Manifesto

Why a coworking?

Membership and carnet: was born from the bet of creating a work environment clearly alternative, fresh, informal, light and stimulating, a place made of people for people, life, sociality, knowledge; a creative place where stress is not a regular and the individual is not a number, but a creative person, with his virtuosity and unique abilities.

Spazio19 is an association for social promotion (a.p.s.).

Our manifesto is inspired by an article written by one of our coworkers and that we decided to adopt. We hope that the reading could be inspiring:

It all started like this...

Spring 2012: at that time I had a lot of fun participating in workshops of all kinds, from copywriting to 3D printing. Most of these courses took place during the weekend in coworking spaces and it was the very first time I heard about them and saw them with my own eyes.

When in 2015 I chose to undertake part of my career as a freelancer,I decided frequent a coworking 2 or 3 times a month. I wanted to work among other professionalsbut at the same time I wanted to maintain my independence on spaces and hour.

Coworking are spaces where, besides working, you socialise with other professionals who are exactly in our situation: they are freelancers who have chosen to work in a shared space.

Why working in a coworking is a good idea?

For many good reasons. These are my favorites, in random order:

In a coworking you meet other professionals, freelancers or entrepreneurs of small (or even large businesses) with which to compare and to contaminate.

Working from home, if you are not very rigid with yourself, often means not having a schedule. Working in a coworking, by contrast, helps to establish a beginning and an end of working day.

Coworkers have lunch together, chatting. Not in silence at the computer (terrible habit of a freelancer!).

Working from home sometimes leads to alienation and to withdraw into oneself. Working in a shared gives the opportunity to socialise, to build links with valuable people. Alienation is one of the biggest mistakes freelancers can make for both theirselves and their career.

In a coworking people organize events, it’s not only work! The most beautiful moments are the after-work happy hours, those that are organized last minute or those that have a monthly schedule and maybe are also themed. It is in those moments that you realize the true aim of shared spaces: promote professional but also personal socialisation.

Working in coworking forces you to dress. I (presumptuously) do not believe that there is someone who prefers worki at home in pajamas or in a tracksuit.

How to choose the right coworking?

The coworking suitable for everyone doesn’t exist because each one has their own needs for space and socialisation. Before choosing the right space you have to keep in mind some things, understand which are the most important for you and take the average of all. Here are some questions to ask yourself in order to choose the right coworking:

Proximity:how far are you willing to drive / walk to get to the coworking? How important is it to be close to home or to another place of your interest (children’s school, gym, park, etc…)?

Space:how much space do you need? Do you need a desk of your own or just a chair in a table shared with other coworkers?

Services:assuming that all coworking have fast internet, which other services do you need? Do you need a dresser or a locker to store your things? Do you need a locked space to keep your laptop, mouse, and hard disk safe before you leave? Will you always eat out or will you bring lunch? In this case at the coworking there must be an equipped kitchen.

Costs: how much are you willing to spend per month/year for the space you need?

Membership and carnet:how many times a month will you go to the coworking? Every day? You could make a monthly membership or even a yearly one. Twice a months? Check if there are single entry carnet and how convenient they are.

Socialisation:(perhaps the most important point of all) how much this space will allow you to socialise? Is it big enough to meet many people but cosy enough not to be chaotic?

(source: danadonato.it)

And what choice did I make?

The search for my perfect coworking ended when I ran into Spazio19,very far from my home but with the right atmosphere, space and cost for my needs. I’m a shy introvert (the worst of the worst), I needed a cozy space, to surround myself with friendly people, to laugh often and to confront myself with other professionals. At Spazio19 I found all this and much more.

(source: Dana Donato)