February 26, 2010 | 
Author It’s not a big secret, GreenIvory would like to extend its operations in the US and extend what we already have in Durham, NC. This is why I am in Boston, MA. this week. I am pretty sure that there are a few Bostonians who want to double the efficiency of their web sites, nope?
Nevertheless, after my meeting, I went to visit two co-working places.
At GreenIvory, we do a lot of telecommuting and we think that co-working spots are a huge benefit in the way we work. We already have some experience with such spaces, thanks the vision of a good friend in Strasbourg.
It made sense to see whether this model could be adapted to GreenIvory on its US operations.
I started by visiting CIC (Cambridge Innovation Center) and the WorkBar.
Drop boxes (not really mail boxes) at the CIC co-working spot.
CIC started 10 years ago and it is ideally located on the 14th floor, dominating MIT, the Charles River… Very inspiring. They have different model, starting by co-working spaces, which can turn into nice and flexible offices when the start-up matures. Lovely. A very nice lady showed us the place and drove us around. Prices start at $250/month.
Sergio Ferreira at the WorkBar.
WorkBar is a little more fun. It’s almost downtown Boston, within walking distance from the Federal Building and in front of the bus station. It’s kind of a mix between Regus and a start-up. Evona showed us the place and it was very pleasant, I just wanted to sit, pull-out my Mac and start working. WorkBar has several places where you can isolate yourself if you want. Prices start at $20/day.
A few conclusions from this Bostonian tour…
The MIT (Massachussets Institute of Technology) Police: yep, you are really covered there...
For us, the consumer, GreenIvory… If I had to start GreenIvory again in Boston, I’ll go to CIC. Wow… this place is incredible in terms of location. Now, as I need some space from time to time, WorkBar is more flexible for people like us… Of course, both are not incompatible as I hope our business to grow here. Definitively such places will help us.
For the other project of doing such an open-co-working space in Strasbourg, I am really surprised by the lack of benchmark from the projects I have seen on my “native” side of the pound. Co-working spaces are small, CIC is about 50 to 60 sq meter (but CIC has a lot more room for non co-working space), can hold 40 people max, WorkBar is bigger, roughly 120 sq meter…
Both CIC and WorkBar are private companies. I don’t see how / why they would be subsidized by the local gov’t. Hey, we are in the US, baby!
I urge my friends in Strasbourg to rethink their model. Boston and the metro area combine 4.5m people, this is about 2.5 times the size of Alsace…
Posted in travelling | 
Tags: America, Boston, Cambridge, Cambridge Innovation Center, Co-working, USA, WorkBar
JG,
Think about an another model, tell us which one we are open. Every contribution is welcome…
[...] what they thought - Boston & GreenIvory: a new story? WorkBar is a little more fun. It’s almost downtown Boston, within walking distance from the [...]
very good point JG! but don’t forget that the upper Rhine valley represents 6 million people and that objectives of the Cantine is not only co working but animation, conferencing, clubbing of the territory. It is a mix of public and private place and mission. European do not like to do thinks tcheap : frenches want some esthetic involved.
This is old europe, a little bit more complexe and not as straigh to the point as US (and I know a little bit both side of the ocean) !
Your poiint is interesting anyway.
Enjoy US, I am jalous! see you soon JG!
Augustin
Maybe they don’t need this kind of coworking space as much as we need ? MIT is just around the corner and they surely have some facilities. Furthermore, during my trip in Montreal (maybe it’s the same in the US), I remember that a lot of people already consider a bar like a working place (which is not really the case in France).
two spaces, two different philosophy. These places are more hubs than conferencing places, but that’s the more important thing to animate and creates values between people
Hello Jean-Georges, your benchmark is interesting and will certainly helps us to build our own network of co-working spaces in France and in Alsace.
and if we can get some subsidies to do it this is not a problem for me. I am also dreaming of a business model which will be 100% private but this is a little bit early…we are French and the mentalities are far away from the US… unfortunately… that’s what we call cultural differences.
As Augustin told you, we think about something that is not only a co-working space but a little bit more
Concerning the size of the co-working space, I am closer to the workspring experience in Chicago (http://www.workspring.com/) which seems to work pretty well and is about 5700 sq. feet (about 530 sq. meters).
Have a good trip and thank you for sharing your experience.
JC
Wow guys… My first very serious post in our new English blog and so much activity…
I’ll answer to you all…
I just wanted to answer @yannski right now, funnily enough they do not have something like that! I was surprised and asked our host whether students have something like that… and they have not.
But I reacted exactly like that at first
.
I know some people working in Starbuck’s from time to time, but it is more about getting a free Wifi connection than really working. I also met a few people working @ Barnes and Noble’s, but you do not have all the equipment, such as a basic white board…