By Finance New Mexico<\/i><\/p>\n
![\"Coworking\"](\"http:\/\/financenewmexico.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/coworking-graphic-268x300.jpg\")
The dramatic increase in freelancers, especially technology industry soloists, is driving a new trend called \u201ccoworking\u201d \u2014 the sharing of workspace on the basis of a desire for community that its proponents see as a basic human need.<\/p>\n
\u201cNever before have we been so isolated,\u201d Convivium Coworking\u2019s Deborah Reese said of the growing army of solo entrepreneurs and self-employed people who populate the U.S. work force \u2014\u00a0either because the recession undermined their faith in working for others or because\u00a0the internet and other mobile technology freed them to work anywhere they wanted.<\/p>\n
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Reese manages the 3,000-square-foot office space in Albuquerque, where people purchase memberships to occupy a desk or couch with all the amenities of the modern office. Those perks are nice, she said, but freelancers seek out coworking space largely for the camaraderie, increased productivity and creative inspiration of working around others.<\/p>\n
New Manifestation of Age-Old Model<\/strong><\/p>\n The core values of the coworking business model \u2014 including collaboration and community \u2014 are nothing new. Self-employed entrepreneurs, professionals and artisans for centuries have found ways to pool resources and complementary talents in mutually beneficial ways.<\/p>\n The modern business incubator shares some DNA with the coworking model, except that incubators breed separate resident businesses whose founders might share little more than office equipment and a quest for rapid growth. \u201cIt\u2019s different than the incubator, because these are people trying to start a business they intend to [build],\u201d Reese said. \u201cWhat about people who don\u2019t want to become the next Yahoo\u201d and just want a social and collegial satellite to the home office?<\/p>\n Coworking\u2019s closest cousins are the artists\u2019 and artisans\u2019 cooperatives and tech-oriented \u201chacker spaces,\u201d where creative people coalesce to make something together or to share space, tools and ideas while working on their own projects.<\/p>\n Coworking, by contrast, starts from the ground up, Reese said. The space isn\u2019t created until the community forms, and that\u2019s done through organized gatherings at coffee shops or private homes. \u201cYou only buy or lease space if you have the community\u201d to fill it, she said.<\/p>\n Growing Trend<\/strong><\/p>\n Coworking is suited to today\u2019s nomadic workers, many of whom work from home. Clients include consultants, contractors, web developers and even corporate telecommuters \u2014 people willing to spend between $150 and $300 per month for the opportunity to work where they can share expertise and tap into the expertise and creativity of others.<\/p>\n \u201cCoworking spaces do exist in rural areas, but it takes members to make it work,\u201d Reese said, and that can be challenging even in populous Albuquerque, where members might show up only for a few hours or a few days every week.<\/p>\n Despite these trials, coworking is catching on around the world, according to DeskMag, an electronic magazine dedicated to coworking. The United States accounts for about 850 of the 2,500 identified coworking spaces in 2013, and Albuquerque accounts for five bonafide coworking sites.<\/p>\n New Mexicans interested in starting a coworking space can start their research online at the Google Group dedicated to the phenomenon (https:\/\/groups.google.com\/d\/forum\/coworking<\/a>). A list of Albuquerque coworking sites is available at albuquerquecoworking.com<\/a> and statewide resources are listed at Finance New Mexico.<\/p>\n Download 307_Coworkers by Choice_Shared Workspaces Draw Solo Entrepreneurs<\/a>\u00a0PDF<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By Finance New Mexico The dramatic increase in freelancers, especially technology industry soloists, is driving a new trend called \u201ccoworking\u201d \u2014 the sharing of workspace on the basis of a desire for community that its proponents see as a basic … Continue reading