Shift Workspace Grand opening celebration

[henry.mcbride]

Shift Workspace Brings Coworking to Birmingham

Birmingham, AL- Birmingham’s first coworking space is opening this
month to provide independent entrepreneurs, freelancers & corporate
telecommuters a flexible, inexpensive and commitment-free workspace.
Located in the historic business district of downtown Birmingham at
2308 2nd Ave North, Shift Workspace will provide space for work,
meetings and events.

As technology continues to loosen the tether of the traditional office
environment and the fledgling economy creates barriers for affordable
corporate real estate, individuals are increasingly searching for a
better way to work. Those who work from home become isolated, miss the
benefits of social interactions with coworkers, and are distracted
with domestic responsibilities. Telecommuters and traveling corporate
employees run into the limitations of cafés and hotel business
centers: spotty wifi, sparse electrical outlets, and a lack of
professional meeting space. With the onset of the recession, the
demand for inexpensive and commitment-free office space has never been
greater.

In over seventy cities around the world, coworking has become the
solution. Coworking utilizes open and flexible office space to create
a community of like-minded individuals who work on their own projects
in the company of others. This arrangement is conducive to networking,
collaboration, and innovation. Inspired by the principles of workspace
design, coworking incorporates the best elements from traditional work
environments to provide a workspace that is both comfortable and
professional. Coworking fosters a community whose value in part stems
from its diversity; coworking is not only for those in the tech
industry but also for anyone who can work from a computer, such as
designers, writers, and salespeople.

Drew Jones, co-author of the first book on coworking (I’m Outta Here)
and Birmingham-resident, has become a leading expert of the coworking
trend. Jones is fulfilling a long-time goal of bringing his passion
home. He has enlisted the operations experience of Michael Funk, who
has been working on the business development team for LaunchPad
Coworking in Austin, Texas. Jones is also supported by founding
members and tech community leaders, Henry McBride, Andre Natta, and
Keith Gugliotta.

Additionally, Shift Workspace will conduct workshops and courses
related to its community, such as Web 2.0 design and management,
social media and networking, and development for small or independent
businesses. Shift Workspace's first public event will be its opening
party, scheduled for Thursday, May 28, from 5:00p.m. to 9:00 p.m. and
a full-day open house the following day.

Additional information can be found at www.shiftworkspace.com.
Contact Drew Jones at (512) 506-1329 or email in...@shiftworkspace.com.

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Please feel free to send this to other groups as well. also there is a
upcoming calander entry for this event. if you can please add yourself
to this so that we can start getting a head count.
http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/2736510/?ps=5

Thanks,
Henry McBride
Shift Workspace