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Working in the UnOffice: A Guide to Coworking for Indie Workers, Small Businesses, and Nonprofits
When bootstrapped entrepreneurs or independent professionals head to work, it's usually to a makeshift office-- either a cramped corner at home, a rented cubicle, or a table in a coffee shop. But an increasing number of people are considering a different workspace The coworking space.
Where you work matters, and coworking spaces are challenging conventional notions of where innovation and creativity come from. People are increasingly finding that great ideas flourish in the churn and activity of working alongside others. Across the country, collaborative workspaces like Affinity Lab, Indy Hall, Gangplank, NextSpace, and The Hub are prompting the rise of a new generation of entrepreneurs. From a practical perspective, coworking seems perfect for save money, beat the doldrums of isolation, and meet other organizations and startups. And it's the promise of innovation and community that makes it most appealing.
But with so many coworking spaces popping up-- it can be difficult to make the right choices. Working in the A Guide to Coworking for Indie Workers, Small Businesses, and Nonprofits is one of the first all-around guidebooks to coworking. This packed edition chronicles the rise of coworking and the social and economic trends making it possible.
Find out more about the book, giveaways, and download a free extended sample at nightowlspress.com/e-book-store/worki....
Where you work matters, and coworking spaces are challenging conventional notions of where innovation and creativity come from. People are increasingly finding that great ideas flourish in the churn and activity of working alongside others. Across the country, collaborative workspaces like Affinity Lab, Indy Hall, Gangplank, NextSpace, and The Hub are prompting the rise of a new generation of entrepreneurs. From a practical perspective, coworking seems perfect for save money, beat the doldrums of isolation, and meet other organizations and startups. And it's the promise of innovation and community that makes it most appealing.
But with so many coworking spaces popping up-- it can be difficult to make the right choices. Working in the A Guide to Coworking for Indie Workers, Small Businesses, and Nonprofits is one of the first all-around guidebooks to coworking. This packed edition chronicles the rise of coworking and the social and economic trends making it possible.
Find out more about the book, giveaways, and download a free extended sample at nightowlspress.com/e-book-store/worki....
- GenresBusiness
378 pages, Paperback
First published August 28, 2011
4 people are currently reading
262 people want to read
About the author
Genevieve DeGuzman
9 books147 followersGenevieve DeGuzman (she/her) is a poet and writer based in Portland, Oregon. Her debut collection Karaoke at the End of the World is forthcoming in 2026 with JackLeg Press. An Oregon Literary Fellow, her work can be found in journals like The Adroit, Nimrod, RHINO, phoebe, and in several anthologies.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
October 9, 2012
This book details the ins and outs of co-working in a shared space with other independent professionals. It was a new concept for me, and this book clearly outlines how and why to collaborate in an "unoffice" environment. For some workers, this alternative to the home office or cubicle might be the perfect situation.
It goes far beyond taking a laptop to a coffee shop. In each chapter, the ideas are presented in an outline format and then more information is provided for each point. The result is a fully comprehensive tome on independent co-working. I like the idea of a guidebook for work and I thought it was easy to read and understand what the benefits of co-working are, as well as possible challenges and how to work through them. It also includes several pages of interviews with different professionals describing how they implement co-working in their fields.
If you're considering co-working, this is probably the book for you.
It goes far beyond taking a laptop to a coffee shop. In each chapter, the ideas are presented in an outline format and then more information is provided for each point. The result is a fully comprehensive tome on independent co-working. I like the idea of a guidebook for work and I thought it was easy to read and understand what the benefits of co-working are, as well as possible challenges and how to work through them. It also includes several pages of interviews with different professionals describing how they implement co-working in their fields.
If you're considering co-working, this is probably the book for you.
August 23, 2012
If you've never worked in shared office space, this is a pretty good introduction to what it's like. OTOH, if you have, it's a tough read, IMHO...lots of ' yeah, yeah...tell me something I don't know...'
September 14, 2014
** Not a review; just a word to you, would-be readers, from us, the authors. **
Coworking spaces are popping up everywhere left and right it seems. It shows the enormous enthusiasm and faith in the idea. In this rich environment of options, you are faced with limitless possibilities to flourish-- but it can be difficult to make the right choices.
There are questions to consider, such as:
1. How can I tell whether a space is right for me?
2. How do I make the transition from my home or a conventional office space to a shared or collaborative workspace?
3. Once I'm in, how can I leverage the space-- the community- in making my business or organization better?
We did our research. We talked to coworking members across the country, as well as to space founders and reps, and their collective stories and insights have been distilled into this handy volume. This book is built from the experiences of small businesses and organizations tackling the same questions above. People like you.
To our knowledge, this book is one of the first of its kind written from the perspective of the very people who stand to benefit from coworking-- small businesses and organizations looking for better ways to work. Like many of you, we're researching our options of where to work, love our independence, but also tire of working in a vacuum-- and, of course, can't afford to break the bank. These considerations have shaped our focus in writing this book. Second, from what we've seen, the available publications out there are somewhat limited, generally written by individual spaces that focus exclusively on their own membership pool.
In contrast, the stories and insights here are sourced from across the coworking spectrum of members working in some of the more famous spaces in the coworking circuit and those working in quirky, less well-known spaces. We offer a lively cross-section of members and former members, founders and space reps pulled from the variety of coworking spaces and shared offices across the country.
Couched in this wonderful diversity, you'll see how much coworking is a part of their inspiring stories, regardless of their location, background, or size. Coworking is so much more than a backdrop, and for many people, it's the driving force behind big business decisions and successes.
Writing this book has been a fulfilling project and one we hope will add to the dialogue on the shifting state of work today, of which coworking is very much a game-changing catalyst. When we first started this project, we naively thought we would be able to demystify coworking in all its forms and lock down what makes the movement tick. We think we've come close, but in reality, the approach, philosophy, and model of coworking is still evolving-- and this is only the beginning!
Our hope is that after reading this book, you'll be better able to consider your options, and find out if coworking is really right for you.
- Genevieve and Andrew, Working in the UnOffice co-authors
www.CoworkingGuide.com
Coworking spaces are popping up everywhere left and right it seems. It shows the enormous enthusiasm and faith in the idea. In this rich environment of options, you are faced with limitless possibilities to flourish-- but it can be difficult to make the right choices.
There are questions to consider, such as:
1. How can I tell whether a space is right for me?
2. How do I make the transition from my home or a conventional office space to a shared or collaborative workspace?
3. Once I'm in, how can I leverage the space-- the community- in making my business or organization better?
We did our research. We talked to coworking members across the country, as well as to space founders and reps, and their collective stories and insights have been distilled into this handy volume. This book is built from the experiences of small businesses and organizations tackling the same questions above. People like you.
To our knowledge, this book is one of the first of its kind written from the perspective of the very people who stand to benefit from coworking-- small businesses and organizations looking for better ways to work. Like many of you, we're researching our options of where to work, love our independence, but also tire of working in a vacuum-- and, of course, can't afford to break the bank. These considerations have shaped our focus in writing this book. Second, from what we've seen, the available publications out there are somewhat limited, generally written by individual spaces that focus exclusively on their own membership pool.
In contrast, the stories and insights here are sourced from across the coworking spectrum of members working in some of the more famous spaces in the coworking circuit and those working in quirky, less well-known spaces. We offer a lively cross-section of members and former members, founders and space reps pulled from the variety of coworking spaces and shared offices across the country.
Couched in this wonderful diversity, you'll see how much coworking is a part of their inspiring stories, regardless of their location, background, or size. Coworking is so much more than a backdrop, and for many people, it's the driving force behind big business decisions and successes.
Writing this book has been a fulfilling project and one we hope will add to the dialogue on the shifting state of work today, of which coworking is very much a game-changing catalyst. When we first started this project, we naively thought we would be able to demystify coworking in all its forms and lock down what makes the movement tick. We think we've come close, but in reality, the approach, philosophy, and model of coworking is still evolving-- and this is only the beginning!
Our hope is that after reading this book, you'll be better able to consider your options, and find out if coworking is really right for you.
- Genevieve and Andrew, Working in the UnOffice co-authors
www.CoworkingGuide.com
October 16, 2014
Working in the UnOffice is for people interested in finding out if coworking is right for them. It's also a how-to guide to making the most out of the experience so you get your money's worth out of being a member. It includes dozens of in-depth interviews with small businesses and freelancers, as well as with some of the biggest names in coworking from NextSpace, Indy Hall, pariSoma, GangPlank, Hera Hub, TechShop, and more.
July 16, 2014
Rather average collection of observations and superficial 'tips and tricks' on co-working places. A serious work on interviewing co-working spaces residents should be noted though. "The Style of Coworking" with its better produced illustrations is preferred.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews