I’ve started a monthly event in my coworking space for networking and sharing outside of our area. I’ve been calling it the Canton Connect Innovator lunch. I arrange for a startup founder or high level professional from a company to teleconference with my coworkers and local interested parties. It lasts an hour and has been a great experience so far. We’ve exchanged information on remote jobs, how we’ve been approaching new technologies, what our local tech scene is like, and more.
I’m interested in finding more people to be our guests. I thought that some of the other coworking spaces would be good places to find startup founders and the like. Maybe if other spaces are interested we could set up a contact list of people who would be interested in being guests to other coworking spaces?
Here are the last two Canton Connect announcements
We do something similar in my space. I have someone come in (virtually) and do what’s called “Office Hours” - they speak for 30-45 mins about their area of expertise (usually something members are struggling with - podcasting, sales, SEO) and then members can hit them with their questions for the next 15 mins.
I also record them and keep them available for members in a “video vault.”
We’ve had no problem finding experts since people are generally excited to talk about what they know and get exposed to a new audience. So far, I’ve relied exclusively on my personal network, which is what I’d recommend to you before you reach out to other coworking spaces. Let this be a benefit of *your space exclusively. *
Could you take a minute and expand on this: "Let this be a benefit of your space exclusively."
Is this a service of your Arena Virtual Coworking?
Richard
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On Wed, Oct 3, 2018 at 12:04 PM, Margo Aaron [email protected] wrote:
This is awesome Neil!
We do something similar in my space. I have someone come in (virtually) and do what’s called “Office Hours” - they speak for 30-45 mins about their area of expertise (usually something members are struggling with - podcasting, sales, SEO) and then members can hit them with their questions for the next 15 mins.
I also record them and keep them available for members in a “video vault.”
We’ve had no problem finding experts since people are generally excited to talk about what they know and get exposed to a new audience. So far, I’ve relied exclusively on my personal network, which is what I’d recommend to you before you reach out to other coworking spaces. Let this be a benefit of *your space exclusively. *
My two cents
Margo
On Wed, Oct 3, 2018 at 12:31 PM Neil Weakland [email protected] wrote:
I’ve started a monthly event in my coworking space for networking and sharing outside of our area. I’ve been calling it the Canton Connect Innovator lunch. I arrange for a startup founder or high level professional from a company to teleconference with my coworkers and local interested parties. It lasts an hour and has been a great experience so far. We’ve exchanged information on remote jobs, how we’ve been approaching new technologies, what our local tech scene is like, and more.
I’m interested in finding more people to be our guests. I thought that some of the other coworking spaces would be good places to find startup founders and the like. Maybe if other spaces are interested we could set up a contact list of people who would be interested in being guests to other coworking spaces?
Here are the last two Canton Connect announcements
Thanks Margo, unfortunately my network of professionals from outside the Northeast Ohio area is growing thin, which is why I posted here. I thought that in the spirits of coworkign and sharing other spaces might do something similar and we could exchange local professionals from my area for business leaders and entrepreneurs from theirs.
···
On Wednesday, October 3, 2018 at 1:08:06 PM UTC-4, Margo Aaron wrote:
This is awesome Neil!
We do something similar in my space. I have someone come in (virtually) and do what’s called “Office Hours” - they speak for 30-45 mins about their area of expertise (usually something members are struggling with - podcasting, sales, SEO) and then members can hit them with their questions for the next 15 mins.
I also record them and keep them available for members in a “video vault.”
We’ve had no problem finding experts since people are generally excited to talk about what they know and get exposed to a new audience. So far, I’ve relied exclusively on my personal network, which is what I’d recommend to you before you reach out to other coworking spaces. Let this be a benefit of *your space exclusively. *
My two cents
Margo
On Wed, Oct 3, 2018 at 12:31 PM Neil Weakland [email protected] wrote:
I’ve started a monthly event in my coworking space for networking and sharing outside of our area. I’ve been calling it the Canton Connect Innovator lunch. I arrange for a startup founder or high level professional from a company to teleconference with my coworkers and local interested parties. It lasts an hour and has been a great experience so far. We’ve exchanged information on remote jobs, how we’ve been approaching new technologies, what our local tech scene is like, and more.
I’m interested in finding more people to be our guests. I thought that some of the other coworking spaces would be good places to find startup founders and the like. Maybe if other spaces are interested we could set up a contact list of people who would be interested in being guests to other coworking spaces?
Here are the last two Canton Connect announcements
Richard: Yeah so when you’re in the business of offering added value to your members beyond merely offering them physical space, you’re programs are part of your USP. While collaboration is wonderful, you’re effectively telling your future customers, “it doesn’t matter which coworking space you’re apart of, you’ll get this benefit either way.”
Instead of saying, “This is why you should be a member here.”
Neil: Maybe I misunderstood. I thought you said the experts teleconference in, right? So, you wouldnt be confined to people in NE Ohio.
Yes, they teleconference in, the experts or professionals are ALL from outside our area. The event is more about sharing ideas and networking. It doesn’t matter if other spaces do this because I’m not competing with other spaces outside my area.
···
On Thu, Oct 4, 2018 at 11:53 AM Margo Aaron [email protected] wrote:
Richard: Yeah so when you’re in the business of offering added value to your members beyond merely offering them physical space, you’re programs are part of your USP. While collaboration is wonderful, you’re effectively telling your future customers, “it doesn’t matter which coworking space you’re apart of, you’ll get this benefit either way.”
Instead of saying, “This is why you should be a member here.”
Neil: Maybe I misunderstood. I thought you said the experts teleconference in, right? So, you wouldnt be confined to people in NE Ohio.
On Thu, Oct 4, 2018 at 11:41 AM Neil Weakland [email protected] wrote:
Thanks Margo, unfortunately my network of professionals from outside the Northeast Ohio area is growing thin, which is why I posted here. I thought that in the spirits of coworkign and sharing other spaces might do something similar and we could exchange local professionals from my area for business leaders and entrepreneurs from theirs.
On Wednesday, October 3, 2018 at 1:08:06 PM UTC-4, Margo Aaron wrote:
This is awesome Neil!
We do something similar in my space. I have someone come in (virtually) and do what’s called “Office Hours” - they speak for 30-45 mins about their area of expertise (usually something members are struggling with - podcasting, sales, SEO) and then members can hit them with their questions for the next 15 mins.
I also record them and keep them available for members in a “video vault.”
We’ve had no problem finding experts since people are generally excited to talk about what they know and get exposed to a new audience. So far, I’ve relied exclusively on my personal network, which is what I’d recommend to you before you reach out to other coworking spaces. Let this be a benefit of *your space exclusively. *
My two cents
Margo
On Wed, Oct 3, 2018 at 12:31 PM Neil Weakland [email protected] wrote:
I’ve started a monthly event in my coworking space for networking and sharing outside of our area. I’ve been calling it the Canton Connect Innovator lunch. I arrange for a startup founder or high level professional from a company to teleconference with my coworkers and local interested parties. It lasts an hour and has been a great experience so far. We’ve exchanged information on remote jobs, how we’ve been approaching new technologies, what our local tech scene is like, and more.
I’m interested in finding more people to be our guests. I thought that some of the other coworking spaces would be good places to find startup founders and the like. Maybe if other spaces are interested we could set up a contact list of people who would be interested in being guests to other coworking spaces?
Here are the last two Canton Connect announcements
Thank you! I love the idea and you have a firm grasp on creating remarkable offerings. As our space is just 5 months old in a rural community this virtual coworking has touched a nerve and I’m going to explore how I may add this into the mix as most of our members to date have been utilizing 5 and 10 day passes which makes it challenging to build a cohesive community.
Do you also have a physical space? Have you considered vetting other Coworking spaces to offer up The Arena as a value add?
Richard
···
On Thu, Oct 4, 2018 at 11:00 AM, Neil Weakland [email protected] wrote:
Yes, they teleconference in, the experts or professionals are ALL from outside our area. The event is more about sharing ideas and networking. It doesn’t matter if other spaces do this because I’m not competing with other spaces outside my area.
On Thu, Oct 4, 2018 at 11:53 AM Margo Aaron [email protected] wrote:
Richard: Yeah so when you’re in the business of offering added value to your members beyond merely offering them physical space, you’re programs are part of your USP. While collaboration is wonderful, you’re effectively telling your future customers, “it doesn’t matter which coworking space you’re apart of, you’ll get this benefit either way.”
Instead of saying, “This is why you should be a member here.”
Neil: Maybe I misunderstood. I thought you said the experts teleconference in, right? So, you wouldnt be confined to people in NE Ohio.
On Thu, Oct 4, 2018 at 11:41 AM Neil Weakland [email protected] wrote:
Thanks Margo, unfortunately my network of professionals from outside the Northeast Ohio area is growing thin, which is why I posted here. I thought that in the spirits of coworkign and sharing other spaces might do something similar and we could exchange local professionals from my area for business leaders and entrepreneurs from theirs.
On Wednesday, October 3, 2018 at 1:08:06 PM UTC-4, Margo Aaron wrote:
This is awesome Neil!
We do something similar in my space. I have someone come in (virtually) and do what’s called “Office Hours” - they speak for 30-45 mins about their area of expertise (usually something members are struggling with - podcasting, sales, SEO) and then members can hit them with their questions for the next 15 mins.
I also record them and keep them available for members in a “video vault.”
We’ve had no problem finding experts since people are generally excited to talk about what they know and get exposed to a new audience. So far, I’ve relied exclusively on my personal network, which is what I’d recommend to you before you reach out to other coworking spaces. Let this be a benefit of *your space exclusively. *
My two cents
Margo
On Wed, Oct 3, 2018 at 12:31 PM Neil Weakland [email protected] wrote:
I’ve started a monthly event in my coworking space for networking and sharing outside of our area. I’ve been calling it the Canton Connect Innovator lunch. I arrange for a startup founder or high level professional from a company to teleconference with my coworkers and local interested parties. It lasts an hour and has been a great experience so far. We’ve exchanged information on remote jobs, how we’ve been approaching new technologies, what our local tech scene is like, and more.
I’m interested in finding more people to be our guests. I thought that some of the other coworking spaces would be good places to find startup founders and the like. Maybe if other spaces are interested we could set up a contact list of people who would be interested in being guests to other coworking spaces?
Here are the last two Canton Connect announcements
Yeah there is different something there. I’d love to hear where you net out.
I dont have a physical space but have had many talks with physical spaces in my area about leveraging our model or even white labeling what we have for their own members.
The problem has been twofold:
(1) Cultivating community is a lot of work and most people don’t want to do it.
(2) Vetting. I have a long application + interview process for who I allow in my space. It selects for the type of people who would be great in our community. Most of the physical spaces I’ve consulted with let in anyone who can pay. There is no prerequisite other than that. So there isn’t a shared motivation to connect.
The owners want community but often their members don’t. They want a place to work away from their kids and then they want to leave. In other words: they dont have the problem that virtual coworking solves (isolation).
I still think there is an opportunity to collaborate, but I haven’t found a way to make it work yet.
If you have ideas I am ALL ears.
M
···
On Thu, Oct 4, 2018 at 11:00 AM, Neil Weakland [email protected] wrote:
Yes, they teleconference in, the experts or professionals are ALL from outside our area. The event is more about sharing ideas and networking. It doesn’t matter if other spaces do this because I’m not competing with other spaces outside my area.
On Thu, Oct 4, 2018 at 11:53 AM Margo Aaron [email protected] wrote:
Richard: Yeah so when you’re in the business of offering added value to your members beyond merely offering them physical space, you’re programs are part of your USP. While collaboration is wonderful, you’re effectively telling your future customers, “it doesn’t matter which coworking space you’re apart of, you’ll get this benefit either way.”
Instead of saying, “This is why you should be a member here.”
Neil: Maybe I misunderstood. I thought you said the experts teleconference in, right? So, you wouldnt be confined to people in NE Ohio.
On Thu, Oct 4, 2018 at 11:41 AM Neil Weakland [email protected] wrote:
Thanks Margo, unfortunately my network of professionals from outside the Northeast Ohio area is growing thin, which is why I posted here. I thought that in the spirits of coworkign and sharing other spaces might do something similar and we could exchange local professionals from my area for business leaders and entrepreneurs from theirs.
On Wednesday, October 3, 2018 at 1:08:06 PM UTC-4, Margo Aaron wrote:
This is awesome Neil!
We do something similar in my space. I have someone come in (virtually) and do what’s called “Office Hours” - they speak for 30-45 mins about their area of expertise (usually something members are struggling with - podcasting, sales, SEO) and then members can hit them with their questions for the next 15 mins.
I also record them and keep them available for members in a “video vault.”
We’ve had no problem finding experts since people are generally excited to talk about what they know and get exposed to a new audience. So far, I’ve relied exclusively on my personal network, which is what I’d recommend to you before you reach out to other coworking spaces. Let this be a benefit of *your space exclusively. *
My two cents
Margo
On Wed, Oct 3, 2018 at 12:31 PM Neil Weakland [email protected] wrote:
I’ve started a monthly event in my coworking space for networking and sharing outside of our area. I’ve been calling it the Canton Connect Innovator lunch. I arrange for a startup founder or high level professional from a company to teleconference with my coworkers and local interested parties. It lasts an hour and has been a great experience so far. We’ve exchanged information on remote jobs, how we’ve been approaching new technologies, what our local tech scene is like, and more.
I’m interested in finding more people to be our guests. I thought that some of the other coworking spaces would be good places to find startup founders and the like. Maybe if other spaces are interested we could set up a contact list of people who would be interested in being guests to other coworking spaces?
Here are the last two Canton Connect announcements
