> Coworking in the East end of the San Fernando Valley, California

I’m thinking of starting a coworking group in the Burbank/Sun Valley NoNo area. I have a potential place I’m working on securing that’s at the north-most end of Burbank on San Fernando Road. If you work from home somewere on the east end of the San Fernando Valley and could use someplace nearby to getaway and work outside your home, but can’t afford a regular office – coworking might be the thing for you.

If you’ve found this page on the coworking wiki, you probalbly already know the benefits of coworking. For those who aren’t familiar with the concept, here’s my take on it:

Coworking is recent workspace phenomenon brought on by the rapid growth of freelancers and work-from-home businesses. If you have worked from home for any length of time, like I have, you’ve probably discovered that its not always great. Working at home is certainly good in a lot of ways. But if you have a busy household with kids, dogs, guests; or if you have to work at the kitchen table or maybe it’s just noisy for some reason – you may want to get away to improve your focus. You also might have discovered that you miss the interaction with other co-workers: exchanging ideas, seeking advice or help when you’re stuck on something, just chatting around the coffee pot, or maybe even striking up a new friendship.

Coworking actually started up with places like Stabucks trying to provide a place you can work while sipping one of their famous coffees. But working at Starbucks only goes so far, too. With all the people coming and going, lots of conversation, and activity it can get disctracting. And you don’t really have access to some of the tools you need – like a printer or fax machine for example.  A coworking space gives you the benefit of being able to get away, and has the added benefit of being a casual office-like working environment, and often has tools like printers and fax machines. You just bring your laptop and your creativity, connect to a WiFi and start working.

And one of the best benefits is it tends to be inexpensive. If enough people connect and are willing to work together on a space,  start-up costs can be shared. Then everyone who uses the space pays a small fee by the week, day or even hour, that covers the ongoing expenses like internet access, coffee and food, maintenance and rent. The more  people who join in, the lower the cost!

As for this particular Coworking possibility, right now I am just in exploratory mode. I’m trying to find out what the interest level is for people in a coworking space, and if the north Burbank location on San Fernando Road would be suitable. If you are interested in this on any level - helping to organize it, helping to manage it, using the space regularly, or just occasionally - whatever your interest, drop me a note. I’d love to talk to you about the idea, and what what your interest in it might be.

You can reach me through my blog contact form

http://www.thomaswatsonconsulting.com/contact-us/

Tom