Networking in a Shared Office Space: The Story of the Foursquare Co-Founders
January 18, 2012
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Mashable.com reports: Today, Foursquare is a successful social networking community with over 15 million members worldwide, and the company has 100+ employees developing innovative new products that help make the “real world” easier to use. But how did it all get started?
Back in 2007, co-founders Dennis Crowley and Naveen Selvadurai were working at different companies in a shared office space. There in that environment, they became friends, started chatting, and realized that they had similar ideas that they could combine into a single app. They developed the earliest versions of Foursquare in mid-2008, and launched thir product at the SXSW conference in 2009.
Entrepreneurship can be a long, difficult, lonely road, and having a co-founder can be the key to success for many startups. But finding that complementary person or people to partner with can be difficult. If you haven’t already met them in business school or through some random twist of fate, where do you turn?
Therein lies yet another benefit of working in a shared office space: the potential for networking. Because shared office spaces typically attract freelancers and independent workers, small startups are more likely to find like-minded individuals to partner with in that environment. The massive success enjoyed by Foursquare and its founders is a prime example of this.
More Companies Will Utilize Shared Office Space in 2012, Prediction Says
January 3, 2012
No comments Officing Today reports: What can we expect in the world of office space as we head into 2012? A bold new forecast predicts that alternative workplace strategies will be key to success in the coming year.
Maximizing the efficient use of real estate, resources, and energy will be a critical business focus in 2012. Mobile workers have been on the rise in recent years, and this trend is all but certain to continue. Management teams will likely put a stronger emphasis on videoconferencing solutions, telepresence technology, and leveraging flexible space to maximize productivity without increasing costs.
On average, it costs more than $10,000 per year to maintain a single workspace, the report says — but switching to a variable workspace model can pay for itself in the first quarter alone.
As companies strive to increase efficiency, they will be more likely to utilize shared office space as an alternative to real-estate expansion and underutilized satellite offices. Coworking facilities, shared office space, and executive office suites are the wave of the future.
The Sunday Times reports: “Co-working,” a business model where individuals work independently or collaboratively in a shared office space, is becoming increasingly popular among young entrepreneurs and employees. Even though these shared office spaces typically attract work-at-home professionals, freelancers, and others who work in relative isolation, co-working provides a social gathering of people who share values and are interested in the synergy that can happen when working in close proximity.
Co-working first emerged in the late 1990′s, where it was popular among the tech crowd, but the idea sputtered and lost its footing after the dot.com bubble burst. It didn’t re-emerge until around 2005, when a former software engineer at Google revived the idea in San Francisco.
In addition to the convenience, flexibility, and substantial cost savings Virtual Offices offer, there’s also another benefit: environmental friendliness.
With a Virtual Office, you can work primarily from home, the local coffee shop, or anywhere else you choose. Your calls and mail are handled by a professionally-trained administrative staff, and can even be forwarded to you if desired. There are conference rooms and office spaces available when you need to meet with a client, but for many independent professionals and entrepreneurs, there’s simply no reason to commute to the office every day.
This can translate into a significant decrease in gas consumption — a huge benefit for anyone interested in “going green” and reducing their environmental footprint.
When combined with other modern technologies, the environmental impact of a Virtual Office can go even further. Video conferencing, for example, enables you to conduct meetings with clients and associates all around the world, reducing the need for travel. And E-Faxing, another service commonly offered by Virtual Office providers, can substantially reduce paper consumption by emailing you your faxes instead of printing them out.
The best thing about all of these environmental benefits is that they also save you money, meaning that Virtual Offices can be a win-win solution: better for your business, and better for the planet.
Our new website is scheduled to launch in the first quarter of 2011. Stay tuned!
With the holidays fast approaching and many small business owners still struggling to make a profit in a rough economy, one Chicago business owner named Leyla Arsan decided to bring some holiday festivities to self-employed professionals who work from home.
“A lot of us work from home, and we don’t get dressed up anymore,” Ms. Arsan says. “I wanted to get something together and be excited about it.”
David Zazove, co-owner of Inspire Business Center, which rents executive suites at two Chicago locations, plans to host a party this week at the company’s West Loop building.
Welcome to the official blog of Chambers Business Suites, where we will post news, tips, and resources for making your decisions in finding a new office. Please check back soon for updates!
