Coworking Labs

Initial Results from the Global Coworking Survey

Deskmag just released preliminary findings from the First Global Coworking Survey.  Results confirm that coworkers do indeed like coworking.  In fact, close to 70% reported satisfaction with this flexible workstyle. 

What's even more interesting is that coworking improves work performance and encourages team-building.  Collaboration and motivation are alive and thriving in these shared work environments.

For more details check out Why Coworkers Like their Coworking Spaces.

Coworking & '5 to 9' Entrepreneurs

The '5 to 9' crowd -- those holding down day jobs while starting a business at nights and on weekends -- is an interesting target for coworking facilities.  According to Emma Jones of Enterprise Nation,  there are over 5 million of these entrepreneurs grinding away around the clock to build their new businesses. For the most part, they're working from home.  Jones covers this segment in detail in her book Working 5 to 9.

Mompreneurs fit into the  5 to 9 paradigm as well.  Caring for the kids, shuttling them around and volunteering in the community takes over a mom's daytime schedule.  But during naptime or in the evenings, Mom transforms into mompreneur and puts in another shift as entrepreneur, building her business.

Both of these entrepreneurial segments are significant and could fit well with the coworking paradigm.  How many coworking facilities have evening hours for these 5 to 9ers?  It could be a way to leverage your fixed assets, improve utilization and increase cash flow.

The First Global Coworking Survey - Share Your Experience

Following up on discussions at the European Conference on Coworking 2010, Deskmag and their research partners just announced the kick-off of the 1st Global Coworking Survey.  This survey is part of an academic, non-commercial research study to map out coworking experiences globally.   Results from the survey will be released in January 2011.

If you have worked at a coworking facility anywhere in the world, please take a few moments to complete the survey.  Your answers will help us build a better understanding of coworking as well as frame coworkers' needs, expectations and wishes for coworking as it develops in the future.

Note that the survey is offered in multiple languages to make it easier for users to complete. Just click on the language box in the upper right-hand corner.

 Many thanks to Carsten Foertsch and Joel Alas at Deskmag for orchestrating this collaborative effort.