Building a Community

Until recently, I had never heard of co-working space. Co-working space is a new concept for entrepreneurs that works on a membership system similar to health clubs. You pay a monthly membership fee for the level of service you require for your business. If you only need to work outside your home a little bit, you can typically purchase a membership on a daily basis. Regular use requires more of a financial commitment.

I recently visited Ignition Alley (http://ignitionalley.com) in Atlanta. Mike Schinkel and Tim Dorr worked hard to bring their vision of co-working space to life for the many start-ups in our community. A converted storefront, the space offers two options. One side of the space is more social and noisy, while the other side is quieter. Reminiscent of my college days, I quickly dubbed them the study dorm (quiet and a place to contemplate) and party dorm (much more social, to share ideas).

So why do I think co-working space helps to build a community? Unlike traditional or virtual office space, co-working spaces tend to be open and sociable, giving you the ability to interact with others while building relationships and sharing ideas. There are quiet spaces for when you need to think or host meetings, but the name itself speaks volume for its value. The long hours of self-employment can prove to be lonely and sometimes difficult. A co-working space offers an alternative as an affordable option.

As a start-up chick, bouncing your ideas off of other start-ups can be productive. This is the type of thing that happens at co-working space. No more long, lonely hours in your home office. Ignition Alley offers several different membership options and has grand opening specials going on now. And it's location is convenient too.

For more information on co-working space:
http://blog.coworking.info/
http://coworking.pbworks.com/
http://ignitionalley.com