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A coworking community and events center on Bainbridge Island November 28, 2011 |
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Three coworking sites in two hours by foot, and a new fireplace!
Greetings!
 | | New fireplace at OfficeXpats |
Leslie here. Almost everyone is (reluctantly?) back at work after a long holiday weekend. But I am still in the Bay Area after a wonderful family get-together for Thanksgiving. Thus, we are skipping another Tuesday Business Brown Bag, but we are scheduled for two really exciting ones on December 6 and 13 (see below).
I'm not entirely goofing off. Earlier today I visited... not one, not two, but three coworking sites in San Francisco. All within walking distance of each other. And there were more in the neighborhood that I didn't have time to get to. Find some highlights and photos below, and we'd love it if you would to someone who might enjoy learning about this fast growing post-employer trend of coworking.
And finally, Jason is back in the office working hard and reporting that people love the new little fireplace that is keeping the front room extra cozy. The adjacent sofa is the new favorite workspace! Yes, it is fake fire, but it is creating a warm nook when extra warmth is needed, and the ambience is convincing even when the heat is turned off. Enjoy!
Leslie |
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RocketSpace, NextSpace, and Hub SOMA
 | | A phone booth at NextSpace |
First up on my coworking tour of San Francisco's SOMA district was RocketSpace. It's not an example of the pure coworking model; the members are not independent professionals but rather employed by small, funded tech startups. Zappos started here. All the desks are dedicated. But it has an open floor plan with people from different companies working side-by-side. Next was NextSpace. Two floors of central 'cafe' desk spaces, with surrounding offices of dedicated desks. Lindsay was our enthusiastic tour guide, clearly dedicated to the cause of the "(r)evolution of work." I loved the members' wall! The phone booths were purposefully tight, to discourage lenthy usage. There were beautiful four-inch thick wood tabletops with steam-punky iron supports.
 | | Hub SOMA custom desks |
Last on my tour was the very impressive Hub SOMA, 8600 sq/ft of work and event space located in the San Francisco Chronicle Building. It had unique spaces with custom furniture and 'privacy booths.' Even a little loft area that I was told ocassionally hosts nappers (although I never saw an official, private 'nap room' in any of the spaces; maybe we have the only one!). It was fun to see the propeller tables I've heard so much about, although I didn't see them occupied by more than one person. The space overall was HUGE and 'hip industrial.' I didn't even make it to see the second floor. By the way, here is an article about the'serendipity of coworking' by a Hub SOMA member. It was nice to be reassured that even these established businesses have many informal, non-bureaucratic processes that depend on high trust of members. I hope to visit many more such pioneering spaces in the years to come! |
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Tuesday Business Brown Bags
We do not have a Tuesday Business Brown Bag this week. Here are upcoming brown bags:
- Dec. 6: Elaine Jones, WSU Small Business Development Center, "No-cost resources for small businesses"
- Dec 13: Martha Monkman, "How QuickBooks can help businesses with their end-of-year processes"
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Events @OfficeXpats
- Tuesday Nov 29, 5:30-7pm Agate Pass Exchange new member orientation (free)*
- Wednesday Nov 30, 10:-11am "It's About Creating Health" weight loss support group (free)*
- Friday Dec 2, 4pm: member happy hour
- Wednesday Dec 7, 5pm: First Wednesday networking*
- SAVE THE DATE: Tuesday, December 13, 6:30pm: Holiday Bazaar Potluck hosted by Agate Pass Exchange
Events are located at OfficeXpats unless otherwise noted.
*Drop-ins welcome |
| Membership Levels and Pricing
How many days each month would you use OfficeXpats?
A 'day' might be eight hours or more of getting work done in a productive, professional, and socially supportive environment. Or using a reserved conference room to host 6 people for a 2-hr meeting. Or both! You could even invite additional meeting attendees to join by Skype video conference.
- 3 days/month (Basic) $69
- 5 days/month $105
- 10 days/month $180
- 15 days/month $250
- Full time $320 (only $272 with 15% discount through Jan 2012)
- add unlimited after hours/weekend access to any level $75/month
- add a Pavilion gym membership to any level for just $20/month
Note that memberships are limited to staffed business hours (8:30-5:30pm). Add after hours/weekends for $75/month.
To start your membership, go to Membership Registration, or just give us a call at 206.780.2177. |
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| Who We Are | |
OfficeXpats on Bainbridge Island is a workplace solution beyond commuting to the corporate office or working from home.
Coworking is about making the personal choice to work alongside other people instead of in isolation. We offer a shared "community" office for remote workers, independent consultants, entrepreneurs, and small businesses.
OfficeXpats is located in the Pavilion on Madison, just a 10-minute walk from the ferry terminal. We hope to help you in your quest for 'new ways to work.'
 | | The Pavilion |
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P.S. Please help us get the word out that coworking and meeting space is available NOW at the Pavilion. to other independent workers and small businesses!
Sincerely,
Leslie and Jason,
The OfficeXpats Team |
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