This blog post is part of a series about Coworking around North America & is sponsored by The Network Hub. To learn more about The Network Hub, visit www.thenetworkhub.ca.

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These past few weeks we have been talking to the owners of various work spaces throughout Canada that have embraced Coworking, the act of working in the same space alongside other independent professionals. However, the best way to explain what coworking is all about is to hear how members of coworking spaces feel about the concept from their own experiences. So, this week, we talked to a few members of our own space, The Network Hub, to hear how their experiences have been from coworking at the Hub.

 “Coworking provides a relaxed atmosphere with extremely smart people. For early stage companies and small businesses it really helps to have an office that is not inside of your home,” Kenshi from A Thinking Ape says.

In a casual, shared space, Carlos of Bloom Marketing says, “I do twice as much at the Network Hub than at home or at a coffee shop.”  This is partly due to the fact that the Hub grants all full-time tenants 24/7 access. “[For me], that is the primary reason,” says Ganesh, a software developer who is fairly new to the space. “[Plus], there's usually someone around who knows someone who can help me.”

“The Hub is a brilliant place and source for inspiration, ideas and for making new friends or business ties,” says Chet, a former tenant who has experienced growth at the Hub that he has now moved into his own office to accommodate his new employees.  Paul Preibeisch of B3D Multitech and a member of the Hub, jokes that he initially came into the space for “sanity's sake”. As a programmer, he sits in front of the computer screen for most of the day.  “A lot of my work requires creativity. In order to do that, I need a balance and some sort of social interaction. When I want to go on a break, I can actually talk to a human. And when working alongside other entrepreneurs, available work is referred to other members of the space,” he says, “so, everyone helps each other.”

 “I [also] like the social aspect. I get to meet some very cool people who are self employed,” adds Carlos.

“The monthly meetups are great; I have actually met new clients at those events,” he points out.  Minna Van organizes the Vancouver Entrepreneur Meetup – a monthly networking event aimed towards freelancers and entrepreneurs. “[She] is a fantastic networker and the events she organizes are top notch.”

“[It’s a] great influence and stimulation for start-ups,” advises Yuri of Shine Canada.

The casual environment at the Hub helps to build a spirit of community. “It's Friday and nice, nobody really wants to work and every so often, a few people would gather in the main area and talk. The conversations are usually business-related but very organic, those times felt like being in a small business think tank/incubator,” says Chet. Just last Friday, members of the space enjoyed an impromptu barbeque on the patio.

Co-founder, Jay, encourages anyone interested in coworking to come down and take a look at the space. “

This blog post is part of a series about Coworking around North America & is sponsored by The Network Hub. To learn more about The Network Hub, visit www.thenetworkhub.ca.

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Over the past few weeks, we have been taking a look at various Canadian work spaces that have embraced Coworking. These spaces allow freelancers the ability to work alongside other independent professionals in a casual space designed for work.

One of the longest running spaces in the Coworking movement, even before Coworking was a buzz word, is Canada's Queen Street Commons.

Located in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, the QSC fully embraces the idea of the Commons: “organized to serve the common good of its members. We come together to create the organizational power to obtain services in common that we could never afford on our own. We offer fellowship and community for those that work alone. We offer the opportunity to discover the value of interacting with others. We offer the opportunity to contribute to the common good.”

Like most other Coworking spaces, the QSC provides the basics required of a typical work environment: wireless Internet, a photocopier and fax machine, a board room and a kitchen. While these are things that can also be set up in one's home office, QSC sees its real value in providing what it calls 'Intangible Services'. Being a member of a coworking space allows one the ability to build and strengthen one's network with people who share common interests. This built in social network provides members with a shared pool of business resources, ideas, feedback, and camaraderie.

Robert Paterson, one of Queen Street Commons' co-founders, mentions being initially inspired by the Lloyds Coffee House: “Two hundred and fifty years ago, at the dawn of business, everyone worked at home. People found it convenient to spend the day in the close company of others who shared their common interests. One of the first venues was Lloyds Coffee House. Friends aggregated into booths and then into partnerships with each other. Those who wanted to do business with these “syndicates” wandered around the floor. From this simple beginning arose the world’s most effective insurance business.”

Another idea that Robert Paterson has blogged about in the past is the idea of connecting different Commons or coworking spaces around the world. This creates a global network of networks, simply by being a member of one Commons. This vision is starting to become a reality as more coworking spaces are joining the Coworking Visa program. This program allows the members of a participating coworking space to travel to another country and access that area's coworking space, and more importantly, that space's network of members.

These days, the Queen Street Commons is providing even greater value to the community by putting together a learning series that empowers small businesses and organizations by teaching them how to use the latest social media tools to communicate and connect to their audience.

Two hundred years ago, writers, philosophers, artists, and business people congregated in cafes and bars to connect and create the world we now know. It will be interesting to see what the next generation of innovators creates, as our tools for connecting online improve, and as more coworking spaces like the Queen Street Commons continue to connect people in the real world.

This blog post is part of a series about Coworking around North America & is sponsored by The Network Hub. To learn more about The Network Hub, visit www.thenetworkhub.ca.

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The popularity of the coworking movement in Canada is gaining ground. An alternative to working alone from home or in noisy cafes, coworking spaces allow freelancers to work independently alongside other professionals in a casual environment designed for work. This week we are highlighting one of Canada's latest coworking spaces, Calgary's CoworkYYC.

CoworkYYC was launched late last year by a trio of men: Nik Thierry, Jeff Gibson and Quinton Rafuse. Nik, originally from London, England, arrived in Calgary in March 2009 and worked out of his mother-in-law’s basement. “[I was] becoming even paler than in the damp climates of the UK,” he adds.  Jeff is a freelance graphic designer who worked out of his office for a few years. “[I] slowly [started] going stir-crazy with the solitary confinement. But after CoworkYYC, “[ I’ve] been successfully re-learning to speak out loud (and get responses).”  Last but not least, Quinton Rafuse; an oil & gas professional who is interested in innovation and technology worked downtown before CoworkYYC opened. He situated himself at the space to house his energy start-up.

Their reasons for opening up a coworking space are just as diverse as their backgrounds. Through a spectrum of reasons, in the end, it brought them to the same place. “After discussing the idea, we decided that the only way to get things underway was to look around and create the space ourselves. If you want to stay fresh and involved in your work you need a routine, and it really helps if you have a dedicated work environment,” agreed the entrepreneurs. “Our main goal is to create a working environment that gives people the space and social interaction that you can't get from being home alone.”

Freelancers will find that discipline, focus and productivity are present in a coworking space. “We have discovered here is that people are finding they are getting their work done more efficiently, as the distractions of home (the pile of dishes to be washed, the unmade bed, that 10 minutes of bad morning TV) are being LEFT at home,” Nik points out. “With CoworkYYC based on the edge of the city’s centre, we've found that some workers can walk to work, and for those that drive, there isn't ever any gridlock on the journey in."

This easily accessible space houses a lot of different skill sets. “The majority are in the creative field, as the world of freelance fits in very well with the creative set,” explains Nik, “We're pleased, though, to have quite a bit of diversity in our clients' professions and skill sets - we have graphic designers, front and back-end web designers, an interior designer, a structural engineer and advertising/marketing people. Alongside these we've got an HR specialist, two international vocational trainers, a grad student and a communications professional specializing in emergency management plans.” On the whole it seems that almost anyone can use the space. “Though we'd probably draw the line at heart surgeon,” jokes Nik.

With a dynamic collection of creatives in one space, the first collaborative project started just a couple months after their launch when one needed a brand identity, printed stationary and a website. “The people who could do this work [were] sitting only a few desks away. It was a nice short trip across the office to talk the job through and get things underway,” explains Jeff.

The space is almost filled up after half a year into business. “We've only got six desks left until we reach capacity in our current floor plan, so we're already drawing up options for the space to make it more efficient from a business perspective as well as for our clients' needs,” says Quinton. The most recent announcement at CoworkYYC is a daily drop in rate for people that aren’t able to commit to a whole month or simply want to try the space out. There’ll definitely be a great vibe with the light-hearted and laid-back creative bunch behind it all.

This blog post is part of a series about Coworking around North America & is sponsored by The Network Hub. To learn more about The Network Hub, visit www.thenetworkhub.ca.

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This week, we bring you a fairly new coworking facility founded by Chad Ballantyne: The Creative Space – a casual and laid-back place with a level of professionalism that is perfectly suited to bring out creativity, productivity and discipline while still including camaraderie. “The idea was to have a place where people can relate, collaborate and create,” he says. Nestled on Dunlop Street East by the water in Barrie, Ontario, the space is in a prime location for business start ups and entrepreneurs.

And like any coworking space, TCS includes the basic fundamentals: a meeting room, kitchen, bathroom and high speed internet. But the atypical placement of a foosball table in the middle of the room ensures a relaxed atmosphere. Fitting, as coworking spaces are meant to relieve some stress from the home office.

Since the launch early last year, Chad has gathered almost twenty full time tenants: graphic designers, a photographer, children’s worker, public relations, social media marketer, web developers, writers… and the list goes on. The wide range of tenants gave us a bit of insight on how TCS is helping their business run smoothly.

A business developer finds TCS very stimulating and healthy, adding that it provides a level of professionalism when talking to potential clients.

“I’m able to work but love that I can ask for help, suggestions and opinions,” states another tenant. “I have people around to ask a question or get help for a problem I have searched tirelessly for the answer to. I also am able to give back with my advice, experience and business savvy.”

In a space that is social and open, productivity increased and networking was made easier as referrals were made out of the office. “I had no one to bounce ideas off of working in an office. Now I parade my clients happily though our bull pen of creatives working away quietly or loudly depending on the moment.” For that reason, coworking exists. It relies on a team of people who make work social. Simply put, this is what coworking is all about.

“I’ve made a lot of new contacts, and I am constantly meeting new people. The interesting part is the way that many of the independent businesses collaborate, refer, and piggy-back off of each other in a way that consistently generates new clients and projects for almost everyone who enters the space.”

One tenant stated that working independently doesn't provide an opportunity to ask questions or learn from others. And perfectly rounded out that TCS is not just a workplace but it’s a learning space.

Though a year of business has passed by, TCS’s one year anniversary was April 9^th to be exact - the potential for the space is still a goal. The team hopes to see a working pod for 3-4 coworkers to interact and work. The expansion of TCS is always on mind. “It would be great if it could keep expanding as I really enjoy the creative environment and learning from others.”

The possibilities of the Creative Space are vast and endless. They believe that the coworking model will guide most of the businesses in the future. “When you think of all the positives to it, our clients are happier, we are happier; we have bigger bottom line results. How could it get any better?”