When architect Michelle Morgan left a big firm in New York to strike out on her own in Atlanta, she didn’t realize how much she would miss having people around her. Working at home was too lonely. Working at a coffee house was too chaotic. “I hated the click, click, click when they ground the beans,” said Morgan. “And you never know if you are going to have a space.”
So Morgan ventured into the emerging trend of coworking. Morgan -- along with a kitchen designer, a cartoonist, a communications expert and a graphic designer – decided to share a work space. She discovered that not only could they share the cost of the space, but they could exchange ideas, expertise and sometimes job leads.
In spring 2010, Morgan founded HUB Atlanta, part of a global network of coworking spaces, joining a growing army of workplace renegades convinced there is a better way to do their jobs. “There is a good 45 percent of the workforce that does not have a traditional office setup,” Morgan said. “Allowing an employee the flexibility to not work in the office is a benefit.”
Coworking is defined as a group of people who work independently in different industries but in a collaborative environment. Members pay fees for the workspace and receive access to a range of services.
Freelancers, small-business owners and mobile employees are among the early converts to coworking, but as changes in traditional workplaces continue, the list is likely to expand. There are coworking spaces specifically for the nonprofit sector, for workers in green industries, for parents and at least one corporate-sponsored coworking space (Google’s TechHub in London).
The coworking movement has doubled in size each year since 2006, according to data from Deskmag.com, a publication about coworking. More than a dozen coworking spaces have opened in metro Atlanta in the past two years offering coffee, conference rooms, wireless internet and a sense of community that has lured Atlantans out of homes, bookstores and coffee shops that once served as their offices.
On a Wednesday morning at The Work Spot in Duluth, a meeting is taking place in one of the conference rooms while a lunchtime networking group assembles in the training room next door. But in the main workspace, the clicking of computer keys is the only sound. Among the eight people hard at work are an engineer, an entrepreneur and an editor.
Andrea Amir, 33, of Norcross, founder of Startup Websmiths, a company that provides training and education to small businesses, joined The Work Spot in April. After transitioning from home to Starbucks to an executive office suite, Amir decided she needed something different.
“The office suite was very limiting. You were still alone. There were walls everywhere,” she said.
Her first coworking experience at Ignition Alley in Atlanta, made her feel like an oddball in a roomful of techies. At The Work Spot, she found a diverse group of professionals and a motivating environment.
“It’s like you have a resource team at your disposal,” said Amir, who has consulted other members on legal issues and questions about technology.
Rayann Larsen, owner of the year-old Work Spot, said she opened the space for selfish reasons. As an engineer for a firm in Arizona, most of Larsen’s work is done remotely.
“I needed [the space] for myself, but it has really become a reflection of the members,” Larsen said. “We try to understand what each one is working on, find gaps and introduce them to other members who can help,” Larsen said.
Members say coworking beats staking out space at coffee shops or bookstores, some of which discourage customers from using their venues as workspace. Most coworking spaces grant at least one free visit, after which costs start at $7-$15 for one day and $75 and up for a monthly pass, dedicated workspace or a conference room.
Coworking spaces tend to have their own vibe and personality. On a recent day at HUB Atlanta in Grant Park, Michelle Morgan helped organize an investors’ pitch meeting upstairs as a few members worked on laptops at tables in the back room. Many members are entrepreneurs who can share ideas among themselves or benefit from access to other business owners at workshops and events.
But some benefits of coworking are less tangible. When Paul Eskew, 40, a mechanical engineer began working independently after he was laid off, The Work Spot provided him a space to take on consulting jobs while he expanded his skill set.
“It is easier financially than other options and this has allowed me to pass on my savings to my clients,” Eskew said.
Though the nature of his business doesn’t necessarily lend itself to extensive collaboration, Eskew said he benefits just from seeing coworking in action. “It is exciting to see people working together as entrepreneurs, learning and engaging,” he said. “It is a good energy for me to see even though I am not participating.”
Need a place to work? Check out the following coworking spaces.
The Work Spot
3150 Main Street, #103. Duluth.
770-330-1001. www.workatthespot.com
Hub Atlanta
318 Cherokee Avenue S.E., #104
404-745-4960. www.atlanta.the-hub.net.
Ignition Alley
750 Ponce de Leon Place
404-954-0045.www.ignitionalley.com.
Roam Atlanta
5815 Windward Parkway Alpharetta.
678-495-2260. www.roamatlanta.com.
Bean Work Play Café.
134 New Street, Decatur.
404-828-0810. www.beanworkplaycafe.com.
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