As some of you know, Kamer52 is a rural coworking space, and my basic notion os that it is home for your business: big or small, 4 times a year or every day, we're sharing and it's great. (Sorry, slogan fever hit me there for a second). :-)
Recently I fell in with a fellow who is part of a large group of people who have some privacy issues about the present model in the Netherlands which is, if you don't have a seperate office, you register your business at your home address. The concern is that 1) the local regstry for businesses is public record, so your house address is there for everybody to see and look up in Google; which gives some folks goosebumps; and also the local registry office sells those addresses in email list/database form to anybody who wants to buy them.
So we deveoped a membership for them. It;s cheap, but they aren't asking for much either. I really strated in the beginning as a favor to him, I didn't really expect the landslide it is becoming.
After some initial resistance from the government, which has since been handled essentially by going there and explaining what I was doing, getting their input, and coming up with a contract and an approach we all could be happy with, this has begun to roll quite handily and I have gotten a lot of feedback; a lot of micro businesses and starters and so forth are very interested in this and we have added a lot of value as this has developed along the way. It's fun as well.
It's essentially a larger community from which to draw coworkers.
Because this is Holland, I have recently had a good deal of interest in joint contracts in the Benelux (Germany, Holland, Belguim, Luxemburg) and I expect that the interest is also there for France and Eastern Europe, just because of the nature of the trade.
Does anybody else have memberships which include a registration address or a virtual address? How are you dovetailing it with coworking? Want to work together? What's your experience?
> It;s cheap, but they aren't asking for much either.
> It's essentially a larger community from which to draw coworkers.
I'm wondering, and it might be too early to tell, but have you noticed any differences or similarities between the people who are looking for this new offering, and people who have traditionally been coming for the coworking experience?
> As some of you know, Kamer52 is a rural coworking space, and my basic notion os that it is home for your business: big or small, 4 times a year or every day, we're sharing and it's great. (Sorry, slogan fever hit me there for a second). :-)
> Recently I fell in with a fellow who is part of a large group of people who have some privacy issues about the present model in the Netherlands which is, if you don't have a seperate office, you register your business at your home address. The concern is that 1) the local regstry for businesses is public record, so your house address is there for everybody to see and look up in Google; which gives some folks goosebumps; and also the local registry office sells those addresses in email list/database form to anybody who wants to buy them.
> So we deveoped a membership for them. It;s cheap, but they aren't asking for much either. I really strated in the beginning as a favor to him, I didn't really expect the landslide it is becoming.
> After some initial resistance from the government, which has since been handled essentially by going there and explaining what I was doing, getting their input, and coming up with a contract and an approach we all could be happy with, this has begun to roll quite handily and I have gotten a lot of feedback; a lot of micro businesses and starters and so forth are very interested in this and we have added a lot of value as this has developed along the way. It's fun as well.
> It's essentially a larger community from which to draw coworkers.
> Because this is Holland, I have recently had a good deal of interest in joint contracts in the Benelux (Germany, Holland, Belguim, Luxemburg) and I expect that the interest is also there for France and Eastern Europe, just because of the nature of the trade.
> Does anybody else have memberships which include a registration address or a virtual address? How are you dovetailing it with coworking? Want to work together? What's your experience?
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Yes, the most striking initially is how many of them are from the trades. I have a flooring company, an import/export, and a transport company (right off the top of my head) who would never in a million years have been attracted by a traditional (!) coworking approach. And yet they are amoung my most enthusiastic members of the community, they love everything related to the community. But they would not have come for it, they consider discussions of values and so forth to be a hobby for people with too much education and not enough hard work to do (if I may overstate just a little). And networking? If you ask them, they don't do it, they are too busy to go to parties with people they don't like. But in point of fact thye network like crazy, it's how they stay afloat. They just don't call it that.
I have a lot to say abotu this, and a far more nuanced response will be coming in a couple hours, I am covered up at the mo. but this was the most striking/surprising to me.
> Yes, the most striking initially is how many of them are from the trades. I have a flooring company, an import/export, and a transport company (right off the top of my head) who would never in a million years have been attracted by a traditional (!) coworking approach. And yet they are amoung my most enthusiastic members of the community, they love everything related to the community. But they would not have come for it, they consider discussions of values and so forth to be a hobby for people with too much education and not enough hard work to do (if I may overstate just a little). And networking? If you ask them, they don't do it, they are too busy to go to parties with people they don't like. But in point of fact thye network like crazy, it's how they stay afloat. They just don't call it that.
> I have a lot to say abotu this, and a far more nuanced response will be coming in a couple hours, I am covered up at the mo. but this was the most striking/surprising to me.
We are a new coworking space in Fort Lauderdale, FL and we do offer a "Virtual" membership.
I can't offer much feedback yet because our website just went up last week and is not finished. We think the Virtual office will dovetail nicely with coworking, particularly in our space because we are located at an airport in South Florida. We offer mail service as well as a secure "base of operations" for air charter operators who need a satellite base of operations.
I look forward to hearing how this works for you and will stay in touch.
On Wednesday, December 19, 2012 5:49:36 AM UTC-5, Jeannine wrote:
> Hi, all,
> As some of you know, Kamer52 is a rural coworking space, and my basic > notion os that it is home for your business: big or small, 4 times a year > or every day, we're sharing and it's great. (Sorry, slogan fever hit me > there for a second). :-)
> Recently I fell in with a fellow who is part of a large group of people > who have some privacy issues about the present model in the Netherlands > which is, if you don't have a seperate office, you register your business > at your home address. The concern is that 1) the local regstry for > businesses is public record, so your house address is there for everybody > to see and look up in Google; which gives some folks goosebumps; and also > the local registry office sells those addresses in email list/database form > to anybody who wants to buy them.
> So we deveoped a membership for them. It;s cheap, but they aren't asking > for much either. I really strated in the beginning as a favor to him, I > didn't really expect the landslide it is becoming.
> After some initial resistance from the government, which has since been > handled essentially by going there and explaining what I was doing, getting > their input, and coming up with a contract and an approach we all could be > happy with, this has begun to roll quite handily and I have gotten a lot of > feedback; a lot of micro businesses and starters and so forth are very > interested in this and we have added a lot of value as this has developed > along the way. It's fun as well.
> It's essentially a larger community from which to draw coworkers.
> Because this is Holland, I have recently had a good deal of interest in > joint contracts in the Benelux (Germany, Holland, Belguim, Luxemburg) and I > expect that the interest is also there for France and Eastern Europe, just > because of the nature of the trade.
> Does anybody else have memberships which include a registration address or > a virtual address? How are you dovetailing it with coworking? Want to > work together? What's your experience?
I will be developing the concept during the holidays (thank god, the Dutch take their holidays seriously, so I expect to have some time to develop it more fully) and will be more than pleased to share whatever I come up with with you if you're interested. I am likely to write it first in English and then in Dutch anyway, I learned Dutch after the age of 35 and while I am fluent I find it easier to think in English, lol.
I found you on Quora and on LinkedIn via Rapportive and floowed/sent you invites on both, I hope we can keep in touch. Love to have somebody to bounce ideas against the wall with. I am being really swamped with requests so I know I am onto something. :-)
On Saturday, December 22, 2012 5:08:45 AM UTC-5, Jeannine wrote:
> Hi, Valerie,
> Nifty web page.
> I will be developing the concept during the holidays (thank god, the Dutch > take their holidays seriously, so I expect to have some time to develop it > more fully) and will be more than pleased to share whatever I come up with > with you if you're interested. I am likely to write it first in English > and then in Dutch anyway, I learned Dutch after the age of 35 and while I > am fluent I find it easier to think in English, lol.
> I found you on Quora and on LinkedIn via Rapportive and floowed/sent you > invites on both, I hope we can keep in touch. Love to have somebody to > bounce ideas against the wall with. I am being really swamped with requests > so I know I am onto something. :-)
Good luck with your project Jennine. Just make sure to follow the guidelines/rules for each country.
Here in the US we developed (end to end) Virtual Offices platform and is in full swing.
We do follow the US guidelines for virtual offices which can be challenging at times. We also provide the training to handle different scenarios. Currently SphereMail is available in the U.S. and Canada.
On Saturday, December 22, 2012 4:34:28 AM UTC-8, Valerie Lynn wrote:
> I *never* think in Dutch. ;)
> I will keep you updated as well.
> Happy Holidays!
> Val
> On Saturday, December 22, 2012 5:08:45 AM UTC-5, Jeannine wrote:
>> Hi, Valerie,
>> Nifty web page.
>> I will be developing the concept during the holidays (thank god, the >> Dutch take their holidays seriously, so I expect to have some time to >> develop it more fully) and will be more than pleased to share whatever I >> come up with with you if you're interested. I am likely to write it first >> in English and then in Dutch anyway, I learned Dutch after the age of 35 >> and while I am fluent I find it easier to think in English, lol.
>> I found you on Quora and on LinkedIn via Rapportive and floowed/sent you >> invites on both, I hope we can keep in touch. Love to have somebody to >> bounce ideas against the wall with. I am being really swamped with requests >> so I know I am onto something. :-)
Thanks for the support, you should try working out compliance in Europe if you want a real headach- er, challenge. Jusut ask me. :-)
I am liking the Spheremail concept and wondering if we couldn't work together, but I have to say, I don't really get how it works. Want to follow up off list?
