Location, Location, Location…

We’re currently working on our business plan here and making pretty good progress.

In fact, I should be working on it now. But thought I’d give everyone a quick update.

I’ve got two meetings this week with local chambers of commerce. I have to say, the people I’ve spoken with so far have been extremely helpful and very open to talking about the concept.

I mean I know we’re excited about the idea, but based on initial feedback it’s safe to say the business community ‘gets it.’

It only makes sense, Co-working in Northeast Ohio — whether its in Akron, Canton, Cleveland or Cuyahoga Falls — is good for business. Small business owners can step out of the isolation of working at home or in their local coffee shop. Interaction, networking and true business bonds are forged when people work together.

The hard part at this point, deciding where we’ll open our first location.
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First Mixed-Use Coworking in Connecticut Is Starbucks Alternative for Solo Entrepreneurs

Two Connecticut entrepreneurs pioneer the next phase of coworking by bringing it to the burbs. group88: A business collaborative, is a mixed-use coworking space, designed for solo professionals who are looking to break the chains of solitary confinement, share cost-effective workspace and benefit from a community that strengthens independence.

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Going It Alone

In a recent poll by Small Business Guru, 66% of small business owners said they were not involved in any sort of peer group.

It’s all too easy for small business owners to feel isolated.

For those of us working out of our homes it’s just the reality of our environment. But even for those who work in an office environment and maybe even have employees, that sense of isolation is still there.

You spend so much of your time putting up a strong front for customers, employees, and family that eventually you realize you have no one to turn to for help.

And let’s face it, asking for help — it can feel like admitting failure. While completely irrational, it’s a very real dynamic.

We invest so much of ourselves into our businesses that any outside involvement can feel like a personal attack.

Our usual response to someone giving us advice? We get defensive. What does he know? They don’t understand.

We just don’t want to open ourselves up to the possibility that we need help.

Why It’s A Problem

In The Wisdom of Crowds, James Suroweicki showed statistically what many of us may find to be counterintuitive: An average group of moderately intelligent people, working together, will make better decisions than one brilliant mastermind.

Now granted there are exceptions to the rule. But if you have diversity of opinions, independence, decentralization, and a trusted model to aggregate opinions into a consensus, you will make better decisions.

Put it this way - if you’ve ever been amazed at the accuracy and relevance of a search returned on Google, well you’re witnessing the theory of the Wisdom of Crowds in action.

In the simplest of terms, talking with others helps us work through a problem.

We only have the benefit of our world view. But when you open yourself up to different view points you r introduced to a whole new world of ideas.

You’d be surprised at what new ideas will come from unexpected sources.

While the answer may not spill out of the conversations directly, you’ll find one idea leads to another which leads to another which THEN to the answer.

Coming out of a discussion with a group of people you respect, you’ll be stimulated and energized. You’ll have the courage to move forward on new ideas.

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Co-Working is the Future

Co-working isn’t merely a shared office. It’s about conquering the loneliness of being a free agent, enjoying your working life and forming deep connections with colleagues in similar industries, with whom you can share knowledge and forge new ideas.

Co-working is the future according to The Journal Evening Gazzett in the UK.
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What is Co-Working?

Co-working is a movement to create a community of cafe-like collaboration spaces for independent workers, telecommuters & solo entrepreneurs.

Ray Oldenburn wrote of the Great Good Place, or the‘Third Place’ between home and the office. Howard Shultz of Starbucks often refers to it in his biography, Pour Your Heart Into It.

It’s that place where communities gather to socialize, build bonds, and mutually enrich their lives.

For Co-Workers around the world it’s a place where you can get out of your pajamas, away from barking dogs and interact with honest to gosh people — all WHILE being productive.

Why Co-Working?

For many of us, working from home is a godsend.

No traffic. No boss. You don’t have to get dressed to impress anyone. All your stuff is handy.

But after awhile, isolation creeps in. You stop shaving. You wear pajamas all day. Worse, your work life and home life become so intermingled its hard to know where one starts and where one ends.

It can be downright depressing. If you’ve worked from home more than a few months, you know what I’m talking about.

So what about the coffee shop?

I love Starbucks as much as the next guy. The hip decor, the cool music, and ohhh yeah the coffee.

But try and conduct a teleconference what a coffee grinder going off in the background. Or try printing off a few extra copies of that proposal before you head off to your meeting. You can’t.

What’s more you feel compelled to keep up a quota of cappuccino purchases, lest you be kicked out for loitering.

It’s not their fault - their a restaurant. Not a place conducive to being productive. Great every once in awhile. But it’s not a long term solution for someone looking to be productive outside the house.

Coworking Resources

Google Map of Spaces

Community Blog

Coworking Wiki

photo credit: nate steiner

Co-Working Goes Prime Time

Organized “coworking” — the concept of working solo alongside like-minded independents — has spread to dozens of cities.
-CNN

It was only a matter of time before it’d happen. But co-working is really hitting the mainstream.

I just read a great article on CNN about the growing popularity of co-working all over the country.

This particular article focuses on the growth of co-working in Roswell, GA.

We’re seeing co-working facilities pop up all over the country. It’s inevitable that we’ll get co-working going in Northeast Ohio…whether is in Akron, Canton, Cuyahoga Falls, or Cleveland…Co-Working is coming to Ohio.

Office Space Co-Working is currently scouting locations — so if you’re wanting to get a space close to you and would like to nominate your city, PLEASE let us know!

A Market Research Study…

I’m in the midst of gaging local interest in a co-working facility for Northeast Ohio.

So I’m doing some initial market research.

You may find some of my friends at local coffee shops doing surveys, but we’ve also put together an online survey as well.

If you’ve got 5 minutes and can help us out by filling out this survey, it’d be greatly appreciated. Not to mention, you could win an Apple iTouch (1 in every 100 respondents will win).

To be eligible, you just need to be work out of your home and live in Ohio.

Take our survey now.

Making the ‘Go’ Decision

I’ve worked out of my home for the past 5 years.

While it’s been great on many fronts, I have to admit I get a little stir crazy. Sometimes I’ll just grab my laptop and go work at my local Starbucks, Panera or pub.

I enjoy it because it gets me out in front of people, but if I had to make a phone call or print something up — I’d have to head home again. I love getting out but these places just are NOT conducive to a productive work environment.

So I started looking around a bit and discovered the whole world of Co-Working.

And MAN - I was INSTANTLY in love. I was craving for something like this to open locally but alas no one has made the move in NEO.

What really got a fire in my belly about it was an interview I did with Susan Evans, Co-Founder of Office Nomads on my other blog, Small Business Guru.

After talking with her, I was SOLD.

So seeing a need and sensing a business opportunity, I started researching it more actively. So much so my wife & I found ourselves writing a business plan, scouting locations, and chatting up investors and our local chambers of commerce to get this off the ground.

So here I am, writing about this exciting endeavor and looking for local cohorts.

I’ll be documenting our progress, what we’ve learned, and what we’re doing to make this happen. Hopefully we’ll gain enough local interest to make our final ‘go’ decision.

In the meantime, I hope you enjoy following along and look forward to hearing from you if you’d like to be a part of the process.