0 MA Named Most Innovative in U.S.

Kenmore Square in Fenway

Credit: Boston Globe

What are we know for in Massachusetts? Innovative ideas. Among our peers, Massachusetts ranks number one. Why is that, well a number of reasons; we have:

  • 114 Colleges and Universities
  • Biotech & Pharma
  • Venture Capital
  • Tech Sector
  • Defense
  • Money Managers
  • Medical and Teaching Hospitals
  • Sports Teams

From the BBJ:

According to Bloomberg, California scored behind Massachusetts, “which gained ground by churning out more science and engineering graduates and producing jobs in those industries even though it had less technology company density than in 2015,” according to the data compiled by Bloomberg.

0 Co-Working Office Space’s Impact on the Commercial Environment

Never had this crossed my mind, the social do’s and don’ts of Co-Working and its larger implications.

Co-working office space graphic

Credit: New York Times

From the NY Times:

To get a glimpse of what manners will be like in the office of the future, it behooves us to look at co-working spaces, those offices peopled by freelancers or by workers who have different employers. Many sources predict that by 2020, half of the work force will be freelance.

One theory of etiquette holds that manners are best in communities with fixed populations: If you know that you’ll see Tina again tomorrow (and Tuesday and Wednesday), you’re less likely to surreptitiously scarf down the rest of the half-eaten boysenberry yogurt she left in the office fridge, because daily exposure to her yogurt-based wistfulness will start to gnaw at you, and ultimately turn you into a Munch painting.

0 Co-working Office Space Portends Modern Commercial Real Estate

WeWork Boston

WeWork

It is clear, Co-working is a valuable resource when launching a company.  Depending on, in part your age, or size of your company, shared space is by far changing the traditional office environment. No longer are we a society of cubes and offices; we now have huddle rooms, phone booths, collaboration stations and quiet spaces.

There’s a variety of co-working options and environments available to applicable enterprises; for instances, at WeWork businesses can receive the following:

HOT DESK
A shared workspace in a common area. When you purchase a Hot Desk, there is no need to reserve a particular workspace in advance each day; you can come and go as needed and use any available desk.

This plan includes access to our digital Member Network, events, and services, 24/7 keycard access at your home location, as well as 2 monthly credits for reserving workspaces and conference rooms.

DEDICATED DESK
An assigned desk space in a large open area shared with other members. This dedicated space comes with a lockable filing cabinet for your personal belongings. Desktops may be set up and left overnight. This plan includes access to our digital Member Network, events, and services, 24/7 keycard access at your home location, as well as 5 monthly credits for reserving workspaces and conference rooms.

PRIVATE OFFICE
A fully enclosed, lockable office space. Your company can add on more offices as you grow. This plan includes access to our digital Member Network, events, and services, 24/7 keycard access at your home location, as well as monthly credits for reserving workspaces and conference rooms that correlate with your office size (minimum of 12 credits for a 1 person office).

You can read more on the Daily Free press website.

0 Shared Office Space Continues to Grow

The migration from “Me Space” to “We Space” will continue as employers accommodate flex time and independent working.  At PwC the North American worker had 176 less personal pace in 2012 versus 2010.

Liquid space

Credit: FastCompany

According to a recent article on FastCompany.com, “Companies like WeWork, which offers small offices within a shared community of workers on a monthly basis and recently raised funding at a $16 billion valuation, have helped building owners adapt as the renting of vast swaths of cubicle farms in three- or five-year increments falls out of style. But as these real estate developers have watched WeWork rise, they’re looking for ways to more directly tap into the trends that have made the company so successful. “When you look at the growth of, for example, the coworking companies, it’s clear that long-term leases with little flexibility are probably not entirely the way of the future,” says Deborah Boyer, EVP and director of asset management for the SWIG Company, which owns almost 9 million square feet of real estate. Some real estate companies have developed their own prebuilt spaces to accommodate growing companies. Others have partnered with WeWork to design entire buildings with a new type of work in mind.”

You can read the full article on Fast Company’s website.

0 Boston Plans Services and Office Space for Entrepreneurs

Shared office space

Credit: Boston Business Journal

Tech industry insiders are trying to find better ways to connect with you.  What do you care about when you consider starting something new:

  • Location
  • Cost
  • Term
  • Amenities
  • Collaboration
  • Mentors
  • Synergistic services

From the BBJ:

At a Monday meeting in Boston of the governing board of MassTech Collaborative’s Innovation Institute, industry leaders talked about what’s working with the state’s vast programs and services for entrepreneurs, what could be done better, and how significant the services are to the broader economy.

Massachusetts is already home to several “collaborative workspaces” for entrepreneurs, ranging from co-working spaces such as WeWork to makerspaces such as Arisan’s Asylum in Somerville, to incubators such as Greentown Labs in Somerville and accelerators such as Boston-based MassChallenge.

The MassTech Collaborative’s 2015 “Innovation Index” found that there are about 33 co-working spaces, 25 makerspaces, 26 incubator programs and 15 accelerator programs in Massachusetts.

0 Babson College Readies Downtown Boston Co-Working Space

100 High St. Boston

Credit: BBJ

Babson College will be offering a shared co-working drop in center at 100 High Street in the Financial District of Boston.  Kerry Healey, Babson President, comments that nearly half of the 16,000 graduates live or work in greater Boston.

This is the first of its kind where higher education is offering a retail presence rather than just a club experience on an upper floor.

According to the Boston Business Journal, “the Wellesley college known for its success preparing entrepreneurs is leasing 9,000 square feet at 100 High St., including 2,000 square feet of ground floor space fronting on the Federal Street side of the building, in the Financial District. Graduate business students will be able to take classes at the site and alumni will be able to work in a co-working setting…The location, scheduled to open before fall 2016, will more than double Babson’s space in Boston.”

You can read the full article on the BBJ’s local website.

0 Map of Boston Coworking Office Space

Coworking office space in Boston by geographic location, courtesy of Xconomy:

map of boston and cambridge shared office space

Credit: Xconomy

Andy Palmer, a Boston serial entrepreneur and angel investor, ‘thinks Boston would be best served by a series of spaces spread among different neighborhoods along the subway system’s Red Line, which touches the city’s busiest startup hubs, including Kendall Square in Cambridge and the Seaport District and Downtown Crossing in Boston. And if you look at the map, that strategy seems to be playing out…Boston’s neighborhoods “all need good, solid coworking spaces because they all have startups and founders that want to do startups in these areas,” Palmer says. “It’s healthy to have these short-term lease options in every one of these areas.”’

0 Cloud Computing’s Impact on Today’s Office Space

Office space is used far differently today than 25 years ago. Production is no longer measured by how much time you log in a seat at your desk, but rather what is accomplished by the day’s end. Some jobs still require sitting in a specific seat — lab technicians and receptionists are the two that come to mind — but those restrictions are becoming less and less applicable to the majority of professions.  At our company we offer a wide variety of options for our team members, much of which is a direct result enhanced virtual desktops. Only a few years ago, you had to sit at your desk in order to access your computer and critical electronic files; now your electronic desktop can follow you.

co-working and shared office space infographic

Credit: MBACentral

An article from MBAcentral on coworking spaces observes “the changing nature of business and the workforce [noting] 4 in 10 U.S. workers…will be temps, freelancers or contractors, 8 in 10 Large corporations [are] planning to increase use of flexible workforce, Nearly 90% of businesses have already adopted some cloud computing. [and] 80% of companies offer flexible working arrangements, including telework.”

You can read the full article, here.

0 Workbar Offers a Network of Co-Working Office Space

Workbar interior in Boston

Credit: BetaBoston

Have a peek at how some of the shared workspace providers manage users and spaces locally and worldwide.

From BetaBoston:

“Workbar has partnered with Fields Corner Business Lab and five other regional co-working spaces to create the Workbar Network, which will link these independently run facilities into a larger community…As part of the network, these [original] six sites are now using Workbar’s proprietary software to help manage their members, Cole says. The software provides tools for managers to check people in, coordinate conference room bookings, and promote events and happenings throughout the network at large. ‘It’s everything they need to run the space,’ says Cole.”

“’The reservation system is much easier to manage and it gives us more data,’ says Maudlin, who says the software helped them realize that they had a lot of people who only came to the space on weekends. ‘If we were going to do an event or do something for our members, we now know when are they there the most. It’s a lot more information that we can use to better service our members.’”

0 Workbar Network Links Co-Working Office Space

co-working office space at WorkBar in Boston

Credit: BetaBoston

Have a peek at how some of the shared workspace providers manage users and spaces locally and worldwide.

A BetaBoston article notes, “over the past several months, Workbar has partnered with Fields Corner Business Lab and five other regional co-working spaces to create the Workbar Network, which will link these independently run facilities into a larger community. Other participating sites are Work Station in Cohasset, The Entrepreneur Innovation Center at Framingham State University, Running Start in Worcester, and Groundwork! in New Bedford…As part of the network, these six sites are now using Workbar’s proprietary software to help manage their members, Cole says. The software provides tools for managers to check people in, coordinate conference room bookings, and promote events and happenings throughout the network at large. “It’s everything they need to run the space,” says Devin Cole, Workbar’s director of business development.

You can read the full BetaBoston article on its website, here.