coworker. For example, if they’re working on a startup, it’s not their first but rather their second or third company.

What is it that makes NYC special?  Why did co-working explode here, and is it replicable in other cities?

MF:  Our city is among the greatest in the world. It’s a city of people who love meeting new people. And people who are from somewhere else. Everyone is looking to make friends. Coworking enhances the incredible connections and serendipities of life.

TK:  To me, NYC has the most diverse community of businesses in the world. There is always a group of people working in your industry or specialty. That is what makes it such a special place to work in.

I think co-working has exploded because people have such diverse interests.  NYC is known for it’s hustle, and because of that, co-working embraces people who are working on multiple projects, ideas, and companies.

JS:  I feel that co-working is very special in NYC. Entrepreneurs are very like-minded here, and I feel there is a new movement in collaboration. We are the smartest, most driven people in the world, and we realize collaboration inspires innovation.  We embrace it, and that’s what makes co-working such a huge success in NYC. As far as replicating this, it would be much like replicating a sitcom. There are others, but they simply can not be the same.

BD:  NYC is one of the most diverse cities on the planet, making it a natural hotbed for coworking and collaboration. I don’t think you can necessarily replicate the exact energy we have here in New York, but coworking is clearly already a global phenomenon. Aside from the cities themselves, it’s the advancement of technology that has really helped accelerate this movement. Being able to connect to anyone in the world wherever and whenever you want, allows us to work out of spaces like Grind and be our most productive.

Many resources have popped up in the last year for people who may want to transition out of corporate life and into startup life (or individual work), what resources have you seen that are effective, and what is missing?

MF:  Skillshare offers incredible classes and training for people to flex the muscles they’d like to use.

Terrific conferences and unconferences exist for people who have a few days to spare and want to become immersed in an industry and get inspired.

Networking events throughout the city are available any night of the week, allowing people to dip their toes in the water.

I would like to see a platform for startups to access courtesy advisor services from people in the corporate sector.

TK: I find that co-working spaces offer the best value because they provide all the overhead that someone who wants to focus on their business requires. The big challenge is having the proper people who can advise you without trying to pull change from your pocket all the time. Having a great community manager and support staff is important for any co-working space.

JS:  Any resource that allows an entrepreneur assistance in the growth of their business. Resources that provide affordable solutions, so people can build their business quick, and pivot around what works and what doesn’t.  Right now in the startup world, we are very limited to large corporate resources, such as hardware resources, etc. I feel that a large corporate organization has to be very forward-thinking to help startups, since the ROI might not happen until a later time.  Large organizations should get more involved and help us grow; if they don’t, we will destroy them through disruption.

BD:  There’s a plethora of resources, including collaborative workspaces, that help people transition out of corporate life, but they’re not as important as one particular, intangible necessity. It’s all about the drive of the person who is trying to change his or her career path.No amount of resources can replace an individual’s desire and passion to pursue an idea or start the company of his or her dreams.Without that dedication and commitment, you might as well quit before you even start.

Tech companies find profit offline Companies including Etsy, startup Flockd and digital media firm PureWow leverage Milllennials' desire to connect.

Great mention of Green Spaces here in article about Flockd, a new venture inspired by coworking spaces like us!

By Maggie Overfelt

December 19, 2012 10:20 a.m.

 For a generation of workers who grew up connecting online, striking up a casual workplace conversation is harder than it seems.

Enter Flockd, a startup that provides 3.8-inch-high, dry-erase pyramids that sit on a desk to indicate when a person is available for a chat. The pyramids serve the same function as Gmail colors that indicate when someone is "free" or "busy."

Flockd, which has landed deals to sell its $5 pyramids to companies including a subsidiary of office furniture giant Steelcase, is one of a handful of new firm finding business models in the movement to help plugged-in people unplug.

"While technology is doing amazing things for us in so many ways, we're still human beings, and the real world still exists in analog," said Tony Bacigalupo, co-founder and mayor of five-year-old New Work City, a co-working space that uses Flockd pyramids. "The more we get wrapped up in our online world, the more desire grows for better, healthier, authentic offline real-life interaction."

Josh Auerbach, CFO of betaworks, a Manhattan firm that invests in and helps grow high-tech startups, points to the dozens of e-commerce brands that set up temporary brick-and-mortar "pop-up" shops in Manhattan for the holidays as another example of the trend. Familiar online names including eBay, Etsy and Web-based clothier Everlane have increasingly been doing some of their work offline.

Other companies are organizing intimate gatherings where customers mingle with advertisers. Intended to provide face time for online-only brands, the events also help to bring in more ad revenue.

Shouting over the crowd

"Companies are looking to get noticed, stand out—basically shout over the noise—and right now in-person events and physical spaces are a pretty good way to do that," said Mr. Auerbach.

Digital media firm PureWow, a 23-employee Manhattan company whose lifestyle newsletter, website and social-media outlets attract about 1.5 million 30- to 54-year-old females across the country, has found that events are important to building a sense of community among its members.

The company, which is profitable, recently invited more than 200 Dallas-area bloggers and readers to a launch party that was sponsored by liqueur brand Baileys. The party, which generated a pile of content for the company's site, led to a second Baileys-backed event, this time held in Manhattan with a mix of local entrepreneurs and PureWow readers.

"For us, it's brand awareness," said PureWow CEO Ryan Harwood, who said his company's revenue is in the mid-seven figures. "We're showing our audience that we're real—where they can see our editors and where we see our readers and we can build a bigger sense of community."
Membership for 2012 is up four times over last year.

Combining online and offline

A strategy that combines online and offline might be the most powerful, according to new research from Active Network, a San Diego firm whose Web-based software helps clients such as Bike New York and the New York Stock Exchange organize events. According to a November report, 99% of the 500 consumers surveyed took action offline—such as attending a charity or social event or participating in a sport—as a result of interacting with a Facebook or Twitter connection online.

"The common irony is that people are more active on social networks than in their personal lives," said Kristin Carroll, vice president of corporate and consumer marketing at Active Network. "Within social networks, there is opportunity to motivate people to do things they otherwise wouldn't."

To that end, Flockd's co-founders are debating whether to create a smartphone app that somehow ties in with their pyramids and their Facebook and Twitter feeds. In the meantime, the company is hiring salespeople and hoping to expand into more shared workspaces, high-tech firms and, eventually, public spaces such as coffee shops, universities, hotels and airports.

"The co-working movement is doubling each year," said co-founder Marissa Feinberg, who is also a founder of Green Spaces, an eco-minded co-working space in Manhattan with revenue of under $1 million.

Mr. Bacigalupo says conversation has spiked in his office since the introduction of the pyramids. "What Flockd does is give people a way to sort of easily bump into each other in ways that they might not have otherwise," he said. "It lowers the barrier for people to meet each other."

Correction: PureWow is a digital media firm. The company description was misstated in the summary for an earlier version of this article, published Dec. 19, 2012.

Read more: http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20121219/SMALLBIZ/121219899#ixzz2GBWSg039

Social Innovators Collective Launching Guide in 2013

In early January 2013, our friend organization Social Innovators Collective will be launching 15 guides which cover the main building blocks a startup changemaker needs to be familiar with in order to make significant headway in their first 12 months. Topics include Idea To Launch, Funding & Fundraising, How to Choose a Legal Structure, The Importance of Great Design, Social Good Business Models and Business Plans, Storytelling, How To Build Your First Website and more.

Each downloadable PDF will answer the questions: “Why does a changemaker need to know about any given subject?” and “When in the first 12 months does she or he need to be focusing on this particular subject?”

SIC has lined up an amazing group of contributors, each of whom is a leader in the social change space in their given field. Click on their name for their profile in our directory. SIC has also linked to each of the contributors’ companies so you can learn more.

Contributors:

Andrew Greenblatt, CEO of Vendorboon

Amy Hartzler, Studio Director at Free Range Studios

Andy Fyfe, B Lab

Andy Smith, Co-author of Dragonfly Effect

Aria Finger, COO of DoSomething.org

Carly Leinheiser, Esq., Perlman & Perlman, LLP

Deroy Peraza, Co-Founder of Hyperakt

Freeman White, CEO and Founder of Launcht

Ian Fisk, Executive Director of The William James Foundation

John Rooks, President of The Soap Group

Lee-Sean Huang, Strategist and Designer at Purpose

Marissa Feinberg, PR expert, writer for Forbes.com, Co-Founder of Green Spaces

Mark Randall, Founder of School of Visual Arts’s Impact! Design for Social Change

Matthew Klein, Executive Director of Blue Ridge Foundation

Rob Wu, CEO and Co-Founder of CauseVox

Help Hurricane Sandy Recovery Efforts

LIST OF RESOURCES FROM GREEN SPACES MEMBERS & FRIENDS VOLUNTEER OR DONATE The Lower East Side Recovers  //  Donate blood at the New York Blood Center  NYC Public Advocate's Office  //  The Red Cross / Brokelyn Volunteers Update Craig Newmark of Craigslist is matching donations to the Red Cross to $25K  // Join CrisisCommons Camp United Airlines is matching donations to the Red Cross up to $50K Learn about Occupy Sandy Relief Nyc or Donate to the Organization    Red Hook NYC Recovers  //  Astoria NYC Recovers  //  Brooklyn Based Hurricane Aftermath Guide Food Not Bombs Emergency Relief Programs  //  Power Rockaways IOBY's Sandy Relief & Climate-Ready Planning  //  Fashion Delivers Donate New Clothing Start & manage your own effort with Recovers.org  //  Long Beach, NY Resources Constant Contact will Match Donations via Manhattan Chamber of Commerce FOLLOW ON TWITTER FOR SANDY UPDATES Alex Goldmark  //  Adam Aston  //  Mat McDermott  //  Mayor Bloomberg  //  Streetsblog FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY Providing Vouchers for Hotel Rooms for People in Shelters Since Sandy INTERNATIONAL RESCUE COMMITTEE  Hurricane Sandy: Update on the IRC's response in Haiti and how you can help or donate GOOGLE  Crisis Map AIRBNB Waives Fees for Sandy-Affected Users TECH COMMUNITY Volunteer or Request Tech Help THE NATURE CONSERVANCY 4 Smart Ways to Rebuild After Superstorm Sandy   VOLTAIC SYSTEMS  Buy One Give One program for Emergency Portable Power Kit INHABITAT Six Things You Can Do To Help Hurricane Sandy Victims ANDREW REVKIN on Climate Change, Sandy and More The New York Times' Dot Earth Blog  JULIET EILPERIN How strong is the relationship b/w climate change and Superstorm Sandy?  TREEHUGGER 12 Ways to Help Hurricane Sandy Relief Efforts   LIFEEDITED Hurricane Sandy Edition GOOD How the Oyster Could Have Saved NY from Sandy DAVID BERGMAN, ECOOPTIMISM Sandy May Be the Tipping Point, But We Really Didn't Need One NYC BUSINESS SOLUTIONS - FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE  Emergency Loan Fund, Federal Aid Programs and more ANDREW ZOLLI, NYT OP-ED The Importance of Resilience - Learning to Bounce Back Thank you to the people and organizations included here, among others who shared these resources: Ryan Fix, Michael Geer, Stefan Doering, Rebecca Chaikin, Ioby, IRC, Shayne McQuade, Gary's Guide, Gary Whitehill, Amy Tse, The Nature Conservancy, Slow Money NYC, NYCEDC, Manhattan Chamber of Commerce, Greenwich Village Chelsea Chamber of Commerce, New York Tech Meetup

The Frugal Entrepreneur's Starter Kit

This is a great piece by Pedro Hernandez! Thanks so much for mentioning Green Spaces : )

When it comes to entrepreneurship, it doesn't hurt to be ambitious. It's a practically a requirement.

Luckily, you don't need a big budget to accommodate your big ambitions.  Below are some money-saving tips on finding a place to grow your business, keeping the lines of communications open and using professional business tools without dipping too far into your bank account.

Looking for Real Estate? Try Coworking

Need a place to get some work done and grow your business? Before skimming the classifieds for a vacant office or storefront, look up some local coworking spaces.

Rents are typically modest, depending on the location and the amenities offered. For instance, Green Spaces in New York City offers eco-minded entrepreneurs a day pass that costs $35 or full, seven-day access for as little as $295 month. Good luck finding even a sliver of office space for that amount in Manhattan.

Amenities vary, but generally coworking spaces offer a place to park yourself and your laptop, Wi-Fi Internet access and conference rooms. Perks sometimes include coffee and business services like on-site printing. But the best benefit is an opportunity to network.

Coworking spaces are essentially communities brimming with entrepreneurs just like you. It's a great way to meet-and-greet on your own terms, share knowledge and expertise, and informally build your contact list. Who knows, a future business partner could be waiting at your local coworking hub.

Dial up the Savings with VoIP

A dedicated business line is perfect if you want to project a professional image, or if you're reluctant to give out your mobile phone number. But what if you don't want to pay steep prices for a landline or another mobile account?

Enter VoIP.

VoIP, which stands for voice over Internet protocol, has revolutionized voice communications. The most famous example is Skype. Now owned by Microsoft, Skype is one option for entrepreneurs who need an inexpensive alternative to traditional phone service.

Skype-to-Skype calls (and video conferencing) are free, but making calls to phones from your computer will set you back a little, about $60 for a 12-month subscription, or $5 per month if you break it down. Likewise, getting an online phone number with voicemail will set you back $60 for a year.

Even at $120 per year for both services, they are cheaper than a couple of months of traditional or mobile phone plans. And with apps available for iPhone, Android and BlackBerry, you can take your Skype number with you.

Skype isn't the only game in town, though. Consider Google Voice for features like call forwarding, transcribed voicemails and SMS-to-email. Google also offers low international calling rates for entrepreneurs with global ambitions.

Low-Cost Productivity Software

Microsoft Office is the standard bearer in productivity software, but it can be pricey for the bootstrapping set.

If you want Outlook, the Microsoft Office Home and Student edition -- which costs $119 -- is out of the question. That means that you're spending at least $199 at the Microsoft Store for the Home and Business edition, which includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, and of course, Outlook. That is, unless you shop around.

Head over to Amazon and, as of this writing, you can download a single-user, one-PC license of Office Home and Business 2010 for just pennies over $150. That's a savings of almost $50. But keep in mind, Office 2013 is just around the corner.

If you're comfortable with the idea of Office in the cloud, point your browser to Office 365. For $6 per user per month (50-user limit), you and your co-entrepreneurs can share calendars, message one another and view and edit Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote files online.

Better yet, if you're not particularly tied to the Office ecosystem, try open source alternatives like OpenOffice or LibreOffice. They each have their quirks, particularly if you're transitioning from Microsoft, but the bottom line is that they get the job done.

Again, if you're comfortable with cloud-based productivity, look no further than your Google account. Google Docs, now accessible using the "Create" button in Google Drive, is an easy, browser-based and, best of all, free way to create documents, spreadsheets and presentations. It's basic, but for the price it can't be beat.

Pedro Hernandez is a contributing editor at InternetNews.com, the news service of the IT Business Edge Network, the network for technology professionals. Follow him on Twitter @ecoINSITE.

Hipster Must-Haves Mean Life-or-Death in Uganda

From Marissa Feinberg's Forbes blog

Prosperity Rides

A dusty, road-worn bike with curved metal handlebars and grease-coated gears. What does it sound like to you? A weekend activity to feel the wind in your hair? For me, it’s a perilous way to risk my life with the NYC traffic monster – shh, I happen to be a klutz.

As many know, in parts of Africa, access to a bicycle is the difference between getting medical care for your child or not. It’s how you collect food, clothing, and household items your family needs from a far-off market. Or the only way to access clean water.

For others, bicycles can do even more than that! I love the idea that, after the bare necessities are met, the human spirit’s creativity always finds more ways to make life better. Given the opportunity to own a bike via microcredit, the villagers I learned about become entrepreneurs whose mini-enterprises made their family’s lives and health better AND added tremendous value to their community.

Isn’t that just exactly what every entrepreneur should aspire to?

Green Spaces member Molly Burke is co-founder and Executive Director of Bicycles Against Poverty (BAP). Right now, she’s in Uganda doing participant evaluations, surveying new areas the nonprofit could service, and talking to local leadership to pave the way for BAP’s microcredit program.

In East Africa, specifically Northern Uganda, lies the Gulu District. It’s war-ravaged but stabilizing. Most residents live on less than $1 per day; many are displaced from their homes, unable to farm and easily access life’s necessities.

Recognizing the tremendous economic value bikes provide these villages, BAP created an effective microcredit system to deliver them. The organization selects participants carefully to ensure the model will work, and every person who receives a bike on microcredit learns from two community-led workshops: one on microcredit management and savings, the other on bike repair.

Two grants from the Clinton Global Initiative later, two-thirds of BAP bike owners have increased their income. More than 90% regularly now save money. Most often, villagers share bikes with the community, pay back according to plan, and value and respect the program.

Enough Praises! Let’s Bounce

Before Molly left for Africa, a Green Spaces’ Idea Bounce was her sounding board to prepare for an exciting campaign BAP has coming up.BAP’s founder, Muyambi Muyambi, will bike across the country to raise funds and awareness, and Molly asked us for input on the best ways to maximize engagement and connect with supporters across the country, AND keep them interested after the journey’s over.

Green Spacers addressed it as a marketing issue and suggested that BAP target people who identify with the cause. Meaning, get in touch with cycling enthusiast groups, get them to see the value of a bicycle in a new way, and ask them to participate. Go grassroots and activate networks already built in; BAP began at Bucknell, a school that has strong alumni groups across the country. Brown, Cornell, and Skidmore also have BAP programs.

Help More Low-Income Entrepreneurs Serve Their Communities

And then there’s those of us interested in social ventures, and in putting our money and work in efforts that are charitable but also perpetuating. Social entrepreneurs and their networks, at BAP’s service! Let’s alert our friends with philanthropic pockets too and try to make a difference.

Did we win you over? The campaign’s New York City event will, of course, be at Green Spaces on September 6, 2012. It’s a great cause and I know you want to meet Molly. At the very least, BAP and the new entrepreneurs it creates are incredible inspiration to all of us who work to support ourselves and impact our community. Let’s ride!

Green Spaces is New York City’s sustainable coworking space for startups, entrepreneurs, and others who like to work happily while improving the world. Members and guests from diverse and overlapping fields make us NYC’s networking hotspot for the eco-minded. I’m Marissa Feinberg, Green Spaces co-founder, PR and marketing media whisperer, and rapid dot connector. See my recent interview about Green Spaces on Mashable.

Idea Bounce goes digital

Each Wednesday, members gather for the Green Spaces “Idea Bounce,” also known as “startup therapy with dumplings,” to share news and fun facts. Then, one person or company (sometimes a member, sometimes a guest) introduces a challenge they’re facing. The group bounces ideas, recommending strategies and contacts. I’m sharing some of what we come up with on this blog.

More on Green Spaces in New York and Colorado:
Web // Twitter // Facebook

Laura Grasso, content strategist + writer and Green Spaces New York member, contributed to this post.

Your Life's A Film. You're The Director. What Act Are You In?

From Marissa Feinberg's Forbes blog

Hank Fieger’s in his third. He’s an executive coach with a 30-year client repertoire of over 1,000 executives from 20 countries and several major corporations. He wrote the book Behavior Change: A View from the Inside Out; Hank and his book advise you not how to behave, but how to discover your personal best way to break bad habits and do things better. With those successes behind him, he’s ready for the next challenge.

Hank Fieger

For his third act, Hanks wants US as the subject. Us, the young social entrepreneur crowd. The ones doing what we do because we want to add value, not just make money. We’re a cohort he hasn’t fully engaged. I met Hank at this year’s Conscious Capitalism conference and YouthTrade celebration, and I invited him to come to Green Spaces to bounce ideas about how to reach people like us.

The Bounce

One of Hank’s specialties is teaching how to present your ideas in ways that affect the hearts and minds of your audience. And truly, it isn’t messaging that will challenge Hank’s break into a new market -- I think that by word three of his introduction, we were all pretty sold on the value he can bring. So, he seeks help on the practical side of reaching people who want to change the world with their work. Green Spacers, take it away!

A given: It’s got to be affordable and fast.

Hank’s desire to give back after the success of his career is behind the draw toward the social entrepreneur/conscious capitalism crowd. We startup founders with hearts are rarely short on passion or smarts, but we’re often a little cash strapped and harried for time, yes? We first suggested that Hank design a new “product” from the services he’s geared toward CEOs and executives; a version that lots of people can benefit from simultaneously for a cost that’s lower per head. It should be in turbo mode, harnessing the most of Hank’s expertise in a manageable amount of time.

ROI: Help us sell it to our bosses... or ourselves.

Not all of us social-minded business folks are our own bosses. Some of us have bosses whose favorite word is NO, especially when it comes to things like training. We wanted to see a case statement that shows the money people why Hank is worth the investment, especially for when Hank isn’t there to convince them himself. And even for us founders; we’ll take a little info on the return on investment for Hank’s help.

A bizzy day at Green Spaces

We’ll find you.

Some of us in small organizations recognize that our passionate, hardworking colleagues -- especially the youngest ones -- often lack the leadership, time management, and project management skills that would make them and the team most effective. These are exactly the skills Hank teaches, and we’re looking for them. As Odile Beniflah of Carpooling.com leaned over the conference room table and somewhat intensely put it: “I would find you. We need you. We never have time for anything!” In other words, make sure that new website and social web presence are searchable and findable.

Hank is interesting in leveraging social media, so we forwarded the advice Geri Stengel, founder of Ventureneer.com gave us at another Idea Bounce: pick one social media channel and master it. Better, delegate that task to someone else, because the true amount of time to create a workable social media effort is staggering.

The tools of evangelism.

Green Spacers thought the best route to the communities Hank wants to support is finding his “fans” and equipping them with what they need to spread the word and get him on board. To sum up: We proposed he create a package catered for this market that’s effective in time and funds. It’ll be findable and visible and boasts a credible web presence. And it comes with a little note that tells us and our leadership exactly why we need this now.

What Hank Gave Back

Hank didn’t take our ideas and bounce -- he stayed to give us all a mini session of his coaching.

As entrepreneurs, what’s our collective Achilles heel? Commonly, it’s our temptation to micromanage, coupled with a reluctance to delegate. In Hank’s words: “getting down on the dance floor when you should be up on the balcony.” But before you start letting go, you have to engage, enroll, and empower the people you’re delegating to using the story of your vision. A very convincing story of your vision.

Hank shared with us some speaking and presentation pointers on getting up at the front of the room with a plan and full confidence that people are going to “get” and support you.

• The audience is going to take between one and three points away from any presentation. No more. So choose your messages wisely, and begin with your end in mind.
• Create a hook. Right off, use a rhetorical question, a provocation or challenge, an anecdote, statistic, catchy metaphor, or even a juicy self-disclosure to captivate your audience.
• Be in your audience’s shoes. Seems obvious, but often forgotten. If you were in the room, what would you be thinking? What would you be skeptical about?
• Engage your listeners with vocal tricks. When people talk softly, they speak more slowly; when they’re loud, they talk quickly. Consider this in your own speech patterns and create modulations.
• You know that tendency when you’re speaking to put your weight on one foot and bend the other knee a bit? Don’t. Distribute your weight evenly. Take a stance.
• Use your elbow room. Lots of people velcro their upper arms to their sides when they present, weakening their gestures. Unstick those elbows and gesture openly, and use your hands to enumerate and emphasize.

And with a grand, open arm gesture, we thanked Hank for his time. Here’s to you, Hank, and to your life’s acts numbers three, four, five, and on...!

Green Spaces is New York City’s sustainable coworking space for startups, entrepreneurs, and others who like to work happily while improving the world. Members and guests from diverse and overlapping fields make us NYC’s networking hotspot for the eco-minded. I’m Marissa Feinberg, Green Spaces co-founder, PR and marketing media whisperer, and rapid dot connector. See my recent interview about Green Spaces on Mashable.

Idea Bounce goes digital

Each Wednesday, members gather for the Green Spaces “Idea Bounce,”also known as “startup therapy with dumplings,” to share news and fun facts. Then, one person or company (sometimes a member, sometimes a guest) introduces a challenge they’re facing. The group bounces ideas, recommending strategies and contacts. I’m sharing some of what we come up with on this blog.

Previous Idea Bounces:

The Fairy Godmother of Social Entrepreneurs -- Ventureneer.com

Launching a bicultural startup — Carpooling.com in the U.S.

On the future of angel investing — Mission Markets

More on Green Spaces in New York and Colorado:
Web // Twitter // Facebook

Laura Grasso, content strategist + writer and Green Spaces New York member, contributed to this post.

 

This Weekend - Get Into Your Moxie!

Moxie Camp! Weekend for Social Change 6/29-7/1

Moxie Camp is designed for women who work in social enterprise or the nonprofit sector, or want to start or scale a socially conscious business. Men, please share with the relevant females in your life. Fusing a distinct blend of interactive sessions, transformational activities, masterful coaches, special guest speakers, and red hot panels, Moxie Camp is about creating a space for you to get up on your feet, practice sharing your vision and voice, build relationships, and get comfortable in your power so that you can make big time social impact through your career or business.

Coaches + Guest Speakers

KC Baker, The School for the Well-spoken Woman Founder

Jenny Blake, bestselling author of Life After College, life coach 

Nitika Chopra, YourBellaLife.com founder 

Annie Escobar, ListenIn Pictures co-founder 

Marissa Feinberg, Green Spaces co-founder 

Lara Galinsky, Echoing Green senior vice president, author

Julia Gazdag, HelloGiggles contributor, Women Working To Do Goodseries editor 

Natalia Oberti Noguera, Pipeline Fellowship CEO and Founder 

Xian Horn, Teacher, Writer, Positively Positive Blogger, Speaker

Christina Rasmussen, Second Firsts president and founder

Tammy Tibbets, She's the First founder and president

Jacquette Timmons, Financial Intimacy author, Financial Intimacy Conference creator

Sheryl Victor Levy, PHIL & Co. Digital Strategy Savvy Strategy founder 

Spread the Word

• Join #MoxieCamp this weekend! Transformational activities, red hot speakers & panels #socialchange #socent #nonprofit bit.ly/LmznuL
• Step into your power & build a movement around your ideas at #MoxieCamp for female leaders bit.ly/LmznuL

The History of Moxie

Originally patented as medicine in 1876 by Dr. Augustin Thompson, by 1884 Moxie was bottled as our nation's first soft-drink and served at soda fountains for people who wanted to be endowed with "rugged individualism." It's still available from specialty soda vendors today, though now moxie is thought of more as a quality than a beverage. It is synonymous with being daring, having courage and taking risks. Hope to see you there!

NOTE This event is being promoted by Green Spaces, yet hosted off-site at the New York Insight Meditation Center.

Why You'll Never Find Coworking In The Dictionary - Do you Agree?

Have you ever looked up coworking in the dictionary? It's not there. Dictionaries exist to provide a list of all the official words in a given language, along with their proper spelling and agreed upon definition. 

"Coworking" probably won't ever be found in such a reference book, because as a recent academic study discovered, people don't agree on how to define it.

Research published recently in The Journal of Business and Technical Communication found that there are almost as many definitions of coworking as their are independent professionals who utilize coworking spaces. 

For Clay Spinuzzi, an associate professor of rhetoric at the University of Texas at Austin, this was troubling, and he embarked on a 20-month study to try to tease out a single definition of what coworking is and what people get out of it. The best he could do was three:

Coworking space as community center: Mixed used spaces that exist to serve the local community. “The object was to work alongside, but not with, others. Consequently, both had quiet policies in their spaces,” writes Spinuzzi.

Coworking as collaboration space. "Unoffice" arrangements that “encouraged discussions; interaction between the coworkers.” Spinuzzi summarizes the object of these spaces as recreating “characteristics of the traditional office environment that independent workers may miss.”

Coworking as networking hub. Spaces that seek to foster “more active connections between coworkers, connections that could lead to working relationships between businesses—contracts or referrals,” writes Spinuzzi. “Their focus was on entrepreneurship.”

Can some coworking spaces be characterized this way? Yes. Do all spaces fall into one of these three categories? No, and thank goodness. More often than not, a single coworking space will demonstrate aspects of all three of these categorizations, sometimes fluctuating back and forth in the same day.

Why all this waffling? Easy: people.

People are different, want different things, need different things. We have emotions, fears, challenges, and talents, and those things move to and from the forefront of our minds on a minute-by-minute basis. 

Think about it...could you come up with a one sentence definition of yourself that will hold true until the end of time? No way. The way I defined myself when I was 18 is (thankfully) vastly different than the definition I might create today.

People are constantly changing, learning, and evolving. Not to mention that a coworking space almost never sees the exact same group of people on a daily basis. Without people, there would be no coworking, so it too must accept this dynamic personality. The very fact that the coworking community resisted Spinuzzi's efforts to confine it in a neat little package is a testimony to this fact. 

Coworking spaces, if they are to be successful in any sense of the word, must be built around a community of people. What independent professionals in Denver want or need is likely to be vastly different from those in Austin, or Boston, or Los Angeles. Each coworking space responds to those needs, and therefore evolves differently than its peers, even if they're just across town. 

What makes coworking such a welcome relief from traditional work environments is precisely this flexibility. Spaces can be shapeshifters depending on the community that gathers within it on any given day. It's in this fluid movement between styles of work, based on mutual need and respect, where the magic of coworking really exists.

5 Reasons Co-Working is Better than Working Virtually

Since we started The Daily Muse, we’ve spent a lot of time working virtually with our team, and we’ve done great work that way. From our editors who could be as far away as Denmark to our leadership team who travels (a lot), being virtual made a lot of sense.

But recently, we moved into a co-working space called StartupHQ in San Francisco, and I discovered some of the unexpected benefits of being in person. If your company is still small and getting your own office seems like a budget line item you can’t afford, here are five reasons to consider a co-working space.

1. You Cut Down on Email (a Lot)

I love email as much as the next woman does, but sometimes it can get a little out of hand. I never realized how much email traffic was being generated just keeping people in the loop, until I could look up and share a thought or idea with the team instead of busting out my laptop. It’s also been easier to keep the whole team involved in projects (or at least aware of them) when we’re all in the same space.

2. Instant Sales Leads

We work in a space with dozens of other companies. By meeting them and learning about their products, we’ve started to do business with many of them. In some cases, we’ve become their clients (we now use Xero, a cloud accounting solution), and in others, our deskmates have wanted to work with us. If you offer services to other companies, co-working can be a great source of sales leads, and you really can’t beat in-person customer service over coffee.

3. More Down Time for Bonding

Lunch. Coffee. Happy Hour. These are some of my favorite times with The Daily Muse team, and moving to StartupHQ has increased the frequency of our team events significantly. I’ve also learned how to make delicious lunches in mason jars from Niki, and started to make improvements to my wardrobe (read: free start-up t-shirt + jeans) thanks to Adrian.

4. Amenities You Couldn’t Otherwise Afford

Once your company gets to a certain size, you’ll likely start looking for office space. But as many founders of early-stage companies know, budgets can be tight, and when choosing between a kitchen in your tiny office and a marketing budget, you’ll often go for the latter. Co-working has been great for us because we get access to a fully stocked kitchen, a lounge area, and lots of conference rooms—without breaking the bank.

5. New Ideas

Anyone who knows me knows that I like to brainstorm. But that’s a lot harder to do alone. Being around my team means that we can riff of each other’s ideas and generate new, and often better, ones. Co-working has allowed us to have more serendipitous moments, and to better integrate sales, marketing, and editorial initiatives.

Learn more about co-working at Startup HQ at companymuse.com/startuphq.

Launching a Bicultural Startup -- Carpooling.com Rides to the U.S.

Green Spaces is New York City’s sustainable coworking space for startups, entrepreneurs, and others who enjoy working happily while improving the world. Members from diverse and overlapping fields make us NYC’s networking hotspot for the eco-minded. I’m Marissa Feinberg, Green Spaces co-founder, marketing and PR media whisperer, and rapid dot connector. See my recent interview about Green Spaces on Mashable.

Idea Bounce goes digital!

Each Wednesday, members gather for the Green Spaces “Idea Bounce,” also known as “startup therapy with dumplings,” to get to know each other better and share news. Then, one person or company introduces a challenge they’re facing, and the group bounces ideas, recommending strategies and contacts. I’ll be sharing some of what we discover on this blog.

How to launch in a new market

At a recent Idea Bounce we brainstormed with Odile Beniflah, Senior Product Manager at carpooling.com. The company is the word’s largest carpooling network with 3.7 million users in Europe, where the concept has caught on almost ubiquitously.

Carpooling.com rides to the US. Beep beep!

The U.S. market is carpooling.com’s next frontier, and it’s a challenge. With exceptions of some major cities, the ability to drive wherever and whenever is part of the American Dream! We all like to control the radio! (More on carpooling.com and American resistance to carpooling.)

So, Odile asks, how should carpooling.com woo the American market?

Don’t canvas; dig deep

Tie the U.S. launch of carpooling.com to specific events or communities, with giveaways and promotions, rather than use a broad campaign approach. Making alliances with local partners is crucial (one idea that kept bouncing back).

Why not sponsor a conference, so people can find carpools via carpooling.com during the registration process? This came up when we realized another person in the room and I were both headed to this week’sConscious Capitalism conference in Boston. Bummer I already booked Amtrak!

What if there’s a carpooling.com widget on an airport’s website? What if carpooling.com spread the word around college campuses when students are making plans to go home for the holidays? Organizations that encourage ride sharing will get value with the convenience and differentiator of offering carpooling.com’s service.

Get a tour guide

The first thing I do when I’m headed someplace I’ve never been is figure this out: Who do I know there who knows what’s there? And then I give them a great host gift. New markets aren’t un-penetrated; it’s just not yet been done by you.

Green Spacers went into bundling mode, brainstorming what kind of partner service could work with carpooling.com. Where else do savvy, mobile, educated, social, and eco-conscious people, aka carpooling.com’s target market, go? There’s couchsurfing.org, there’s airbnb.com. There’s okcupid.com (maybe a campaign about making it easier to date people in other cities?) and what if Facebook users could post to their feed the destination, enjoyability, and pictures of their latest trip? How about celebrities showing up at red carpet events in carpooling.com carpools? (Okay, Odile didn’t love all of our ideas here, but that’s why we bounce them around first!)

It isn’t just about YOUR brand

Carpooling.com has a friendly, sensible feel. The website is minimalist, gently suggesting that “being on the road can be cheap, green, and fun.”

But as Odile put it, it isn’t just carpooling.com’s personality that’s important here. The company aims, essentially, to change the way people think about their transportation and mobility.

It’s a huge challenge for sure, but deep diving into the customer mindset — and culture — is key to understanding the marketplace. We might need a couple more Idea Bounces and platters of dumplings for this one…

More on Green Spaces in New York and Colorado:
Web // Twitter // Facebook

Laura Grasso, content strategist + writer and Green Spaces New York member, contributed to this post.

Summer in the Big Apple? Here are the Greenest Places in New York

By Raz Godelnik, syndicated from http://www.nrg.co.il/

Summer is here and you're probably waiting impatiently for your holiday. If you select a very non-environmentally friendly fly to New York, but you still want to do green things interesting in the big city, here are some recommendations that will help you do so. Most recommendations were sampled individually and collected other local authors. Enjoy!

1. Visit a local farmers market

New York is a great place for all fans of farmers markets and especially in summer, so they can find plenty of fruits, vegetables, meats, cheeses, pastries and lots of other goodies from the creator of farmers from the region (according to the rules Farmers working radius of up to 400 k can sell in the markets)

2. Shopping in Patagonia

Patagonia is one of the green in there today and if you are looking for clothing and / or equipment for extreme sports and trips, please visit either of their stores in New York and see what she has to offer you. clothes are not very cheap, but their price reflects the quality superb as also the environmental and social standards of high society.You can start visiting the company's website provides much information and is considered one of the leading terms of its transparency, including the fact that he had no problem revealing the Patagonia places where more needs to improve. for more information 

3. Museum of Transportation

New York is a great place for lovers of public transportation and you can move around a variety of different vehicles, ranging from the subway to the ferry. If you like the subway in New York you should visit the Museum of Transportation of New York, where you can learn about the history of the subway and learn how it all started in the big city. Museum, located in Brooklyn, is a very nice children, and on Saturdays and Sundays at 1:30 are offered to them also various free activities. Adult ticket costs $ 7 and children over two years $ 5. for more information . 

New York subway. Public transport enthusiasts delight Photo: AP - according to

4. Bbeiblnd green sex

Activity as a family is visiting the store sex toys Babeland, where you can find an interesting variety of sex toys are environmentally friendly, such as such as a vibrator with a solar panel ($ 34), lubricants natural plant-based ($ 12), condoms are environmentally friendly and even bags of multi-time Babeland's logo. The store has two branches in Manhattan and one in Brooklyn. for more details . 

5. Governors Island Compost

Back to family activities - Governors Island (Governors Island) is one of the nice and interesting places to visit in the summer. This is a small island that served many years as a military base and turned into a public area a decade ago is open to the public and then only on weekends in summer. can be reached by ferry (free) from Brooklyn and Manhattan and spend a whole day of fun activities. One of the nicest corners in the center of the compost (adjacent to the corner of the picnic on the island) is a place where children and adults can learn the secrets of compost instead of using the nice volunteers and helpers of Trustees - 38 chickens and two goats. for more information . 

Governors Island. Entertainment for the whole familygovisland.com

6. Pizza Llokaburim

Who among you who calls himself Clokabor, or just like to eat local food, sustainable quality, welcome to visit in Roberta's East Williamsburg in Brooklyn. This pizzeria serves pizza Excellent Brooklyn with vegetables that come straight from the garden they cultivated on the roof of the place. you can find a good local beer and if you smoke, it is also one of the few places in the big city you can enjoy a beer and a cigarette on his open garden without feeling like a leper. Highly recommended! for more information . 

7. Rowing Vahdson

Hudson River, also sports and fun Photo: SXC

All those who love to row, the Village Association Community Boathouse Rowing offers you join the group (five people in the boat) on the Hudson. Flotillas leaving Pier 40 in Manhattan (at West Houston Street) and also summer Dumbo neighborhood in Brooklyn are free, although donations are welcome. Some sports, some fun and pleasant way, eco-friendly wet and get to know New York.  for more information. 

8. Vegan Shoes

Shop Moo Shoes offers a large selection of fashionable shoes attractive, environmentally friendly company and for the animals. In other words, you will not find there anything made ​​of leather. The store is located on the Lower East Side, and you can spend a few hours searching for the perfect vegan shoe along with a number of cats adopted by the owners of this lovely store. for more information . 

9. Green work space

If by chance you have to work during the holidays or want to catch up in green entrepreneurship scene, visit - Green Spaces is a shared work space is used mainly green entrepreneurs. The place offers much more than a work, including help and support start - ups and there are lots of activities and interesting events, but as it is also suitable for anyone looking for a pleasant work space only a day or more. For more information . 

10. Green beer

Another way to meet nice green men in the city is through Green Drinks, monthly meetings in a pub, restaurant or local cafe which reach people who are interested and engaged in the green. These sessions are very nice places and normally go a few dozen people (and sometimes even more). You can join one of these meetings in Manhattan and in Brooklyn (check the links when the meeting takes place that fits your trip dates). 

More green recommendations can be found in Greenopia . 

Have a pleasant vacation!

A.D.O. Selected for Design Entrepreneurs NYC

Green Spaces member A.D.O has been selected to take part in the first ever design entrepreneur NYC initiative funded by Fashion Institute of Technology and New York City Economic Development Corp.

Congratulations, Anjelika!

Out of 165 applicants only 35 emerging designers were chosen who are committed to grow their business. Design Entrepreneurs NYC is an unparalleled intensive learning and networking opportunity supported by a knowledgeable and experienced faculty, exciting guest speakers, and a final review panel of influential fashion executives.

Event kickoff is this Thursday, May 24th at Andrew Marc showroom where we will meet the presidents of FIT, NYCEDC, GIII Apparel corp and other emerging designers.

For more information regarding Design Entrepreneur NYC, please visit  www.designentrepreneursnyc.com/about.html; For more information on A.D.O, please visit: www.adoclothing.com. 

See Jane Do Soiree into Action™ New York(Gala/Awards)

We were thrilled to host See Jane Do's Soiree into Action on March 5th, 2012. Its events are "Parties with a Purpose" engaging women with networking opportunities and fun filled activities to stimulate action.

Featuring Gloria Feldt, author, activist & former CEO of Planned Parenthood. Gloria shared tips & tools from her latest book, "No Excuses: 9 Ways Women Can Change How We Think About Power."

During See Jane Do's visit in New York the organization also participatde as delegates in the UN CSW and cover the 3rd Annual Women in the World Summit.

Their debut New York event was made possible by our sponsors: B Lab, The White House Project, Green Spaces and US Women Connect.

Connect with other extraordinary women like yourself and celebrate International Women's Day! We hope you'll join us! 

Green Spaces Hosts Anti-Valentine / Independence Party - Featuring Alexander Dunlop, Spiritual Life Coach, on Relationships

Social entrepreneurs and friends celebrate freedom at Green Spaces!

Special Guest Alexander Dunlop, founder of Spiritual Nutrition, will do a party presentation on cartomancy, the science of reading your life path in the playing cards. Click here to learn about his Valentine's Day $100 gift card offer.

The event is open to the public. Journalists and others may RSVP to marissa (at) greenspaceshome.com.

Green Spaces is a co-working, accelerator space for innovators of our new economy.We are a home to more than 60 socially minded companies. We cultivate community with programs that encourage professional networking and eco-friendly fun.

Spiritual Nutrition offers coaching for budding entrepreneurs, law of attraction lovers, and much more, specializing in the modern man and woman. Visit spiritualnutrition.org to see what's in your cards for your relationships, career and finances.

WHERE: Green Spaces, 394 Broadway, 5th floor; New York, NY 10013.

WHEN: February 14th, 7:30pm - 10:30pm

10 Tips: Find a Great Coworking Space

Get out of your garage: A shared office for your start-up company can improve your productivity and help keep costs low.

By Tom Searcy |  @tomsearcy   | Feb 8, 2012

In my recent outreach to keep costs low for entrepreneurs, "solopreneurs" and startups, a recurring suggestion from many of my "start-up warriors" was the idea of working in community.

Here's why:

• Community work spaces bring together people with different backgrounds, thoughts and approaches. This helps entrepreneurs develop more creative, robust ideas and solutions.
• Top challenges for solopreneurs are managing time, staying productive, and maintaining motivation throughout the workweek. Co-working spaces help with these challenges–it's easier to stay focused if you're away from home's distractions.
• Respondents to a study done by DeskMag in 2011 said they are more motivated (85%) and have better interaction with other people (88%) since they moved into a co-working space. They also say they can relax more at home.
• At least 42% of respondents also report earning a higher income since joining a co-working space.

I asked my friend Jeff Donaldson for the best things to look for in a shared work environment. Jeff works in Boulder, Colorado, at a workspace called “scrib”–short for “scribble,” because the walls are painted with dry-erase paint to spark ideas and collaboration.  Here are his recommendations.

10 Things to Look For

1. Test drive: Ask for a free day to test out the office space.

2. Office tools: Make sure they fit your needs. Everyone will have printers, faxes, etc. but make sure the space provides the tools that help you get work done (conference rooms for client meetings, phone rooms).

3. Culture: Every space will have a culture and not everyone will fit in.  Find one where you feel comfortable.

4. Inspiration: The people and the space should make you want to come to work–and be productive.

5. Lease terms: You want them flexible.

6. Room to grow: Look for multiple work zones that offer enough space to allow your company to expand and contract.

7. Good workspace management: You don't want to be the one dealing with printer problems, phone service outages, etc.

8. Collaborative community: Some co-working facilities allow members to contribute by giving presentations, making introductions or taking other actions that enhance the environment.

9. Productive workstations: Don't settle for just a flat table space. Look for offices that have put thought into a productive work environment.

10. Comfortable design. Collaboration can't happen as easily in a cubicle jungle. The most productive shared office spaces are ones that are built for collaboration.

If you've worked in a shared work environment, I'd love to hear your feedback.  Post your comments in the comments section here.

Explore the coworking movement

The coworking movement is fueled by people making connections - people who choose to collaborate and create so they can work productively, happily, successfully.

- MacWorld iWorld blog // click here for the full story

Laurea’s take on Greenspaces NYC

Here is my take on Green Spaces which we visited on November 11…

What I liked: I like how Green Spaces has a free day pass that is easy to find on their website.

All co-working spaces that are looking to be inclusive should have a link to a day pass on their website.

Amy, the receptionist was very friendly and gave a detailed tour and overview of the space. 

There is a decent kitchen, one pretty good lounge area that you could add chairs to yourself to accommodate any meetings. There are two fairly small conference rooms which could fit about 4-6 people max.  There is free coffee and tea all day and 24/7 access to full time members.  

There is one phone booth which can fit a laptop if you need to duck somewhere to have a phone call. 

You don’t have to be a part of the Green community to work here but they are aiming to be the hub for the Green community so if you are a freelancer or business looking for desk space then this is the best co-working community match for you...

Special features:

Colorado and NYC locations

Event space rental, use of the space to host workshops for $175 an hour and events with a Green community focus

Curated connections, an intern program and a referral network

Costs:

The costs and benefits for each tier are outlined very clearly here

Click here for the full story.

Sponsored by Susty!

It was sponsor city for Susty Party this fall! We joined with tons of good causes to throw great parties with some extra eco-chic cred…

For our friends at Green Spaces, we helped them celebrate their 3 ½ year anniversary. Green Spaces gives social innovators, entrepreneurs, and freelancers a space to connect and grow. They’re doing great work! Happy 3 and 1/2 birthday, Green Spaces! 

Click here for the full story.

Why Co-Working Rocks!

by Isabella Woods

Most entrepreneurs can't wait to quit the day job and leave the cubicle behind forever. It's something they dream about when trapped in wage slavery and they have detailed fantasies about what it will be like to shake the dust of the office from their heels and never look back. Why, then, are so many of these people choosing co-working. Let's take a look at what co-working is, first. In a nutshell, it's about having a shared work environment while remaining independent. Many solopreneurs and independent contractors have discovered that going it alone just isn't as much fun as they thought it would be. It's not that they miss the office politics and the boss cracking the whip. Instead it's about missing some of the advantages of office life - and that's what they get back when they use co-working space.

An End to Solitude

Let's face it, some people just aren't cut out to work alone. They just don't function the same way when they are sitting at home in their PJs trying to get motivated to work. Some people get lonely and miss the company and co-working allows them to get that company without the disadvantages of being employed. Frankly, offices are social places and human beings are social animals. When we work alone, we may be going against what comes naturally. Getting into a co-working space with people with complementary interests can meet that need. We like to shoot the breeze with colleagues round the water cooler or the coffee machine, and that's what we get with a co-working space. This is a trend that's taking off all around the world.

Better Facilities

When you work on your own, you need a whole bunch of equipment to stay in touch with the world. The best co-working spaces give you access to WiFi, phone services, meeting rooms, fax machines (for those still using them), scanners, printers and other office equipment whenever you need it. All this at a fraction of the cost of cheap office insurance. You don't have to pay to rent the whole building, just for your space - and it's affordable. You can get a space that's yours on a semi-permanent basis or just use a space when you need it - first come, first served. Of course, you could work from your local coffee shop as many entrepreneurs do, but is that really the best place to work when people are shouting out their coffee orders in the background? That might work once in a while, but it's not a great solution for every day. And a coffee shop isn't a great place to hold a business meeting, that's for certain. If you want a workspace that says you're a professional, a co-working space is your best bet.

Starting the Day Right

There's nothing like having to get out of bed and go to the office to make you feel like you're running a real business. This gets you ready to be successful. You feel professional and you won't run the risk of sitting around all day playing on the Wii while you wait for the orders to come in. As you build relationships with your fellow co-workers you will get that other major advantage - accountability. When you swap stories about your business efforts, someone will come back and express an interest in how you're doing. You want to have something to tell them, don't you?

Another advantage of a coworking space over a home office is that it enables you to limit your work day and make a clear distinction between work time and home and family time. That can be important. Entrepreneurs are famous for focusing on the new idea or business to the exclusion of all else. Everyone has to come up for air sometime, and having a coworking space allows you to do just that.

Co-working has become so popular that companies are jumping on the bandwagon and experimenting with this as a new way of getting the job done. If you want to find out more about coworking in your area, the Coworking Wiki is an excellent starting point. It includes links to several coworking projects as well as a

Google Group.