Thanks to the backers

Thanks to the early supporters of the Coworking Handbook. Without them this manual would not have seen the light.

[Tweet “Thanks to these people we have the Coworking Handbook”]

Before doing the crowdfunding campaign, the book was on sale on a very simple one page webpage. the first person to jump in and support the book was a former betacoworker: Roland Zwaga.

roland-zwaga

All hail Roland!

 

He was followed by 12 more backers including: Jürgen De Smet, Marina Evaristo, Marina Aubert, Tiina Vainio, Miguel Albizu, and Marc Navarro (the rest did not want to disclose their name.)
A big thanks goes also to the 159 crowdfunding campaign backers on Indiegogo. They gave the strong signal needed to dedicate even more time to the project and to manage the funding for the English and Spanish editions.

[Tweet “I was one of the first backers of the #Coworking Handbook. Where were you? ;p”]

April 9, 2014

Coworking Business Model Canvas

The business model of coworking

The business model of coworking is not that complicated, in fact we will even provide it to you right away. Keep in mind however that you are the master of your business and you will decide to put the accent on one part or the other, which will change the outcome and rationale, and also your actions.

[Tweet “I found the #coworking business model!”]

A business model is the representation of the structure of your business, taking into consideration your clients and products or services. It comprises the fundamentals of your business and the reasoning for them. It is a tool to help you understand your business and the relationships among key elements of it.

[Tweet “If you are working on a business plan for #coworking, this will help”]

Here’s our proposal for a coworking business model canvas, following Alexander Osterwalder and Yves Pigneur’s Business Model Generation book and canvas:

Key Partners

  • Internet Service Provider

  • Landlord

  • Investors/bankers

  • Influencers

Key Activities

  • Introductions and facilitation

  • Community building

Value Proposition

  • Professional environment and network

  • Increased productivity

  • Life work balance

  • Flexibility

  • Cost efficiency

Customer Relationships

  • Facilitation & Networking

  • Community

  • Face to face

  • Online

Customer Segments

  • Freelance professionals

  • Entrepreneurs

  • Teleworkers

Key Resources

  • Good Internet connection

  • Professional premises

  • Meeting room

Channels

  • Website

  • Events

  • Social Media

  • Email

  • PR

Cost Structure

  • Rental

  • Utilities

  • Personnel

  • Marketing

  • Maintenance

  • Legal

Revenue Streams

  • Coworking plans (flexible or fixed)

  • Events

  • Meeting rooms

[Tweet “Check out the #coworking business model canvas”]

What would you change? What is missing?

If you make your own canvas, share it with everybody in the comments. You can do the same part of the business as we did here or concentrate in other aspects, like events or services.

PS: the table is so big and our knowledge of html so small that we had to remove the sidebar in this post.

March 14, 2014

The Most Common Coworking Space Contracts and Agreements

boston-legal-season-five-poster

boston-legal-season-five-posterWhenever it comes to contracts the law in each country is very different, for coworking space contracts and agreements and for everything else. The best alternative is to work with a lawyer firm, but it is expensive and not available to everyone. Even if you can afford it, you should always do your homework and learn as much as you can. The lawyers are going to ask you what you want covered in the document anyway, and the less creative work they have to do the best they can concentrate on what is in the current contract and the cheaper it will be for you.

The best option is for you to talk with other entrepreneurs, with entrepreneurs’ associations, with government agencies or university departments that could help you, and to check how other businesses (even better if they are coworking spaces) are doing it. There are lot of people out there helping small businesses, and a lot of legal documents available from the websites of many companies.

[Tweet “There are lot of people out there helping small businesses, and a lot of legal documents available from the websites of many companies”]

One of the many advantages of running a coworking space is that there will be many entrepreneurs among your coworkers. Ask them for examples and for advice!

Be smart with your cut and paste, understand what you are using and change the names.

[Tweet “Be smart with your cut and paste, understand what you are using and change the names.”]

Keep in mind that just because it is not written it does not mean you do not have a contract, but if it is written it is much easier to prove the existence of the contract and to refer to it in case of any discrepancy.

[Tweet “Just because it is not written it does not mean you do not have a contract”]

The most common contracts and agreements that you will probably deal with are:

  • The constitution of your business as a legal entity. This changes from country to country, in some you need a notary, in others you just have to pay a small fee and fill a form. Try to see if there’s an entrepreneurs association or a government agency that can help you understand the differences, obligations, advantages, etc.

  • Partners agreement. It defines who does what, how are decisions taken, what happens if somebody leaves or cannot work (eg: the CEO goes into a coma and cannot continue his job), how do you vest the stock of the company, how can the stock be sold, how can new partners enter in the business, how can the partners leave, etc. When you are starting a business everything is rosy and awesome, but things can go wrong for many reasons (most of them legitimate). It is not a matter of not trusting each other, it is a matter of making everything clear from the beginning, to make it easier on yourselves if anything goes wrong. When things get ugly it is extremely difficult to agree on anything, better to prevent. Also, if one of you owns the brand (trademark or copyright) the conditions to use it should be stated here.

  • Lease, sale of the space, or shared revenue agreement with the landlord. Be careful with these, they are very important for your future. Make sure that in any case you can open your business without any special permissions and if you need to get them figure out the time it will take and the probability of not getting it. You can always include clauses that will void the contract in case something does not happen, like getting that permit, securing a loan or the funds for the business, finishing repairs, etc. Find out how far does your personal liability and that of your company extend.

  • Terms & Conditions, membership forms. Your contract with the users of your space. Be clear, concise, and make sure to include a reference to its changing nature. You will be improving it and changing things over time. Most of your clients will go through them before signing up. Depending on your legislation and your personal preferences their acceptance when signing up may suffice. If not, you will have to put them on paper and have them sign it as a membership form.

  • Special conditions for the organization of events. Sent to the organizers, even if it is a free event that you are sponsoring: you want to make sure they understand they are responsible if anything breaks or there’s an issue.

  • Personnel contracts. Very tricky, make sure you have some good references and that you understand them well.

  • Insurance. There’s not much that you can change here. Make sure you comply with local regulations and understand what is covered and what is not. Unless you are obliged by law, do not insure the property of the coworkers: they should care for their own equipment and for the grand majority it is not worth it.

What is your experience with contracts and agreements? How would you recommend others to proceed? What is that one thing you absolutely wished you knew before?

March 10, 2014

Coworkings in Russia. Why does not every Russian freelancer understand that staying together is better than alone?

Coworkings emerged in major cities almost at the same time. They were places and new ways to work. In Moscow coworkings opened three years after Brad Newberg had tried mixing freelance and the office. The reason for that was corporate downsizing, great number of free high skilled workforce and empty commercial premises.

In the summer of 2013 we found ourselves somewhere between independent specialists and a company by having created our Serebro Lab, and decided to conduct research about coworking and freelancers in order to look at the market inside out. We looked for a chance to understand what place we take as the team and what prospects we really have. The results of our work turned out to be interesting findings and partly unexpected.

Only about 25 coworking spaces ‘serve’ 500 000 Russian freelancers and more than 2 million small and medium size businesses (figures dated october 2013). 11 coworking spaces are in Moscow, 4 in Saint Petersburg; the rest are in other major cities in Russia. According to the survey which included social networks and online freelancer sites 12% respondents said that they had been to coworking spaces, 45% knew the name and had never been to, 43% had never heard of it and had no idea of what they were.

Meanwhile the owners of coworking spaces being surveyed complained that their areas were ‘underloaded’ and how hard it was to attract freelancers because freelancers can’t guarantee regular payments and are generally not attached to their workplace. We decided to check that myth. One could reveal the simple fact that the Russian freelancer gets paid not much but a little higher than the office worker. Moreover, the considerable number of freelancers are satisfied with their life, think they are successful and have no intention to come back to offices. We were wondering: maybe, the point is not about freelancers, it’s all about the owners of coworking spaces who do not study the primary needs of their target audience and are unable to make a good offer? Our further analysis confirmed our conclusions. For example, most freelancers prefer to work in the evening and at night but coworkings usually work as normal offices 9/5. Crash of coworking spaces happens only if their heads neglect the needs of their clients and do not focus on the main market trends ignoring marketing/advertising tools. The same thing with high degree of certainty takes place on a global scale.

We do hope that our data will help to improve the situation around coworking. I suppose that all heads of coworking spaces especially those who consider coworking as the money making project would agree with me: freelancers and small businesses can be successful without coworking but coworking spaces won’t survive without freelancers and small businesses. So let’s help each other be successful.

oxanna-serebroOksana Zheleznova, the founder and head of Serebro Lab intellectual laboratory, has been invited to write for the Coworking Handbook blog thanks to their presentation of this study at the Coworking Europe Conference. If you want to be featured in the blog, drop us a few lines or even better, a full article!

March 3, 2014

Great Coworking Job Postings

Our friends from New Work City have published a great coworking job posting that we thought merits to be kept as a reference for other spaces. If you have any postings that you think are worth sharing, please add them in the comments so that everybody has access.

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Help us Run an Amazing
Community of Independents

Were looking for someone whos excited to meet an incredible and diverse group of people, learn how to manage a space and community, and help us make the world a little awesomer together.

Who are we?

Were New Work City, a coworking space and community center for independents. Operating from our 4,700 square foot loft on Broadway at Canal Street, were home to a passionate and diverse group of people who gather to share space and collaborate. Whether technical or non-technical, startup or freelancer, were all united by a shared set of values and the freedom to choose where, when, and why we work.

Built from the ground up as a grassroots effort, we think of the business as something that serves the community and not the other way around. To that end, we focus our energy on maximizing positive impact for ourselves, each other, and the rest of the world. You can learn more about us here: http://nwc.co/about

Who are you?

You care. Were here to make the world a better place in our own way, and thats important to you.

You love making new friends. You cant wait to get to know every person who walks in the door. Youre curious to learn about all the exciting things everyone is working on, and have an eye for connecting people who should know each other.

Youre reliable. You can stick to a schedule, respond to things in a timely fashion, and remember things that need remembering.

Youre great at communication. You have excellent people and writing skills and can handle a confusing situation with aplomb.

You like things neat. Youre not necessarily a neat freak, but you keep things tidy.

What will you do?

Youll make sure everybody who walks in the door has the awesomest day ever. More than anything else, members get the most out of New Work City when they participate. Youll ensure everyone is integrated into the community and actively involved in whats going on.

Youll help run the space. Youll staff the front desk during standard business hours, opening up in the morning and sticking around until the end of the business day every day. Youll welcome members, give tours, and generally keep things humming along. Youll help keep the space fully functional and organized by ensuring the space is well supplied and in order.

Youll help shape our future. New Work City has come a long way, and it has a long way to go. The direction it takes and the awesome things its community will do represent an incredible opportunity for the person who seizes it.

What will you get?

Youll get to know some tremendous people. Our members are a dynamic, successful, remarkable bunch. If youre new to New York or just looking to meet new people, you will not find a better opportunity to meet a great group of people.

Youll have fun. Part of the point of New Work City is to give people the ability to enjoy their lives while also getting their work done. To ensure everyone else is having a good time, youll have to be having a good time yourself as well!

Youll have an opportunity to be a part of something important. In just a short few years, the world of coworking has exploded from a handful of communities to countless hundreds around the world. As you work with us, you will be exploring new ways to help shape the way people think about how they work and live. How much of an impact you have on the future is entirely up to you.

Are you beyond excited? Did you skip past some of that middle part just to see where you can go to apply? Look no further! 

Apply

January 31, 2014