Join A Co-Working Space: Great Networking Idea.
Spark Plaza
I recently had the good fortune to spend some time with friends at the local co-working space, Spark Plaza. Co-working spaces are office areas that rent out desk and working areas to entrepreneurs and small businesses. If you are a single person operation, you can go there and share an office area with others like yourself. This gives you a professional office to serve as your base of operations. You have somewhere to meet with clients if you need to and be away from home if you need fewer distractions.
That alone would be a great reason to maintain a space there, however that is not the only benefit of being connected to it. Being a single person operation can be tough. Until you get a steady stream of clients, it’s pretty lonely and can be down right discouraging. Especially when the wife and neighbors think that this is a phase and that you’ll get a real job sooner or later. Being part of a co-working area you are a member of group of people that are all doing basically what you are. It’s just like when you worked at the office, only better. Everyone there is trying to make it solo. You are around people that understand and are living the solo entrepreneur situation. This is as good an opportunity to network with kindred souls as you are going to find. Just remember that everyone there is working and stay on track yourself. It can be easy to get too caught up with the social side of this kind of work environment.
So, check your yellow pages or the Internet and see if you have one near by. You will get a lot of benefit for whatever fees they charge. If you don’t have one nearby you may want to think about starting one. It’s a great networking option. You’ll meet people working on similar goals to yourself and allow you start a local support / mastermind group. Having a support group is going to increase your odds of making it tremendously. See the links below to get started.
Local Johnson City One: http://www.sparkplaza.com
General Coworking Site: http://coworking.pbworks.com/
Quest On…
Comments
Comment from Mary Ellen Miller
Time November 13, 2009 at 5:16 pm
Good post Ed. I have enjoyed the times I’ve been at Spark Plaza. There are always interesting, creative folks there. You are right about entrepreneurship. Sometimes you just need that interaction with others. Keep up the good work and I’ll see you on the next First Friday.
Comment from Ed Anderson
Time November 17, 2009 at 5:22 pm
Thanks for the comments. I’ve got another post or two on this topic.
Comment from Shannon Castillo
Time November 13, 2009 at 2:29 pm
Wow!! Thanks for the shout out Ed! We appreciate it.