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:
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.