The San Francisco Chronicle had a cover story yesterday on coworking titled "Shared Workspaces A Wave of the Future". The article provides an excellent description of coworking:
"Laptop nomads - that growing tribe of folks who can be found typing away at any cafe with wireless Internet access - are starting to put down roots. And some .... are doing it through co-working, a 21st century twist on the old idea of the shared artists' studio.
In co-working, a group of freelancers or other solo entrepreneurs share one big office space with perks that they might not get at home, such as conference rooms, espresso machines and opportunities for socializing."
The article also points out the growing interest in coworking by traditional office suite companies:
"In Santa Clara, a traditional business center, Bowers Office Center, started offering a co-working option several months ago."
We discuss coworking in our first Future of Small Business report, and believe these facilities will supporting the growth of next-gen artisans.
There is a very useful list of coworking resources at end of the article.
***Update - just noticed the New York Times has an article on coworking today. It is in the front of the small business section. Two major articles in two days in two leading newspapers - a good sign that a trend is moving beyond the fringe and towards the mainstream. ****
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