The number one reason to have a home office is that you need a convenient place to work at home, even if only for occasional projects.  As independent workers, telecommuting workers or independent professionals, the home office has become a key place in their working ecosystem.  While scanning equipment and technology has reduced (if not nearly eliminated paper), there still seems to be business records and paperwork projects that can be more easily completed in a home office.  In addition, a home office can be more convenient, easier to access (most days) and spending time at the home office can be efficient (less interruptions and no travel).     However, the virtues of the home office can also be characterized by its limiting factors.    Easy access to your home office can blur the line between “work life” and “home life”.    While the close proximity of a home office can be an advantage (no travel time, less rental cost, the ability to work flexible hours), it can also be a disadvantage (all to easy to work at night versus spending time with family or hobbies, much too easy to be distracted by home chores or family member interruptions).

The new addition to your work ecosystem is coworking, the best way to expand your professional capacity and professional productivity.    At DurangoSpace, we encourage our members to maintain some type of home office workspace.   At the same time, we recognize that our DurangoSpace members need higher speed Internet connections, private meeting space, a community of coworkers and enhanced levels of interaction with other independent workers and professionals.   As an expansion of your work ecosystem, DurangoSpace has quiet and private workspaces for our member coworkers.  In addition to productive workspace, coworking offers a community of coworker peers and a variety of social and training events. Thus, coworking expands the home-based office to include other essential elements of a health work environment.

Here are some reasons that our coworking members have shared with us regarding why coworking has enhanced their working options:

A) Our members are part of a professional community, with either coworkers that you can team with while at DurangoSpace or simply that you are a part of a larger coworking community right here in Durango.

B) Professional meeting space for team meetings, client meetings or vendor meetings at DurangoSpace.   Many home offices are not well suited nor equipped for quality meeting space.   At DurangoSpace we have PolyCom conference phone capacity, white Boards, coffee & tea service and a simple reservations system (to reserve your space in advance).

C) Higher Internet speeds that are solid and reliable at DurangoSpace (10 to 15 Mbps+).    Parts of rural Colorado technically have Internet, when it works and when it is fast enough to send larger files.   But there are times that your “home based Internet” may not be working well enough for business purposes.

D) Downtown Durango is convenient and within walking distance to banking, shopping, Post Office and business support services (everyone has to go to “town” to get some things done).  Plus DurangoSpace is nearby Durango’s restaurants, entertainment venues and retail shopping experiences that are located in downtown Durango.

E) Coworking spaces, such as DurangoSpace, improve members’ visibility and connections within the community and peers.  Coworking is good for marketing, making connections and expanding your business footprint.

So why have a home office?     Clearly it is a home base and location to work in ways that can be customized to your working schedule and client interactions.     However, with coworking access to DurangoSpace, you can enhance your “home base” and expand your working productivity, professional visibility and community involvement.    The best choice is to have a home office AND enjoy a coworking membership at DurangoSpace!     Call us at 970-828-1340 to enhance your home office with a coworking membership today!

Time to Ditch your Expensive Office?

So where do you work?    Some of us have a home office, others head to the traditional office and others are discovering the newest flexible workspace, known as coworking.   So is it time to ditch your expensive and inflexible traditional office?  What does my fixed space office really cost?

Let’s look at a typical “cheap office” in the $500 per month range.   For starters, we need to sign a lease (usually for a year!) plus come up with first month’s rent, plus the last month of rent and a $500 deposit.   So where do I get $1,500 to start, when my cash flow is already tight?   Oh, I need faster Internet, plus some janitorial and common space fees (CAM fees).   And now I found out that there isn’t a conference room!  Bummer!   Before you know it, we are up to $2,000 to get launched and the better part of $750 for monthly rent and related space cost!   Another challenge is overcoming isolation, as my windowless downtown office is not exactly the most creative workspace and it lacks the “office community” I’m used to working with.

Is there another way to enjoy creative workspace and find a peer community at work?   Enter coworking, the way forward for productive workspace at an affordable price point.     Here’s more info on coworking http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coworking

And for you like to research new ideas and get more info, http://www.nightowlspress.com/e-book-store/working-in-the-unoffice-a-guide-to-coworking

So what is the difference and does coworking actually work for independent, telecommuting and freelance workers?   First, there is a peer community of freelancers, independents (aka, “indies”) and telecommuting professionals.  Rather than working alone, there is an informal group of like-minded professionals to share ideas, solve problems and develop creative approaches with.    Secondly, with the shared space approach available at a coworking facility, you have workspace open that better fit the new “work anywhere platform”  http://durangospace.com/work-platform Thirdly, you’ll save money and time as compared to the traditional office.   How?  At coworking communities such as DurangoSpace, we have multi-day passes, monthly passes and occasional use passes.  http://durangospace.com/membership-pricing  No deposit, no lease and no additional cost for Internet access.    Coworking offers simple pricing and clear workspace benefits.   Finally, you can keep your home office as part of your workplaces ecosystem  http://durangospace.com/home-office

Welcome to coworking, the best way to expand your professional capacity and working productivity.    At DurangoSpace, we encourage our members to maintain some level of home office workspace.   At the same time, we recognize that our DurangoSpace members need higher speed Internet connections, private meeting space, a community of coworkers and higher levels of interaction with other independent workers and professionals.   Thus, coworking expands the home-based office to include other essentials elements of working.   All the benefits of creative workspace, without an expensive, leased-based traditional office.

So what are you waiting for?   Why work alone in an expensive single office and miss out on the peer community of fellow coworkers?    Don’t let another month of higher overhead and lack of flexibility hold you back from creative workspace. Call us at 970-828-1340

Working Solo, Working Smart, Working Community

Most independent and telecommuting professionals have a preference for working “solo” and bringing an individual approach to their client and project work.    But is the “solo” working model adequate? Can the independent worker compete?  In today’s uber-competitive marketplace (with expectations of higher levels of cooperation from teams and with customers), going it alone may limit your individual success and impact as a sole practitioner.  In order to complete a client project or company initiative, it is likely that multiple professionals, vendors and resources will be needed.  In today’s marketplace, organizational ecosystems are “interconnected” with virtual teams, multiple client locations and peer employees (and vendors).  While an independent professional can still go “solo”, it is likely that this approach can be limiting, both in terms of client services (or lack thereof) and the ability to complete projects for clients and/or the company in a timely manner.

Let’s step back and look at the project management side of work.   How can the independent worker and telecommuting professional best fit into the new dynamic “interconnected” work and related client or company support?   Specifically, how does the solo worker and independent professional leverage relationships, peer professionals, strategic partners and business opportunities?

This is a challenging question, as the very nature of an independent worker or remote telecommuting professional is to work solo and “on their own”.    And while this “sole practitioner” approach may be adequate for some projects and companies, it is becoming a less effective model in today’s economy.    Enter coworking, shared work platforms, coopetition and virtual teams.    Then add team ware (such as MS SharePoint, BaseCamp http://37signals.com ), shared file storage (Drop Box), web-based time tracking (Clicktime, Harvest) and other web-based resources.     The combination of these web resources provides the opportunity for independent workers and “location neutral” professionals to leverage virtual resources and peer professionals to land larger projects and expanded work opportunities.

Depending on what part of the business and client development process the independent worker or “location neutral” professional is involved in, the business dynamics will determine the degree of “solo” working and leveraged virtual teamwork.    Selling a project or idea to a client (or to corporate or organizational headquarters), is referred to as “finding” the business.   In essence, this is the sales and client acquisition process.    The next step is “binding” the project, client work or sales implementation together.   The binding phase (which is generally referred to as project management) lends itself to virtual teams, multiple professionals and shared resources.     This is a part of the client services and virtual team process where “working alone” or just “going solo” may not be adequate.   The bulk of the “work to be done” is called the “grinding” portion of the project.   In other words, grinding out (doing) the work, implementing the sale, installing the equipment, doing the research, and delivering the training.     The “grinding” phase is most likely to be done by “solo” workers and independent professionals.

So what does this have to do with your work?  At DurangoSpace, we have created a community of coworkers, which is a mix of independent professionals, solo professionals and telecommuters that work for “off-site” companies and/or clients around the world.  By working smarter (“solo” professionals supported by shared resources) and combing the advantages of a coworking community, the members of DurangoSpace are experiencing better results and a better work environment.     Give us a call to see how DurangoSpace can help you leverage your solo work and independent approach to effectively compete and deliver services in the competitive marketplace.    Why are you waiting?  Call us or e-mail our coworking support team at DurangoSpace.

So where do you work?    Let’s look at some obvious and less obvious places.   Most of us have a “primary office” that could be formal or less formal.    If you are in “job jail”, you probably have a range of working platforms, from the corporate cubicle to the private corner office, from a shared desk facility to being part of an office pod.     If you are an independent coworker or telecommuter, you probably have a “home office” that may range from the kitchen table, to the corner of your bedroom or guestroom, or a full-blown separate office in your house.    And, as an independent or virtual professional, you probably have some other locations: the local coffee shop, a local coworking facility (such as DurangoSpace) or the local library.   And when you are on the road, it could be your hotel room, the local “business center”, an Internet cafe or the airport terminal (which can range from really cramped & lousy to wide open & spacious).

Welcome to the “work anywhere platform”!    Actually the place where we work depends on the work we are doing.    At DurangoSpace we have discovered five types of workers that are part of the coworking community here.  In their own way, they each utilize the “work anywhere platform”, which includes coworking and community at DurangoSpace.  First, we’ll look at the example of the virtual professional or corporate telecommuter, who works for a company or major client elsewhere.    We have a DgoSpace member (Mark Fei) whose company www.cloudera.com is based in Palo Alto, CA.  In between delivering Cloudera training around the US and abroad, Mark is based in Durango, CO.  Another member (Jim MacKay @canuckinco) is working with several start-up companies based in Colorado; after completing an assignment with an enterprise software company based in LA.   These coworking members use DurangoSpace as part of their “work anywhere platform” when they are home in the Durango area and working on pre and post travel follow-up for projects and clients.   Secondly, there are the creative professionals, such as graphic designers, videographers, and web designers.  Creative artists, such as Cindy Cowan www.duckgirlart.com has a 15-day DurangoSpace pass, so she can work out of her art studio at home, or DurangoSpace (both for creative workspace and meeting with clients) or at her client’s office.  The third group of DurangoSpace members are the technologists (IT, software, programming), such as Shane Larson with http://www.samadhisoftware.com   Many of the professionals in the software business need flexible space, high-speed connections, and meeting space—all resources that DurangoSpace can provide.  The fourth group of DurangoSpace members are the independent professionals, such as independent insurance agents, legal advisors, management consultants and financial advisors.  While this group may have a private office in the Four Corners region, they need meeting space for their client work.   Or they travel and need a base of operations in Durango.   Steve Schlagel, CPA, CVA, CPF & attorney http://www.my-small-business-mentor.com has his principal office in Farmington, NM and meets with his Durango-based clients on Thursdays at DurangoSpace.    The fifth group of DurangoSpace professionals are the virtual coworkers who can work anywhere.  The have quickly adapted to the DurangoSpace community and our “work anywhere platform”.    Members such as Matt Kelly http://www.debtfreetribe.com  provide personal finance coaching and debt reduction strategies to his clients.

With these examples, we can see that coworking at DurangoSpace is just a part of the overall “work anywhere platform” that our members utilize as their 21^st Century work model.   You just need an Internet connection, a laptop or iPad, a coworking community and location, your home or private office and the compliment of social media & web site access and…voila, you are able to work anywhere, have access to and with your clients from multiple locations.  All the while, you are able to leave the burdensome costs of fixed offices and high overhead behind.  This is the new world of coworking.

Are you ready to work anywhere and experience the virtual work platform?   Give us a call at DurangoSpace, and begin your new “work anywhere” adventures.