Workplace

“Laptop nomads” are getting a little less lonely, said Ilana DeBare in the

San Francisco Chronicle. A movement known as co-working gives independent types an alternative to working at home or camping out in cafes. “In co-working, a group of freelancers or other solo entrepreneurs shares one big office space with perks that they might not get at home, such as conference rooms, espresso machines, and opportunities for socializing.” Co-workers can either drop in or rent a dedicated area in spaces “ranging from funky industrial lofts to sleeker sites with a more corporate ambience.”

In Manhattan, In Good Company Work­places caters to female entrepreneurs, said Marci Alboher in The New York Times. “The company’s menu of offerings reads like a gym membership, with an annual fee and various options based on how many hours of desk and meeting-room time the entrepreneur wants to rent each month.” A basic membership is $300 a year, though there are extra fees for renting desk space or conference rooms. The idea makes sense, says Nell Merlino, founder of the nonprofit microlender Count Me In—as long as it’s not an excuse to socialize. “The focus has got to be about growth” for your businesses, she said, “not just ‘I want to go and hang out with other people.’”

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