Office Space Coworking

As seen in lifehacker.com. Coworking makes #3 on the list.

Dear Lifehacker,
Tech has made my home awesome; I can watch anything I want in a heartbeat; I can track my pizza through every stage of delivery; I can even work from home. It’s great, but I’m starting to worry I’m losing my social edge. Do you have any tips for avoiding going all Howard Hughes?

Sincerely,
Shrinking from Society

Dear Shrinking,

I hear you! I’m a total introvert and the creature comforts of home are usually a lot more enticing than a social outing. The amount of awesome that you can stuff into a small house makes it incredibly hard to get out and leave. The fact most people have a big flat screen TV, can stream just about any movie or TV show on demand, and can automate the delivery of pretty much everything makes it easier than ever to stay cooped up inside. Still, social interaction is good for you, so let’s take a look at some ways you can motivate yourself to get out of the house every now and again. Read the remainder of this entry »

In Douglas Adams’ “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy“, an alien, Ford Prefect, observed “If human beings don’t keep exercising their lips, he thought, their mouths probably seize up. ”

Douglas Adams obviously had a six year old in his house.

Coworking Saves Sanity from Casey Bernard on Vimeo.

We couldn’t say it better than Dag Nybo of the Austin Business Journal when he wrote “Not every startup needs to lease office space“.

A trend among businesses, especially new startups, is the need for flexibility, low risk and low overhead. One of the key considerations when we open or expand a business is whether we actually need space or just need an address or phone number. Leasing office space may be too much of a commitment and expense — and even unnecessary. Read the remainder of this entry »

Here’s an excellent article about coworking written by Liz Elam for CNBC. It is reproduced here for your reading convenience.

Seeking a break from both the roar of crowded coffeehouses and the maddening silence of working from home, freelancers, entrepreneurs and other professional one-man (and -woman) shows have begun embracing a new concept: co-working.

The idea is simple enough: A curator provides a professional workspace — usually an open floor plan with separate spaces for private meetings — and handles all the details of maintaining the space while charging a nominal fee for members from all professional walks of life to use the space as much or as little as they’d like.

These spaces have been especially valuable to entrepreneurs, who have learned how to use the concept of co-working to help their small businesses grow. Here are five reasons small business owners should explore co-working opportunities.

Networking

A co-working space is far better than any happy hour or three-day conference for good, old-fashioned networking. Leads are everything when it comes to growing a start-up. And in a co-working space, members get to know one another in a zero-pressure environment. Once rapport begins to build, members naturally become each other’s brand ambassadors, spreading the word about one another’s businesses to new audiences. In a short amount of time, members begin to instinctively take care of their own, and if it takes a village to keep a small business running, a co-working space is a phenomenal place for one to take root.

Perspective

There’s a fascinating sameness disguised in the diversity of the people who choose to work in co-working spaces. Link Coworking in Austin, Texas, for example, has entrepreneurs, writers, attorneys, marketing consultants and more; someone gearing up to launch a start-up can simply stroll into the kitchen on any given morning and ask a veteran for advice on anything under the sun.

A second opinion can be priceless when a tough decision is on the table. If a quick replacement is needed for an assistant, there may not be any need to formally advertise the position; several people in the same room may have strong candidates in their back pockets. Surrounded by such a deep well of human resources, big problems seem to shrink over time and become far more manageable than they ever were before.

Work/life balance

The consistency of casual daily or weekly interaction with fellow professionals helps to defray burnout. When a small business owner is able to separate the boundaries between work and home life, a better balance can be achieved. Eventually, even the most dedicated small business owner begins to realize the value of an occasional night off with friends and family — never a bad thing for sanity and happiness; along with a foundation for endurance and, ultimately, success.

Efficiency

Small business owners wear an infinite number of hats, and rarely is there enough time to get everything done. At a co-working space, most essential needs are met without having to lift a finger. In addition to the basics — utilities, facilities, hot coffee and strong wi-fi — most co-working spaces offer printing and mailing services, interns, healthy snacks and other perks. Co-working curators generally act as cruise directors, taking care of little details that could otherwise eat up a business owner’s morning. There’s no need to spend half a day dealing with an IT nightmare or fixing the office fridge; it’s already taken care of, leaving entrepreneurs to focus on more important things, like living out their wildest dreams and achieving world domination.

Money

Overhead gets expensive quickly, and rent isn’t cheap. For a fraction of the cost of traditional office space, small business owners and staff can enjoy a clean, safe, professional environment when they report to a co-working space. Laptops won’t be stolen like they might be in a coffee shop; parking, wi-fi and other services are generally included at no extra cost; there’s no pressure to buy food every day in exchange for taking up space; and there’s always an electrical outlet available within arm’s reach.

Running a small business is rarely a picnic. Given the stress relief that comes with positive social interaction, reduced monthly bills, and an overall feeling of community and support, the savings some co-working members experience on therapy bills is nothing to sneeze at, either.

Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.
Confucius

I’m a sucker for an underdog story.

Now, I’m not a ‘cry at the movies’ type of guy. But every time ‘Rudy‘ comes on and they cheer him onto the field, I start balling like a baby. Now it isn’t because I’m a guy and it’s a football movie, it’s much more than that.

It’s about a kid with few natural gifts and very little means who dreams big. He gets knocked down over and over again. Yet, he still gets up ever time. No matter how many people tell to quit, he never does.

Sound familiar? To me that’s the story of the struggling small business owner. That’s the story I love. The story I relate to.

My point:
We each find inspiration in different ways. For me, it may be watching a movie or reading a business biography. The trick is to find what inspires you and to leverage that energy to keep yourself going.

For many people, this is can be an extremely difficult time of the year. The holiday season has past, the credit card bills are coming in, our diets our slipping, the days are short and gloomy — and we’ve got the whole year ahead of us. It’s daunting.

So if you find yourself feeling unfocused or uninspired — take some time this week to reignite your love. Revisit your favorite books or movies. Call up a mentor. Use every took at your disposal to stoke those fires so you can tackle your work with zeal.

Don’t let yourself go into work dreading the week ahead. If you aren’t having fun, step back and figure out what you need to do to change that dynamic.

Paul over at Idea Sandbox wrote an absolutely wonderful article on paving your life’s roadmap. It hearkens back to similar concepts, ala David Allen’s Treasure Map etc. But this is perhaps the most detailed ‘one page’ I’ve seen yet.

I tend to learn from other people’s examples. This article provides a ton of juicy visuals you can follow along with as you build your own roadmap.

Paul calls out these basic steps for building your roadmap:

1. List Your Passions – Make a list of all the things you are passionate about.
2. Identify Values – Group your passions into themes.
3. Set the Situation – Determine what conditions should exist for you to feel you’re fulfilling your Values.
4. Reveal Action Steps – Identify what daily activities you should be doing to fulfill your Values.
5. Visual Report Card – Draw a graph to visualize and assess your current status. (Don’t worry, no drafting tools required).
6. Take Action / Follow Your Roadmap – Now that you have the keys. Get behind the wheel and follow this plan to drive your life.

It then goes on to explain in detail how to approach each of these steps.

If building you own Roadmap is something you’ve wanted to do, but never knew how to start. I highly recommend this great article.

Learn how to Pave Your Life Roadmap.
photo credit: donnas_diddlens

Whatever you can do, or dream you can begin it; boldness has genius, power and magic in it.
Johann wolfgang Von Goethe

I coach business owners on the business planning, goal setting, and the importance of having outcomes established before acting.

But there’s a time for planning and there’s a time for action.

I say we make today ‘Get It Done, Monday.’

Some questions to get you started:

• What have you been wanting to start on that you just haven’t had the chance?
• What project, while important to your business, has just sat on the shelf with little or no movement on it?
• What would you do if you HAD to get it by Friday? What if you had to get it done today?
• What does ‘done’ mean? What’s your successful outcome?
• What resources would you need? What resources do you have?
• How many hours would it take of your time?
• Where would you start? What the first thing you need to do?

Good luck and have a great week!

You have established your small business, chosen superstar employees and are well on your way to success. People have chosen to work at your company for a variety of reasons, but one of their primary motivations is likely the small company feel — they believe they can really make a difference. Probably, working at your company is more than just a job to them, but rather something to which they are committed.

In addition, yours and their dreams are big you both want the company to grow and succeed. But how can you ensure that you keep that small company feel that you and your employees cherish while still growing?

Culture can be a particularly important consideration for small businesses. A healthy company culture may increase employees’ commitment and productivity, while an unhealthy culture may inhibit a company’s growth or even contribute to business failure. In a healthy culture, employees view themselves as part of a team and gain satisfaction from helping the overall company succeed. When employees sense that they are contributing to a successful group effort, their level of commitment and productivity, and thus the quality of the company’s products or services, are likely to improve.

In contrast, problems with the corporate culture can play a major role in small business failures. Employees in an unhealthy culture tend to view themselves as individuals, distinct from the company, and focus upon their own needs. They only perform the most basic requirements of their jobs, and their main and perhaps only motivation is their paycheck. Some warning signs of a failing company culture particularly in the small business realm include increased turnover, a lack of honest communication and understanding of the company mission and declining quality and customer satisfaction, to name a few.

Read the remainder of this entry »