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Is Corporate Sponsored Coworking On The Way?
I have written several times about coworking and think it's a trend that could be the way all techies work in the next 10-15 years. Whether it's more traditional coworking at Citizen Agency and Independents Hall or the more social coworking space at cooperBricolage, coworking provides a way for independent workers to not only find a place outside of the home to work, but a way to network and increase business.
Earlier this week Alex posted about some awesome supplies Belkin donated for Independents Hall. At the same time, I read about a campaign that Starwood Hotels is running in NYC, Boston and Chicago where they "wrap" an entire train car to provide a more relaxing ride (of course in NYC they are only running the campaign on the 1 stop shuttle, blech). Check out the awesome photos. The price tag in NYC is $30k a month for 2 short train sets. So far, Starwood believes it is successful and riders enjoy seeing more comforting imagery than "Learn How to Speak English/Spanish/Slavic in 12 hours" or "Been in a Car Wreck, Get Oodles of Cash Even if it's Your Fault!".
So this got me thinking – what would a corporate sponsored coworking space look like? Imagine if Google, Apple, Microsoft either offered a floor at their office for independents/freelancers to use either free or at a reduced cost. The space would be wrapped with the brand that sponsored the space. I know this might sound like a horrible/crazy idea, but let me explain a bit further.
Let's use Google for the example. Google provides a coworking space for 50 independents. The space is branded Google, the water is Google water, the pens are Google pens. I move into the space for free and in return I offer Google to listen to 4 hours a week of informative presentations on using Google services for my clients. Or perhaps I offer for 4 hours of work a week for Google. Another option could be that the independent agrees to use Google services for themselves (gmail, google reader, etc.).
I love this idea as it's win-win. It could even lead to job opportunities within the sponsor company and for companies who may have a semi-negative reputation (see Microsoft/Yahoo), it could be a great way to raise product awareness.
So let's open this for discussion: Do you think this idea has legs?
Great point Chris. It will be interesting to see where this trend goes!
Well, I’m glad you bring this up. It’s certainly an idea to consider in the many strains of coworking that are bound to emerge.
In some ways though, you’re missing the point, though you are providing at least an option for a funding model.
One of the hopes that I have for coworking is that it both inspires and provides rich soil for a generation of independents to make their way in the world, supporting one another in individualist pursuits. Living under the umbrella of Big Co. X kind of undermines that spirit — and potentially the sense of freedom that you have when you’re able to dictate for yourself how you want your work environment to be.
I mean, what if Big Co X does something completely contradictory to the goals or spirit of coworking or to the general well being of independents? You’re now stuck in the awkward position of sucking from the teat of an abusive parent (perhaps not in so many words). The ability to be free from such corporate overlords is a core tenant of coworking — where there are no higher masters to answer to or to be beholden to.
I’m sure that corporate coworking will emerge and that there will be positive partnerships that emerge. At the same time, I’m of the mind that the independent coworking community needs to establish itself more firmly before getting back in bed with the kind of corporate oversight that demands that every expenditure show five-fold returns. It’s yet to be proven whether coworking is a profitable approach to the new work… for what it is so far, it need never be so long as independents are able to find a more sustainable way of making half their living in the gift economy.
Anyway, it’s not impossible — it’s just not something that I am personally interested in supporting — or even investigating at this stage of development. Thanks for raising it all the same!
Coworking is such an innovative space. There is so much potential for a great business model based on coworking…and a profitable one, as well. Why on earth would you want billion-dollar companies to take this opportunity when entrepreneurs can do it better? Coworking is all about catering to entrepreneurs…so why should management of coworking spaces be any different? I’d vastly prefer to see entrepreneurs in this space, where TRULY innovative concepts will be hatched, instead of big companies. Let Google do what Google does, and leave the coworking to US!
We actually have a small ad agency here in Orlando, Say It Loud, that has been stirring things up in the community. They’re said to be renting out some desks in the back room where the photography studio is to designers and the like.
I know of several businesses I worked for that had spare desks, but didn’t seem interested in using them. Just silly, in my opinion. If you own a house with a guest apartment attached, do you rent it out or let it gather dust? Taking on tenants can reduce your overhead for just a small loss of security (giving someone a key to the building. Independents Hall seems to have that worked out, with a private space in the back (or is it up top?) that has a different set of keys for the other elevator/stairs.
I think a mega company like Google could simplify the process of acquiring all these new startups if they sponsored some incubators at different locales around the country. I don’t see Apple doing it, because they’ve got their heads on so straight. At the same time, you’ve got Microsoft Research, which is often duplicating efforts so as to find the fastest/cheapest/most user-friendly way to do something, or maybe just the most patentable way. That’s putting food on lots of creatives’ tables.
UCF (the state college in town) actually sponsors two tech incubators in Orlando and are apparently starting a new one focused to all entrepreneurs as opposed to technology. To get in, you have to attend their Excellence in Entrepreneurship class (lessons in proprietary stuff/trade secrets), but once you’re in you get coaching once a month, and an open door to the coach and a lot of other guys who are starting their own company, including a bunch of resources like legal counsel. I’m working for an incubated company now, and it’s nice to have an office downtown. Very nice. It makes me want coworking even more.