Coworking Info Session
On January 10, a group of independent professionals working out of the Lehigh Valley gathered at the Bridgeworks Enteprise Center to discuss the creation of a coworking community in Allentown. Like many coworking spaces, the Lehigh Valley group is comprised of mostly creative professionals, including photographers, freelance writers and video editors, but also included a serial entrepreneur, jobseekers, and a financial planning professional. The group members discussed their space needs and what they hoped to gain from coworking, focusing mostly on the wide variety of opportunities for intragroup collaboration and low-cost access to shared services. The group finished with a tour of the space that AEDC has proposed to dedicate to coworking at Hive 4A, a 2,240 square foot area with 15' ceilings and copious natural light. If the group grows out of the space, AEDC has an additional 1,000 square feet that it would incorporate into the coworking space. Since this initial meeting a number of local professionals have inquired into getting involved. One of the results of the meeting was the creation of a Meetup group.
Field Trip to Lancaster
The next day, Matthew from AEDC made a trip to the Candy Factory in Lancaster, PA to meet with one of the space's founders Anne Kirby. Becuase he arrived a little early, he had a chance to take the space for a test drive. "They really have a great thing going there," reported Matthew. In only 7 months of existence, they have recruited over 30 area professionals and are in the process of expanding in their building. Their group hatched from an existing arts group that increasingly demanded shared working space, until one of the members launched the Candy Factory. They employ a membership structure similar to the one that AEDC has proposed, with grades of membership allowing for access to community tables up through semi-private office space. The space itself is another amazing effort, featuring local artwork and great atmospherics in a prime, downtown location.
Coworking
Learn more about coworking at the Coworking Wiki. In brief, coworking offers independent professionals an opportunity to be part of a work community by sharing space. Unlike executive suites, coworking asks members to sit next to each other, sharing ideas and collaborating on projects. Coworking is an excellent alternative to working from home, where a person's work has to compete for attention with things like animals, kids, and dirty dishes. It is also a great alternative to working out of the local coffee shop, where $5 lattes can price business people out of the market and chatty baristas can erode value. Think of a coworking space as you would the college library, full of like-minded individuals concentrated on work, elbow-to-elbow with the creative peers that can help them create something great.
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