NextSpace Opens San Francisco Coworking Space, Tells Freelancers that "Working In Coffee Shops Was So 90's”

(3BLMedia/theCSRfeed) SAN FRANCISCO, California - June 1, 2010 - NextSpace Coworking + Innovation, Inc. (www.nextspace.us) today officially opened the doors of its newest coworking space, conveniently located at 28 Second Street (at Market) in San Francisco. Building on the success of its flagship location in Santa Cruz, NextSpace San Francisco’s 4000 square foot coworking space is designed for people who work for themselves but do not want to work by themselves. 

As part of the launch of NextSpace San Francisco, the team is hosting Freelance Camp PRO on June 5.   Freelance Camp is an international coalition of volunteers who produce one-day informal conferences for freelancers to come together to share ideas, knowledge, tips, and tools for running a successful freelance or small service business. “We’re expecting over 100 freelancers and owners of small service businesses to take part in this event,” says Jeremy Neuner, NextSpace co-founder and CEO. “This is the perfect way to launch our new coworking space, because it provides a chance to learn with, and from, our target market.”   Coworking is gaining traction, in the wake of the recession, because all the business rules have completely changed. People are reinventing themselves, developing new revenue streams, learning new skills and redirecting their careers.  Advances in technology mean that work doesn't have to be totally about place anymore, especially in the knowledge economy.  Even as signs of recovery appear, there's a whole new game plan in play.  And, coworking is also good for the environment.   What differentiates NextSpace from other co-working or shared office deals, Neuner notes “isbuilding a community where motivated and talented people can converge. NextSpace is a catalyst for collaboration and innovation— it has evolved as an environment that inspires creativity, encourages synergy, promotes a spirit of generosity and fosters productivity.”    NextSpace San Francisco Already Gaining Members Rebecca Brian and Jamie Capozzi, along with the team from Santa Cruz, are the co-founders of NextSpace San Francisco. Both Brian and Capozzi run small graphic design firms that were hit hard during the economic downturn and were looking for a way for designers to band together. After touring the Santa Cruz location and meeting with Neuner, they decided that they didn’t just want to pick his brain; they wanted to go into business with him.   A sampling of San Francisco members includes a role playing social network company; a point-of-sale software company; consumer electronics branding; and many members from Santa Cruz who are thrilled to have access to NextSpace’s San Francisco location.   Building on Success in Santa Cruz There were a lot of naysayers and skeptics when Neuner, Ryan Coonerty and Caleb Baskin opened the NextSpace doors while the economy was beginning a record-setting nosedive in the fall of ‘08.  Today, less than two years later, the trio get called "savvy entrepreneurs" and "strategic visionaries" for bucking the trend with a hybrid business model that is not only profitable, but on a solid expansion trajectory.   There are more than 200 current Santa Cruz members creating or running businesses in software, design, engineering, manufacturing, marketing and public relations, information technology, clean technology, publishing, marine biology, web and mobile applications, legal, accounting, non-profits.   One member is creating bass sound samples for a London-based audio effects company; a climate action company has developed new systems to collect ozone depleting substances; a social entrepreneur is launching a new idea for sustainable vocational education and has critical legal and accounting support right down the hall.   May has been a hectic month for this scrappy Santa Cruz startup. They just celebrated another milestone as the NextSpace team was recognized for leadership in growing the state's knowledge economy and named Small Business of the Year by Assemblymember Bill Monning. A few weeks ago, the Aspen Institute named Neuner one of 16 First Mover Fellows.     Membership Details Pricing: Café Memberships starting at $235/month. Workstation Memberships starting at $475/month Office Memberships starting at $1195/month Day Passes $20/day or 10 for $175 During the soft launch phase (June-September), NextSpace will offer a “buy two months, get one month free” promotion. Membership amenities include: Commercial broadband Internet/network (wired and wireless) Utilities and basic janitorial service Networked printer, scanner, fax & copier Conference and meeting space with projector & screen Mailing address Whiteboards, orange boards, and other brainstorming gadgets Events, brown bag lunches, member-only email discussion lists, lectures, and happy hours All of the delicious coffee, tea, and other caffeine delivery devices one can consume A community of smart, creative, interesting people who help each other make their businesses successful   National Coworking Stats: The SBA says there are more than 27 million US small businesses and of those, 20 million are solo operations. An estimated 40% of the US workforce could work remotely. In 2008, over 17 million people telecommunted at least occasionally. This year, it is projected that 100 million Americans will work on "virtual teams" at least once a month.  (Jeff Brenman, ApolloIdeas.com) Sun Microsystems Inc. calculates that it saves $300 million per year in real estate costs by allowing nearly 50% of employees to work anywhere they want.       About NextSpace Coworking + Innovation, Inc. NextSpace is the workplace for the new economy.  NextSpace provides innovative physical and virtual infrastructure that freelancers, entrepreneurs, and creative class professionals need to succeed in the 21st century knowledge economy. In an increasingly disconnected world, NextSpace creates a collaborative community that is revolutionizing the nature of work with locations in San Francisco and Santa Cruz, California and at www.nextspace.us.   NS7122