Co-Working

One of the topics that really stood out for me at BarCamp Orlando, was Co-Working. Co-working is basically sharing a space with other freelancers, independents, telecommuters, mobile works, and other work-at-home types to foster a sense of community around the work that you do.

Think about it – what do you think would happen if you got a bunch interesting people together on a daily basis, working and talking in the same place at the same time? The people who invented the concept call it Accelerated Serendipity. Others say it would be like BarCamp every day. Essentially its a community office with a coffee house vibe, but with the professional accoutrements of a real corporate office (conference rooms, etc).

I’ve worked at home for about 6 years now. Its almost crazy when you think about it. I’ve worked for myself, out of a home office for more time than I haven’t. In other words, over half my career I’ve been an independent consultant – Wow. And yet, recently I’ve noticed that something was missing. What’s missing is other people! The ability to tilt a screen and ask – “Does that look right to you?”. The ability to network with other entrepreneurs and stay connected, informed and possibly start something with one another. This is powerful stuff, and I can’t wait to see something like this in Orlando and else where. That was the thing that shocked me the most about BarCamp Orlando – the sheer number of freelancers in this city. I don’t know why I thought I was one of the few – but by my informal calculations it seemed like over 60% of the community at BarCamp was working for themselves or at home.

If you want to learn more, or to get involved in getting a Co-Working space going in your area, check out these links:

• What is Co-Working? (Video)
• Co-Working in Orlando
• Co-Working Orlando Wiki
• Co-Working Blog
• Co-Working Google Group (Mailing List)