For those entrepreneurs starting a venture, one of the most important questions to ask is, where do you meet to work? Many startups will look to coffee shops, or choose to work from the comfort of their home, and others pay to rent an office. When just starting out, more and more ventures find it too financially overwhelming to pay rent.
The newest way to run your business is through a shared workspace. They have changed the way ventures work by decreasing initial overhead cost and fostering a collaborative atmosphere. They offer a plethora of amenities that attract a wide range of ventures, but the biggest value add is the networking opportunity. Check out some local workspaces and see why so many entrepreneurs are using them.
Workbar caters its unique services to “thriving start-ups, creative entrepreneurs and independent professionals,” by providing fully functional workspaces. It is a cohesive community that provides “access to all the resources businesses need to grow.” They also host many networking events in the form of workshops and seminars.
Cambridge Innovation Center was founded in 1999 on the principal that “startups make the world much better.” They also help by “setting up and managing their office for them so they can focus on their business.” Since then, CIC has helped 1,400 ventures and is currently home to 600.They offer a wide range of amenities from a kitchen to conference rooms and printing stations to technical support.
Oficio, home to 60 ventures, opened its doors to Boston’s Back Bay just three months ago and specializes in networking events. They designed their space to foster a productive environment, that caters to beginning entrepreneurs during the day. At night, the space hosts community networking events and educational presentations. They offer a multitude of amenities, from private meeting rooms to storage lockers and computers to printers.
Bocoup is located in Boston’s North End and focuses on entrepreneurs interested in the Open Web. They specialize in providing a collaborative space for hackers and technologists passionate about the internet. Some of Bocoup’s clients include Microsoft, Google and Ebay.
A Space with a Soul works to increase efficiency for nonprofit organizations and sustainable partners. The space opened in May 2011 and is home to more than 40 socially conscious ventures. They offer a large network including support staff, industry professionals and volunteers. They work to reduce the overhead costs startups traditionally incur.
Innovative: Workspaces are innovation hubs solely based on their design. The openness of their models and access to resources make them the perfect opportunity for ventures to learn from one another.
Low Overhead: The average individual workspace costs between 300 and 400 dollars per month, with contracts varying in length. These prices are flexible and accommodating to jive with entrepreneurs needs.
Networking: Workspaces by nature foster networking but further these opportunities by hosting social and professional events.
