We are really happy with our new location, here are some pictures!

Wouldn’t it be great if there was somewhere you could go to get your work done that isn’t filled with all these distractions? Fortunately, such a place does exist, and it’s called Co-Working. Co-Working is a quiet, dedicated workspace located in Fullerton, CA, where you can rent a space for a day to get your stuff done in a work oriented environment. If you like the Co-Working experience, you can secure your work space every work day of the week for an entire month to ensure you have an office in a quiet, relaxed environment with all the comforts of your home. Co-Working also offers free tea, water, and Starbucks coffee, leaving you with no reason not to try Co-Working today.

Coworking spaces are being created in cities and towns all over the world. Here, the professional can work in space rented by the hour or day, surrounded by others doing the same. There are no bosses, just workers, working independently yet in a community of others who share their vision. Costs are kept low, creativity flows and professional space for meetings and conferences is readily available.

Coworking combats the fatigue and creative slumps that the self-employed freelancer frequently experiences. The coworking idea is based on forming a community that is collaborative, supportive and grants each worker a legitimate place in the world of the coworking space. Many coworking communities have banded together to form webs of space that are available to members from affiliated communities. There are coworking groups that span the globe allowing members to share space worldwide. Those who travel extensively on the job can benefit from knowing they will find a comfortable space to work where people have similar goals.
Because the sense of community is more important than the actual space, many coworking groups start before the space is actually acquired.

The most obvious is the end to the isolation of working at home alone. Simply coming together with others can increase creative and energy levels, making for more productivity. Imagine the contrast between the isolation of sitting alone in front of the computer at home and having an office filled with others working on similar projects. Freelancers can commune with others about leads, networking opportunities and ideas that may improve their work. The energy flow in a group of people can lead to better work production, less procrastination and greater creativity. Rather than being alone and stymied by a technical question or problem, a group of people can often find a solution.

Coworking spaces can be a very cost-effective way to gain access to professional room for meeting with clients. Conference spaces can be used creatively for meetings or for community presentations. Be sure to consult with a tax professional to see if any costs for using the coworking space are tax deductible.

Although the workers using the space will change over time, a sense of community can be built that will benefit all involved.

When you think about all the annoyances that Starbucks is associated with, it doesn’t quite seem as great of a place to get your work done. It seems that the Starbucks stores are always crowded with a variety of people who are sharing their ideas about subjects like politics or philosophy. While it may be nice to engage in these conversations in your free time, it is not a great work environment. You might get distracted by the guy telling his friend how he is going to vote in the upcoming election, and not get as much work done.

Obviously Starbucks is a place where there is coffee sitting around all over the place. When you are a freelance writer, then you probably do a lot of work on a laptop computer. Anyone can see the issue here. If someone comes by and accidentally knocks your table, then you might have a coffee spill that does damage to your expensive computer.

Instead of trying to work in this annoying environment, why wouldn’t you try somewhere much more peaceful? If this sounds good to you, then you should consider working at something known as a coworking community. A coworking community is a shared office space where several people who work independently but on similar jobs work together. They all work in the same space despite the fact that they are all doing different online jobs, and no one has a boss. You are free to do as much or as little work as you like.

The purpose of any environment like this is to build a sense of community, support, and purpose. These are peaceful atmosphere with people who are supportive of you and want you to be successful. Now, doesn’t that sound a lot better then doing your work at Starbucks?

Coworking is a method of employment in which people who work in similar independent jobs actually decide to work with each other in a shared office space. Although each worker is working independently, and possibly with different employers, they all share the same office space. It may seem like a strange way to work to many people who currently work in offices and want nothing more then to get away. However, there are many advantages to working independently but with others in the same office.

One such advantage of working with others in an office is the creative energy that you share with one another. For freelancers, working on writing articles all day long can really get mind numbing if you are just sitting at home doing one right after the next. However, if you can be surrounded by people who are doing the same thing as you, you are able to share your creative ideas with others and they with you.
If the creative idea sharing is not enough for you, then you will probably appreciate the added productivity that you will likely gain from working alongside others. Although no one in the office can make you work a certain amount, they can certainly help encourage you to stick to your goals. This is because you will be less likely to procrastinate.

Another way to use coworking to increase your productivity and possibly your earnings is the networking opportunities that will be present to you when you have others in the same field of work surrounding you. It may be hard to get professional networking opportunities when you are working at home, but in the office it is all around you.

Despite the fact that we may not realize it, there is a basic human need to work alongside others. It gives us a sense of purpose and meaning. Working from home will leave this need unfulfilled.

The final important reason why all freelancers should consider coworking is the support that you get from your co workers. You will find that it really a community in which everyone wants everyone else to succeed.

Marieke: George, how long have you been in the industry?
George: I have been an insurance agent for over five years, and have owned my agency for two years.

MH: If you didn’t do this career, what would you do?
GV: If I did not work in insurance, I might be a teacher. I enjoy working with kids.

MH: Switching gears, have you ever ordered something from an infomercial?
GV: Yes, I still use it! The RonCo Rotisserie is an easy way to make chicken. I love to “set it, and forget it”

MH: Sounds good! If you were to have a dinner party and could invite anyone who is still alive, who would it be?
GV: Jackie Chan – He has so much energy!

MH: Is there any food you don’t like and wouldn’t serve?
GV: Can’t think of anything. I love food so anything suitable for guests.

MH: What is your favorite show on TV?
GV: Top Gear. They get to drive exotic cars plus they get some cool celebrity guest drivers. It’s fun to watch the guests drive the crash course and see who places higher in the lap times. It’s often surprising.

MH: If you could have a super power, what would it by and why?
GV: Teleportation – I love driving on open roads, I don’t like driving in traffic!

Pretty sure traffic would be the first thing people would change about Southern California! Thanks for sitting down with me.

CoWorking Fullerton is hosting the Orange County PHP (OCPHP) meet up on Wednesday, March 24th, from 7-9pm.

Orange County PHP (OCPHP) is committed to educating and being a local resource to developers building PHP centric applications. Through the organization of informative events, OCPHP strives to assist developers in furthering their PHP prowess and to increase the awareness of PHP in the local business community by providing committed volunteers, leadership and standards of excellence. What the heck is PHP?

Please read more about OCPHP here.

Meet PHP Developers near you! Come to a PHP Meetup to exchange ideas and talk about code, architecture, innovation, and open source in general. Anyone interested in PHP is welcome!

CoWorking Fullerton is a beautiful shared office space with a premiere location in downtown Fullerton. Coworking Fullerton has over 1500 square feet of office space available with comfortable chairs and tables, wifi high speed internet service and free Starbucks coffee! There is a large conference room for meetings or luncheons. Creativity and camaraderie are always encouraged!

http://www.meetup.com/ocboardgames