Any coworking spaces out there, strictly maned by members or workshare members? How is it working out for you? Seems like a great idea. Any tips you may have would be great. We are starting to do this, but we are having an issue with people calling out. It’s somewhat frustrating because myself and the other co-owner work full time jobs that are not in the local area of the space , and it is hard for us to get out of work and cover. We run the front desk in the evenings only.
I am one of the co-owners (should co-owner have a hyphen :)) of Workantile, a coworking community in Ann Arbor. We are very much like a co-op. We have no paid staff, no “front desk”, and in fact the two other co-owners and I are dues paying members like all other members.
We set the expectation right away that members contribute to the community by doing whatever needs doing. One of our members organizes monthly cleanings, where the space is cleaned top to bottom. We have maybe half a dozen people show up, and we get it done in around an hour. Members take out the trash when the trash containers get full. Other members organize social activities, or order supplies, or work with me on the billing system. It all works quite well. Some people participate more than others, but everything gets done that needs to get done.
The keys are setting the expectation right up front, before someone joins, that this is the way things work; and the subtle peer pressure that is created when members see other members doing things.
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On Fri, Sep 26, 2014 at 11:47 AM, Jessica Hill [email protected] wrote:
Hello again,
Any coworking spaces out there, strictly maned by members or workshare members? How is it working out for you? Seems like a great idea. Any tips you may have would be great. We are starting to do this, but we are having an issue with people calling out. It’s somewhat frustrating because myself and the other co-owner work full time jobs that are not in the local area of the space , and it is hard for us to get out of work and cover. We run the front desk in the evenings only.
On Saturday, September 27, 2014 11:49:49 AM UTC-4, Tom Brandt - Workantile wrote:
I am one of the co-owners (should co-owner have a hyphen :)) of Workantile, a coworking community in Ann Arbor. We are very much like a co-op. We have no paid staff, no “front desk”, and in fact the two other co-owners and I are dues paying members like all other members.
We set the expectation right away that members contribute to the community by doing whatever needs doing. One of our members organizes monthly cleanings, where the space is cleaned top to bottom. We have maybe half a dozen people show up, and we get it done in around an hour. Members take out the trash when the trash containers get full. Other members organize social activities, or order supplies, or work with me on the billing system. It all works quite well. Some people participate more than others, but everything gets done that needs to get done.
The keys are setting the expectation right up front, before someone joins, that this is the way things work; and the subtle peer pressure that is created when members see other members doing things.
On Fri, Sep 26, 2014 at 11:47 AM, Jessica Hill [email protected] wrote:
Hello again,
Any coworking spaces out there, strictly maned by members or workshare members? How is it working out for you? Seems like a great idea. Any tips you may have would be great. We are starting to do this, but we are having an issue with people calling out. It’s somewhat frustrating because myself and the other co-owner work full time jobs that are not in the local area of the space , and it is hard for us to get out of work and cover. We run the front desk in the evenings only.
We are like what Tom described. And we operate in a similar style. This doesn’t work for everyone but it works for those who decided to become keyholders
have a great day, and by the way, we are going to talk coworking on our continent and the region during coworking know-how camp in Cairo next week. I am sure it would be cool and productive to somehow connect to the global coworking community virtually at some point.
On Saturday, September 27, 2014 11:49:49 AM UTC-4, Tom Brandt - Workantile wrote:
I am one of the co-owners (should co-owner have a hyphen :)) of Workantile, a coworking community in Ann Arbor. We are very much like a co-op. We have no paid staff, no “front desk”, and in fact the two other co-owners and I are dues paying members like all other members.
We set the expectation right away that members contribute to the community by doing whatever needs doing. One of our members organizes monthly cleanings, where the space is cleaned top to bottom. We have maybe half a dozen people show up, and we get it done in around an hour. Members take out the trash when the trash containers get full. Other members organize social activities, or order supplies, or work with me on the billing system. It all works quite well. Some people participate more than others, but everything gets done that needs to get done.
The keys are setting the expectation right up front, before someone joins, that this is the way things work; and the subtle peer pressure that is created when members see other members doing things.
On Fri, Sep 26, 2014 at 11:47 AM, Jessica Hill [email protected] wrote:
Hello again,
Any coworking spaces out there, strictly maned by members or workshare members? How is it working out for you? Seems like a great idea. Any tips you may have would be great. We are starting to do this, but we are having an issue with people calling out. It’s somewhat frustrating because myself and the other co-owner work full time jobs that are not in the local area of the space , and it is hard for us to get out of work and cover. We run the front desk in the evenings only.
