Office Nomads is in the midst of some end-of-the-year reviewing, plotting and planning. Part of the process this year included our first-ever Member Survey. After two years of coworking in Seattle, we’ve had a lot of informal feedback and have drawn some basic conclusions about what our members like and dislike. But we decided it was about time to ask them for their suggestions.  Their rants and raves.  In their words.

The results were fantastic. Our members  provided us with some excellent hard data on what makes our coworking space work, as well as some great feedback on what we can be doing better. Here are three big takeaways:

• We’ve said it before, but now we have some data to back it up: it’s all about the people.  When asked about the thing that members appreciate most about being at Office Nomads, they replied nearly in unison that it is the people that make it great. We can now say things like “the proof’s in the pudding.”  Well, maybe we can’t.  I’m not really sure what that means, actually.
• Our members are interested in figuring out even more ways to share resources (including people-powered resources such as bookkeepers and admin assistants), and pass business to one another.  From recommendations of even more way to highlight what it is that each of our members do, the Nomads spoke out loud and clear that they want to help one another out as much as possible.
• Working in community means being human.  When asked what our members would like to see improved, several of the responses revolved around typical shared space gripes: being mindful of one another when on long (and loud) phone conversations, remembering to do the dishes, cleaning up after one’s self.  These frustrations came as no surprise; we all take turns being more of a distraction than we normally are, forget to do a dish now and again, and decide to not replace the toilet paper roll when it runs out.  We’re all human. These challenges (while very real and requiring quick and responses by us as business owners) demonstrate another part of being in a community with one another.  It is about our members working towards the best way to work successfully with one another.

Our members continue to humble us with their thoughtfulness, willingness to help us make the business better, and spectacular senses of humor.  So with that, here are some of our favorite quotes from members:

“I feel like Office Nomads is saving my business. The isolation was killing my attitude and creativity. Thanks to Office Nomads I am not confusing my clients with my social opportunities (not as chatty, not as ‘charitable’ with my billing ), I have closer ties with downtown clients. I am quite productive at Office Nomads because everyone is there to get things done, not socialize all the time. A+ guys, really.”

“There is a lot of small business know-how which could be shared more.  The brown bags are a good start.  And the email list is good for the occasional recommendation query.
Maybe we could occasionally collect and share links to public stuff people are working on?  Blogs, artwork, trip photos, …  I feel like there’s a lot of creative work going on but I’m missing a lot of it because I can’t get to happy hour due to other commitments.  Maybe a “shameless self promotion” email list?”

“I just sat here for five minutes trying to think of something which I’d like to change which I actually want you to take on.  There are big “nice to haves” like more light in the cafe area, but I actually don’t want you to busy yourselves with big projects which I don’t think are worth the effort when things are running smoothly.
So, I guess if I have to choose then I’d like everyone to have free ponies.  With wings.”

Wow.  Thanks everyone.  We hear you!  Thanks for helping us continue to breathe new life into the business.

(In case you were wondering,  I used Google Forms to complete our survey, which was an absolute breath of fresh air after struggling with Survey Monkey. Thank goodness for Google’s helpful new tools, which bring together Google’s simplicity and exciting analysis capabilities. It saved me time, effort, and endless frustration.

In total, we had 22 members fill our our survey, representing several membership types including Basics, Residents, and those who have been Pink Slip Scholarship recipients.)

Thanks to Flickr user tonamel for use of the photo above under the Creative Commons license.

Ron Theis

Website: http://www.ridic.com

Member Since: April 2008

Type of Member: Resident

Ron felt as if working from home was working for him although it also felt like it was pulling him in two directions.  His work as Lead Game Designer for Ridiculous Software, Inc. had him focused on the creation of new applications for Sidekick phones and IPhones.  It had him at his computer designing and then writing code for different applications.  At the same time he was always aware of his wife working as a stay-at-home mom with their one-year-old daughter, Addison, who was also in the house.  His fingers would be typing but his mind was aware of laughter floating in from the other room and he wanted to be there to play.  If she cried, he wanted to be there to comfort her.  Working at home was not working at all.

Ron found Office Nomads and, with it, a place where he could work with less distraction.  Before, he said, “…my one-year-old daughter did not understand why Daddy could not play right now.”  Now, he goes home in the evening and can focus on his family.

An additional perk to spending 9-5 at Office Nomads is that Ron has found a great mix of people who can be fantastic resources.  He sits in a cluster with two other Nomads in a similar industry.  Also, when he has questions about topics such as web development, there is usually somebody in the space who can help him.  “These are committed people,” Ron explained.  “They have everything together.”  He finds that that helps him and makes him love this space even more.

His wife and daughter love Office Nomads, too.  Addison loves to run around and play with Cortez, one of the resident pooches, when they come in to check on Ron.  The whole family comes out to the open houses to catch up with the other Nomads and just have fun.  As a whole, the Theis family loves Office Nomads which is fine by us because we love them, too!

Greg Wyckoff

http://www.gregwyckoff.com

Member Since: October 2009

Type of Member: Resident

Greg makes the longest trek every day to come to Office Nomads.  He makes the journey from Edmonds to Seattle on the the Sounder train, followed by a  ride through Seattle in the Metro Bus Tunnel. After about an hour of reading, thinking, working and a little exercise, he arrives at ON ready for the day.  Greg sought out Office Nomads to transition from being a stay-at-home dad and part-time web developer to a being a full-time Software Requirements Analyst. It was very difficult to separate his personal time from his professional time, and he knew he needed to move the work elsewhere.  Greg found Office Nomads and found somewhere he can “be productive without being part of the machine.”  His fondness for the space and the collection of people here are what get him out the door in the morning to start the commute.

Greg lights up when you ask him about Office Nomads. “Office Nomads provides the ‘missing pieces’ for independent professionals. The perceived opportunity of working independently motivates many to break out of the traditional 9-5 office job. There are many benefits to working “on your own,” but it seems that the impact of the energy that comes from interacting with other interesting, lateral thinking, motivated individuals is often overlooked or underestimated. Office Nomads is a unique space that provides an inspiring blend of independence and interaction.”

When he does finally make it to Office Nomads, he settles in and gets down to business.  With more than 10 years of IT experience, Greg recently started working as an independent consultant for organizations looking to  improve their operations through the use of software.  He systematically analyzes  business objectives and maps processes, looking for opportunities to apply software to increase efficiency and capacity.  Greg offers recommendations for software solutions and also manages the execution of projects.

Greg’s path to his current job is a unique, starting with working on his family’s farm in the Yakima Valley.  He says he has always been geek at heart.  Working on the farm, was involved with several data collection projects: Yield projections, pest monitoring pesticide application tracking, horticultural activity tracking, etc.  After completing a Bachelor’s degree in Geology at Whitman College, he spent some time in Germany working for a hop grower/processor where his inner geek and farming roots really melded together. Listening to his story of his time in Germany and work history, it’s interesting how those summers working on the family farm really were the foundation for the work he does today.

Outside of Office Nomads, Greg makes sure to spend quality time with his wife and two kids.  Weekends often include trips to the pumpkin patch, adventures to the zoo or maybe a father-daughter outing to the climbing gym. It’s fun talking with Greg because there is more than meets the eye: He always seems to have an interest or story you wouldn’t expect.  To say the least, he’s a great addition to Office Nomads.

December is here and you know what that means… It’s the season for giving. This year, Office Nomads is in such a giving mood that we want to give you presents and maybe even help make your holiday shopping a bit easier.

For the month of December, come check out Office Nomads and if you like what you experience, take your pick of one of two great specials:

• Now through the end of the year, new members who sign up at the Regular or Resident level can choose to pay just $100 for the first month or enjoy the third month for free!
• OR if you’re feeling like getting in on the giving too, anyone who signs up for a Basic membership in December gets a free month of basic membership to give to a friend or colleague.

Remember, everyone who works at Office Nomads gets

• High-speed 10Mbps internet access
• Wireless (wifi) or wired networking
• Use of three conference rooms
• Basic print/fax/scan
• Coffee/tea
• Free notary services
• Great company!

And membership at any one of our levels brings even more benefits including access to exclusive members-only events at Office Nomads.

So if you’ve been thinking that working at home just isn’t working for you, this is a great time of year to try out coworking at Office Nomads!

For more information, drop on by the office or send us an e-mail at info@officenomads.com.

(Thanks to flickr user fazen for use of this photo under the Creative Commons license.)