In any case, what this means is that we’ll continue to hunt for space, and keep everyone abreast as much as possible. 

What does this mean for the Charter Membership offer?  Good question.  While the space we ultimately select will change the financials, it shouldn’t change much.  We will leave the membership offer up.  If you decide to join this exclusive charter group know that we will make it right in the end.  For example, if costs becomes lower, you will receive the difference back.  If costs become higher, you will have the choice of helping us by making up the difference, or changing your mind and receiving a full refund.  You get the idea.

So please continue to bear with us!  And drop by our current setup at Willow Creative when you need to get out of the house!

We started with a single, one-time day of coworking and had 17 people show up.  We started coworking once/week, and had many visitors and 3-4 regulars.  Then, we moved into the cozier 3rd floor, which allowed us to cowork 5 days/week!  And a couple of those regulars made that their everyday home for working.  It’s now time to get a permanent home.  It’s now time to get a space where we can interrupt each other with ideas, make lunch plans, have meetings, make phone calls, and have parties.

We’ve (hopefully) been transparent and level throughout, and this is no different.  On the Join page is our Letter of Intent.  It is not a contract.  If you sign one and recant later, no one is going to hunt you down (though you may get a dirty look or two).  The Letter of Intent’s purpose is to let everyone align on expectations.

How did we come up with the membership fees and this charter offer?  We sat down and created a list of everything we felt we needed upon opening (e.g. 1st month’s rent, deposit, desks and chairs) and a list of expenses we felt we’d incur month-to-month.  Then, we based the charter proposal and monthly membership price on that.  Since this is a 100% bootstrapped effort, if there is interest in paying above and beyond the minimum that we’re asking for – for example, a one-time donation, or several months of pre-payment – we’ll figure out what the return for that gesture would be.

And don’t worry, the drop-in rate will still be $10, same as it has always been.

Why might you sign up?  If you are tired of working out of your home and want to collaborate with others, yes. But also, you need to sign up if you believe in our vision.

Send in your letter now!  We intend to hold an evening information session soon to meet some new people in person, and to answer questions. Nothing fancy – we’ll just pick a time and place. If you any concerns whatsoever, feel free to contact me directly or use the channel of your choice.

Question:

Ignite projects should be created by you! Step outside of the box and think of something unique that 18-40 year-olds would find both interesting and cool. Tell us why we should vote YES for your project and let us know how it will be a reflection on young people and the neighborhoods in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana.

Answer:

Coworking generally brings to mind young creatives tapping away at laptops in a cool office space. We want to create this and more. These solo-preneurs are hard at work building the next big agency, or building the next big startup, or simply enjoying the benefits of being your own boss. These people are already in Cincinnati. We just need to bring them together.

We envision Cincinnati Coworks as a platform for events with a civic-minded focus on making Cincinnati a better city. We want to do so by hosting user groups, SIG’s, GiveCamps, Barcamps, mini-conferences, community classes, Pecha Kucha nights, Ignite events (the other Ignite Cincinnati), you-name-it.  We’ll provide the space at little or no cost and a built-in network of potential participants. At Cincinnati Coworks, our mission as a professional community hub is to transform how people in Cincinnati with ideas get together and make the region a better place to live. Also, with the coworking visa program, coworking members in other cities know they have a place to work when they visit Cincinnati.

Our operations are supported by our coworking members. These members are freelancers, consultants, and independent contractors who are by definition cut of a different cloth. We provide them a place to work and collide with like-minded people. The whole business is structured so that these members build a community and friendships.  Did you ever become really good friends with someone you worked with?  Imagine the same thing, only now you’re your own boss, and you get to work with friends without the office politics, without the org chart, without superiors, without having to deal with others who really don’t want to be there.

Coworking is not unique throughout the country, but it is unique in this city.  I know of no coworking spaces open currently. In fact, with as many independent consultants and creatives buzzing around Cincinnati, I find it surprising and a bit of a shame that there has been no coworking space opened to date. We want to fix this problem. That is why you should vote YES for Cincinnati Coworks.

The 3rd floor of 222 E. 14th is excess office space offered graciously by the Willow Creative Group.  On the downside, we don’t get as much space or as many amenities. On the upside, it is available 5 days/week.  I believe it is more suitable for our usual turnout, and a little cozier.  The interiors are just as nice and have been renovated in the same manner as Venue222.

The drop-in fee remains the same ($10/day), but contact us if you are interested in paying for a whole month at a lower rate.  For more details, see coworking at Willow Creative.

I believe we can build up momentum faster with more available days.  But please bear with us as we get a feel for the new space and a feel for attendance.  See you next week!

Also, from time to time, people ask us about our survey results.  Well, we have no secrets, so for those who have asked, this post’s for you.  I’ve taken out the free-form answers.  There’s a couple demographic-type answers at the end.

Some takeaways:

1. Amenities such as meeting space and furnishings are not as important as more intangible draws, such as atmosphere, networking and collaboration opportunities, and a sense of community. Fewer amenities to start with is of course cheaper, but those intangibles are much harder to fabricate.  Of course, location and cost are very important.
2. Most people would pay less than $100 for a part-time membership, and less than $200 for a full-time membership.  And there are 9 people who would be extremely likely to pay for a membership.  (You 9 will be hearing from me soon!)

1. You can depend on others. Tired of working for the man? Always wanted to work for yourself? Become more “independent” but you just don’t know where to begin or how to start? Guess where you can find a whole bunch of creative, energetic, self-starters like yourself? You guessed it, at your local coworking space or Jelly meet-up. Yes, we’re suggesting that you begin life as an independent be depending upon the knowledge of those who have gone before you!
2. You can depend on learning. Coworking spaces are a relatively new phenomenon which our experience has shown tend to attract professionals who are naturally inquisitive and who not only expect to learn from their peers but who often make unexpected discoveries from professionals in other domains. You’ll always be able to depend on learning something new from fellow members.
3. You can depend on opportunity. No one is an island and frequently members require more assistance than a few casual questions can provide. This leads to opportunity as members often turn to those within easy reach, other members. Developers find designers. Photographers find accountants. Entrepreneurs find collaborators. Opportunity leads to success upon which all members depend.
4. You can depend on diversity. Corporate environments tend to breed groupthink where ideas are homogenized to the point of irrelevance. The diversity of experiences differs from one member to the next exposing members a wide variety of solutions to choose from or to blend into a novel new solution. You may very well come to depend upon the diversity of ideas to help solve your problems.
5. You can depend on community. Communities are formed when diverse members grow, learn and share in an open environment free of corporate constraints. Members can always depend on a rich, diverse community.

OK, so by now our little ruse should be apparent. What you take away from your coworking experience depends on you!

We found Qwirk on the second floor of a little brick building in German Village.  Neal greeted us upon our arrival in the morning.  Turns out the space was formerly a real estate office, so as luck would have it a suite full of private office rooms were already built out when Qwirk moved in.  After a little tour, we sat down in the conference room and Neal answered all our questions about his experience.  Thanks, Neal, you were exponentially helpful.