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Some of the biggest questions on every coworking space owner’s mind are, how to get the word out, sign up new members and how to grow both their community and business. More important, for bootstrapped coworking spaces without a marketing budget, is how to do it for little or no cash – a challenge any startups face. We found several marketing strategies that have proved proven to be both successful and budget friendly.
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We often feel pressure to stick with one thing, do it well, and not take too many risks. Yet, that mentality is quickly dissolving, and the former constraints once heavily placed on the idea of success are now becoming lifted. In fact, we see examples of risk takers in every in every shape and form, and we’ve found one great example in the creative life of visual artist Wayne White who also worked as puppeteer, cartoonist, animator, illustrator, sculptor and art director. We see the ultimate career freedom. His positive outlook on work and his common sense advice does hold some practical insights for today’s freelancers.
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A coworking membership is one of the best investments you can make in your freelance career. On top of a professional working space, you get a full social calendar, a lot of networking opportunities, and the chance to swap ideas with likeminded people. But none of these benefits come without trying. Real coworking – not just sharing an office – takes a bit of effort. So how do you join the community and make the most out of your membership? Deskmag got some tips, from a variety of people who run coworking spaces, that can help you take full advantage of your coworking membership.
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Good news! Your coworking space has started to become profitable and the community is growing. Perhaps it is time to invest in new projects. The task is daunting, unless you have already considered looking for outside funding for your project. Deskmag offers an overview of successful crowdfunding campaigns that helped these coworking spaces become a reality.
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Entrepreneurs are always in the position of having to convince people that their idea is unique and ultimately worth an investment. It can happen during a lunch, a networking event, in an elevator, or during casual conversation. It is often hard to explain to non-experts how beneficial your idea could be to the world, and it is even harder to pitch without rambling on and quickly loosing the attention of your audience. Originating in Japan, Pecha Cucha is the art of presenting your big idea and making an impact in a small amount of time.
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When you talk about coworking you have to include community as well. It is one of the first things that come up when explaining coworking to your clueless friends. Yet, community doesn’t just happen because you sit people down in an open space and let them work next to each other every day. It takes some work to get your community rolling, but in the end it will pay off. Freelancers initially join coworking spaces for the comparatively low cost, but they stay for the community and the network.
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It can sometimes feel like work takes over your life, especially when you are faced with daunting deadlines and projects that need constant attention. The little free time that you have can easily get spent on taking care of the daily tasks that were swallowed up by the work week. Coworking spaces are acutely aware of the fact that work can be overwhelming, which is why many offer services that make the daily routine more pleasurable and productive.
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Hey you startup people out there: have you ever written a business plan? You don't need to write many lines about hypothetical financial requirements as long as you haven't started your company. Instead, invest your time in getting more information about your potential customer first, form a vision, and try to reduce your financial investments in the beginning. In other words, become a lean start-up.
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It seems that there has always been difficulty in finding the right balance between productivity and physical activity for office workers. In many ways, the amount of exercise office workers get it is out of their control, since they are often confined to a cubicle or office chair.
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Have an idea for a project, but need help from professionals? Of course you don’t want to just put your idea out on just any internet portal, because that would just lead to more distractions. Maybe it's time you consider crowdsourcing... Crowdsourcing usually entails that one idea/project is completed by a group of people who can bring their specialties to the table.
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Starting out as a freelance consultant can be a daunting task. Without a clear understanding of your customer or how to manage projects and expectations, and without a solid support structure in place, you’ll find the road is a rocky one. With the help of experienced freelance consultants that have jumped through the hoops for you, we’ve put together the Insider’s Guide To Freelance Consulting and outlined the framework you’ll need to successfully launch your business – you’re not in this alone!
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The best thing about coworking is, it marries community spirit with personal independence. You could do your own thing, and yet, still garner the positive energies of others in the same space to enhance your well being. This not only heightens your productivity in the space, but also helps in boosting your energy level when it is dwindling on a day that somewhat refuses to soar.
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Accounting, Office Management, Corporate Communications - as a freelancer or part of a small business, you typically have to compartmentalize many departments into one, sometimes at the same time and on the same day. On top of all that, there is of course, the actual work that you have to do in order to make money. That's why we here at Deskmag offer tools, which self-employed workers and small businesses can use, as a way to save time and money. Here are the next five.
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It’s a big world of work out there, and while freelancing may seem like the ultimate way to escape the confines of an oppressive work environment, there is always the possibility to get lost… especially with more bills coming in at the end of the year. Now that freelancing is becoming increasingly popular, there are more and more platforms available for self-employed individuals to get the most out of their time and skills.
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One of the advantages often touted for coworking spaces is the opportunity to network, particularly if you’re a freelancer or otherwise working on your own. But the shape that networking can take isn’t quite the same in a coworking space during working hours as at an event held specifically with the intention of encouraging people to network.
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Recently, HUBBA Thailand, the first coworking space to open in Bangkok, celebrated 10,000 fans on their Facebook page. That's impressive outreach into the Thai community and beyond, both for their own coworking space, and for the coworking community as a whole. Even more impressive: they only launched in May this year. HUBBA Thailand's story is inspiration for all those in the coworking industry who start a space as pioneer in a big city or want to see one thrive.
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Slowly but surely, the startup environment is growing in popularity throughout the business world. From Googleplex to the more modest, unfinished office spaces in Palto Alto, this environment brings a slew of benefits to the company as a whole. However, some businesses may struggle with the balance between productive and creative, and how that fits in with encouraging collaboration effectively.
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We are social beings. Even the most shy, introverted web developer needs to venture out of their bedroom into the world once in a while to stay sane. And that’s why most freelancers and solo entrepreneurs end up joining coworking spaces. Here are some tips for building community in a coworking space.
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We all know by now that social media platforms can be a very powerful channel for connecting with customers, raising brand awareness and for generating new business (see how) – so learn how to use them, and use them well! Whether it’s Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Youtube or Pinterest, here are some useful suggestions of when and how to use each channel.
