All posts tagged Office Space

What is a Collaborative and Diverse Workspace?

By Araceli On April 1, 2011 In Blog With No Comments Permanent Link to What is a Collaborative and Diverse Workspace?Permalink

There are a couple of words that we would like to define in regards to who we are.

Collaborative

For us this means a space the hosts individuals who are looking to build a strong knowledge based community.  It means that people are open and willing to share knowledge, contacts, and experience to build their business faster and more sustainably.

Diverse

There are many examples on how important extrapolation is for innovation. From the printing press to the airplane they were invented through being exposed to a wide variety of knowledge and systems.

In our space we have members that range in age, industry, gender, and background. They are all learning from each other’s industries and sharing solutions, clients, and opportunities.

The more diverse your knowledge pool the more diverse your ideas and solutions will be.

Workspace

THECUBE is deliberately choosing the word workspace as it is a more open than office space or coworking. For us it refers to both a physical and mental space. Our space uses brain technology to both provide a space that is neurochemically primed but also provide new tools to make better use of our brains.

We are moving to a new ‘humanist economy’ which means that we have to re-learn how to work together, create businesses that offer value, and solve complex humanitarian problems. The old tools, which were used to build the past economy cannot be transferred and we need psychical spaces that encourage the sharing of new knowledge plus brain technology that offers new tools.

THECUBE is a place to learn, collaborate, and grow a sustainable business.

Using Coworking Spaces To Transition from Corporate to Enteprise

By Araceli On January 11, 2011 In Blog With No Comments Permanent Link to Using Coworking Spaces To Transition from Corporate to EnteprisePermalink

We are really lucky to be living in times of change, you can feel it in the air. We are hearing people ask core questions about their careers and economy; How do I create value? How do I create a career that is fulfilling financially and to society? Is the current corporate structure sustainable? etc.

These questions are acting as exit catalysts for corporate people, however what happens once you take the plunge into enterprise?

Working From Anywhere
There is a perspection that once you leave the vertical structure of the corporation you have the liberty to work from anywhere. However, most of the time you end up working in your home office without changing from our pajamas. Once the initial novelty of wears off, the feeling of isolation begins to set in. There are no more watercolor moments, or after work drinks, or the general buzz of a social environment. This can be a lonely and maddening experience. This where choosing the right place to work comes into place.

Coworking spaces are a great place to start, granted we have a biased opinion, non the less they provide a better community feel than serviced offices. After making such a big change in your life its great to have a space that houses other people who are going through the same thing. Coworking spaces make you feel like you are part of something familiar again, it’s a bit like going to the office, except you get to do what you want.

Mimicking Behaviour
The other difference is finding yourself away from familiar behaviours. There are no colleagues to banter with or share ideas, there is no one to delegate to, or even someone who can just pass on a tip.

Coworking spaces tend to mimic some of these behaviors. You have the set-up of an office, you have new ‘colleagues’ who can help move your idea forward and you get to chat about current events. We are social animals and we need to this type of interaction to feel connected and even to release dopamine, which is the neurochemical responsible for generating ideas. Plus patterns are comforting as they are familiar, which is what coworking spaces offer – a new place to go and interact with ‘colleagues’.

Making The Decision
Even before you set foot in a coworking space, you first have to make the decision to take the plunge. How do you decide? Most coworking spaces offer really competitive pricing, so join for one month and observe what is like to be an entrepreneur. Go to the events and meet people who are doing it, ask them questions about their process. Seeing other people creating their own business will make it more tangible for you, which will then minimize the fear.

About THECUBE Coworking Space
THECUBE offers events that are open to the community, creating an opportunity for people to come by and see what its like to make the transition from corporation to enterprise.

Web Developers Round Table: What Type of Marketing Are You Using?

By Araceli On December 17, 2010 In Blog With No Comments Permanent Link to Web Developers Round Table: What Type of Marketing Are You Using?Permalink

Every first Wednesday of the month web- developers get together at THECUBE and discuss pressing issues facing their industry. It is a great platform to air problems as well as get feed back from peers. Below is this month’s discussion and some of the points that were brought up. The discussion is led and developed by the team at WeMakeWebsites

  • Customer referalls are an easy and powerful way to generate new warm leads that are in a similar market to current customers and that you have domain knowledge of (assuming the referred customer is in the same market as the existing customer).
    • No reward required, most people will simply pass on or provide details when asked. They don’t do it without prompting simply because it’s not on their mind.
    • Referalls can be asked for informally, verbally at the end of a project, or as part of an end-of-project/feedback form (or both)
  • Use LinkedIn to find possible leads in second-order network. Ask for an introduction from people in your immediate network. Set the right psychology, if you expect to receive the expect to genuinely give, people are always more prone to help if they are feeling happy. If you introduce people through your linked in, people will naturally feel inclined to introduce you as well. When asking people for an introduction give a specific reason.
  • Attend networking events, not necessarily those related to your industry. E.g. attending a fashion or marine biologist networking event can provide a rich source of new contacts. Increase your ‘luck surface area’ through activities such as this.
  • Find a niche, create a story, show that you have knowledge and passion in a given domain and use this as part of a marketing campaign to appeal those within that market.
  • Write a book, send it out to a select set of contacts. Shows expertise, is out of the ordinary and provokes interest from the other party. Demonstrates domain knowledge.
  • Approach journals in a target industry and offer to write an article on something that you know about. Write objectively so that it doesn’t come across as an ad-vetorial. Make sure you a credited.
  • Give away some part of your service for free to let prospects get a taste of how you can help them.
  • Umbrellas! On a rainy day this have exposure to a large number of people and, well, everyone needs an umbrella at some point.
  • Use social networking tools like Dribbble to promote work without revealing all (either because you’d rather keep the product in stealth mode or because you can’t how all due to NDA). Use this technique on your own website to show work that isn’t launched yet for example.
  • Comment on blogs which are read by your clients to spread the word about your expertise.
  • Write a list of your most connected contacts and then ask them to introduce you to relevant people. Again be specific about how your service will help.
  • Network everywhere as everyone has connections, on the plane, at the gym, book club. Be strategic and find where your clients ‘hang-out’ and engage with them in a more casual level. An article based on networking from CFO of leading company.

About THECUBE

THECUBE is a coworking space which focuses on innovation and enterprise. We help our members by giving them tools top help catalyze great business ideas, which in turn creates innovative and sustainable business.

We also offer the standards of office life such as, desk- space, boardroom hire, fax, photocopying, tea and coffee. We are conveniently located in Shoreditch on Commercial Street E1, so its perfect for City and Creative access.

Innovation in Art

By Araceli On December 14, 2010 In Art With No Comments Permanent Link to Innovation in ArtPermalink

Art by Benjamin Buckley

Being creative is using imagination. Being creative is about trial and error. Being creative is noticing an issue and taking the initiative and courage to address it, voice it, change it or fight against it. Innovation is the carrying out of combined ideas. It is the process and the result, the production line that assembles ideas and ensures they are successfully intertwined to make something new, relevant and working. The results of innovation are not final nor is it the end. The result remains open for innovation to happen again.

Being open, is a valuable trait when generating ideas. Openness allows the unusual and the unconventional to intrude on the thought process, for influences to travel to and come from all areas of the globe. Openness allows you to contemplate on a range of choices whilst it gets you to break away from pattern and to embrace all forms of collaboration.

With art, the initial thought process starts with ideas that stem from emotion, opinion, situation and expression. These headings will produce an idea which will be unique to each artist, but sometimes projecting that idea in a visual way, and needing it to appeal to others may not represent or express individuality. This is where innovation is needed. The artist combines influences and ideas to make themselves and their visual voice stand as a unique one.

In my personal opinion I believe the process of innovation has to be a genuine one for it to be successful. There are artists who lack sincerity in their work and it shows. In a previous article What Should Art Do? I briefly touched upon on the thought that of late there had been a lot of art that was being produced for the reason of attention and not because it delivered a message, emotion or opinion. It is a though only half of the innovation production line is being used, the first half: The Idea. Art which has been designed with intent to exist for the sake of being new isn’t genuine art. Innovation should be the process of creativity and a result that works, not an idea that stands alone.

Our resident artist Benjamin Buckley’s has worked against conventional painting. He has chosen to paint without the physical brush. The technique he uses is one which involves drawing the images on a graphic tablet and is then printed off onto canvas using the Giclée fine art printing method. The images are then stretched and are followed by coats of Ketone resin and acrylic. Benjamin’s uses this technique so that he can make the images more intricate when looked at, and turns the digital process into a more delicate one. It means the images can be blown up to an incredible scale. He uses this labour intensive method as it uncovers the intricacy and detail in his “daydreams”. Ben’s intentions were to create a utopia formed from his imagination and dreams that doesn’t fit within reality but appeals and can be understood and rebuilt by the viewers imagination. Through his work you can see the evolution of several ideas. It has purpose,  it makes the viewer drift away into their imagination.

What is amazing about innovation is that it will constantly remain an ongoing process. We will see inventions go through transformation and evolution to become a product of someone’s creativity.

By Gabrielle Cooper

ABOUT THECUBE Gallery

THECUBE Coworking space acts as a platform for emerging artists. We showcase an artist on a monthly basis both to help young talent and to give the workspace a sense of change. We choose the artists based on their innovation and creativity rather than shock or monetary status.

During the day people are welcome to view the art and see it within the context of an office space or during a private view where they can interact with the artist. It is important for art to stimulate our members and be part of the space.

Collaboration in Coworking Spaces

By Araceli On December 8, 2010 In Blog With 1 Comment Permanent Link to Collaboration in Coworking SpacesPermalink

Collaboration in coworking spaces seems to be a continual problem. On the one hand the member community has to come in and get on with their work and on the other people are coming to coworking spaces to find collaborators.

Solution 1

Create time during the month when members can move away from their desks and collaborate. Create events at different times of the day to vary the flow of people.

Solution 2

Create a space that is small enough to generate accidental or spontaneous collaboration.

Solution 3

Create a database from which to personally introduce members.

Solution 4

Look into tools that can facilitate collaboration

Solution 5

Create casual lounge areas in the space, which are conducive to conversation.

Resources

www.bracketprojects.co.uk

About THECUBE

THECUBE is a coworking space dedicated to innovation. We have a diverse community of entrepreneurs and freelancers as one of our core beliefs is that diversity drives ideas.

We have all the usual workspace and hotdesking facilities as well, from virtual office space to meeting hire.

155 Commercial Street, Studio 5, E1. Nearest tube station is Liverpool Street or Shoreditch High Street.

THECUBE Membership Highlight: Perma @£195

By Araceli On August 3, 2010 In Blog With No Comments Permanent Link to THECUBE Membership Highlight: Perma @£195Permalink

workspace1

THECUBE coworking space offers 5 main membership tiers, today we would like to highlight our Perma membership. Due to the collapse of many businesses, office space is becoming increasingly affordable for start-ups, however they come with precarious terms and conditions. Plus there are all the added costs like council tax, bills, property management fees, office maintenance, cleaning, etc, etc.

This is why we offer the Perma option, there are no added costs or need for your start-up to worry about anything, except showing up.  As most start-ups have endless ‘to-do’ lists having an office that you don’t have to think about, someone to sort out your mail, and a clean space to meet with clients is a huge advantage.

On top of this THECUBE also offers an established community of entrepreneurs, meeting room hire, virtual office space, and an in-house consultancy.

About THECUBE Coworking Space

By Araceli On July 2, 2010 In Blog With No Comments Permanent Link to About THECUBE Coworking SpacePermalink

workspace3

Coworking at THECUBE is affordable. flexible, and straight forward. Potential members to THECUBE have a choice of 5 main tiers from which to design the most suitable work-plan.

Who is at THECUBE?
THECUBE members are curious, innovative, and driven by need to create great ideas. We believe in diversity and have attracted entrepreneurs and idea makers from across all different industries. We have film makers, PR firms, financial consultants, accountants, printers, architects, fashion, creative agencies, software developers, web developers, and graphic designers.

Why Join  THECUBE?
There are many reasons, the more practical being that you need a place that will conduce concentration and productivity, a place to meet with clients, or place to showcase your work, and then there the more qualitative reasons like meeting future collaborators, clients or finding a source of inspiration, or shooting the breeze with like minded people.
In general people like coming to THECUBE, because it helps keep positivity up. Being social and being around like minded people raises dopamine levels, which means that ideas are easier to create and implement.

What is like to have office space at THECUBE?
People always comment about how relaxed the space is, we are all here to achieve goals, however the minimalistic design calms people, which means they are able to concentrate a lot more.
Since we have people from across different industries and different age groups, everyone is quit curious to learn from each other, so it feels more like a collaborative space than a rigid office space.

Other Serives at THECUBE

THECUBE also offers virtual office services, meeting room hire, boardroom hire, gallery space, and in house consultancy firm called Idea Engineering
If you would like to join our community, curious about what are about, or have an idea you want to run past someone, give us a call 0207 3779279 or email Araceli info@thecubelondon.com

Say Goodbye to Office Space

By Araceli On June 28, 2010 In Blog With No Comments Permanent Link to Say Goodbye to Office SpacePermalink

reverse

Coworking spaces have been gaining momentum since 2007 and they are quickly becoming the new way of working. It’s a format of working that even academia is starting to adopt as way to introduce a better flow of collaboration and concentration.

What makes Coworking space so attractive?

1. They spark collaboration, especially coworking space, which  have a diverse community, like THECUBE.
2. They give idea makers a sense of community and security. If you see other people taking the plunge to make their idea happen, then you don’t feel so isolated.
3. Gives birth to new skills by ‘osmosis’ in other words you learn by just being around new knowledge.
4.  Creates new neighbourhoods of knowledge, which can be used to expand mindspace, knowledge, and create new way of implementing your idea.
5.  It helps create new neurological connections. When we first learn a task or are exposed to novel information our brain thrives and creates new pathways of thinking as it becomes routine, it stops. By just being in a coworking environment will create novel experiences for your brain, which leads to better generation of idea.

THECUBE coworking space is based in Shoreditch East London and we offer a variety of services.

From Virtual office space, boardroom hire, meeting spaces, gallery, FREE events, and consultancy.

For more information, please visit our membership tiers and virtual office space services.

THECUBE
155 Commercial Street
02073779279
info@thecubelondon.com

How to use Virtual Office Space

By Araceli On June 24, 2010 In Blog With No Comments Permanent Link to How to use Virtual Office SpacePermalink

THECUBE coworking space understands that having a virtual office space in London is an essential part of a business, however there are some do’s and dont’s to think about.

1. Do tell your client’s about your great new office space location.

2. Don’t make yourself bigger than you are and be deceitful to your clients.

3. Do tell your clients that you belong to a coworking space in London, which is the new way of working for small businesses and freelancers.

4. Do showcase your address your website and pictures to let your clients know that you have a great place to office space to work from.

5. Don’t use the address to deceit clients or for dormant and fraudulent companies.

Worklounge at THECUBE Coworking Space

By Araceli On May 7, 2010 In Blog With No Comments Permanent Link to Worklounge at THECUBE Coworking SpacePermalink

workspace1

THECUBE coworking space has different places for members to work from, we believe that office space doesn’t have to be stale or boring. It can be stimulating, induce productivity, and be aesthetically pleasing.

Access to worklounge is through membership

← Older Entries