I've been involved in some of the same kinds of conversations in small
communities, and I've got a forthcoming article which is my attempt to
synthesize what I've learned about how to talk about rural coworking.
I'll send you the manuscript off-list.
Best,
Mark
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Mark W. Kidd
Roadside Theater - Thousand Kites - Appalshop
606-536-0115 (cell)
roadside.org
thousandkites.org
appalshop.org
Would you mind sending it to me as well? I'm in a small metro area in south TX. Also, how bug has your definition of rural been in these communities?
-Keisha
Sent from my iPhone! :o)
Niki- Hang in there. I've gone through a similar process in my small town
(10,000 people) and after one year in operation, I can tell you that small
towns can be a tough nut to crack. That doesn't mean, however, that they
won't crack for you.
We have had hot spells and cold spells, I think partly because it took a
while for people to understand the concept, then they thought it was cool,
so we got more traffic and members, built some community here, and then
summer came. As you have probably noticed in the summer postings here,
summer can be brutal on walk-ins, mobile members, and business in general.
Small town can amplify this.
It seems like you are networking with all the right people. My only advice
is continue to talk about it to everyone you meet, all the time (without
being too annoying:)). I have found that I quit talking about it to people
over time and then when I bring it up to someone who has talked to me before
they say things like, "Oh, I need to tell so and so about that as they have
been looking for something." Keep drinking, and sharing, the Kool-Aid.
I'm not in a situation to lead up an effort to build a community of
practice between rural coworking spaces, but maybe if there are enough
folks interested we could put together an online convening there would
be a chance to distill some lessons and best practices. I think rural
coworking is distinct enough as a class of coworking spaces to justify
some more rigorous thinking than my 'conversation starter' can cover.
Mark
Thanks & God Bless,
Joel Bennett
Veel Hoeden Chief Dreamchaser
http://veelhoeden.posterous.com @veelhoeden
-----Original Message-----
From: cowo...@googlegroups.com [mailto:cowo...@googlegroups.com] On
Behalf Of Mark W. Kidd
Sent: Wednesday, September 14, 2011 9:27 AM
To: cowo...@googlegroups.com
So, 5 years later from this post, what's changed?
I'm guessing, to attract commuters, one will need to educate them on the value of NOT commuting.
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I'm just catching up on this awesome conversation! Great insight on all fronts...
I just cofounded a cowork in a VERY small town (12,000) people and we had most of our memberships full before we even opened.
The key was gathering a team of community "leaders", educating them and getting them on board. We have 9 people who are not members and are not a "board of advisors"...they are visionaries who get "it" and their only role is to show up and offer their insight. They have been critical in spreading the word.
We have also linked up with the local college and their entrepreneurial program...I interviewed their assistant director (also on our team) who offered some SUPER insight into his view on the impact of coworking on small towns (check that out here http://thecoworkconsultant.com/impact-of-coworking-on-cities/ )
Also, we ONLY have monthly memberships, no drop ins (the population isn't big enough to sustain it AND it has an negative impact on the community vibe)! Build the community first and get them excited to participate by having mini events that introduce them to one another...we are noticing that there's a BIG draw from nearby small towns too. People are willing to travel 15 minutes vs. their 45-60 minute commute to find something similar to our Cowork.
The good news is, it's TOTALLY doable!
Please lmk if anyone want to hear more. I have a ton of experience doing this in rural and "small" (from 12k up to 400k population) cities.
Be great and thanks for coworking! Keep it up, you all rock:)
Chris
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