Rebekah Campbell is the chief executive of Posse, a location-based shopping recommendation app founded in Sydney in March 2013. In July, 2014, she wrote a blog post for the New York Times about her experience moving to New York to dive into start-up culture and develop her business. After getting sick of working on top of her partners in a tiny one-bedroom apartment, she decided to join a coworking space in New York's famed Flatiron district. Inspired by the pace and people of the city, she sought out a space that would introduce her to other entrepreneurs, and give her a low-rent alternative to a long-term commitment office.
According to the Harvard Business Journal, "Coworking spaces" are "membership-based workspaces where diverse groups of freelancers, remote workers, and other independent professionals work together in a shared, communal setting." Through ongoing research that involves interviewing coworking space founders and community managers, surveying coworking space employees and performing a regression analysis, researchers concluded the factors behind why people tend to thrive in coworking spaces.
First of all, people who work in these spaces put a lot of meaning into their work. Unlike corporate workers, they are entrenched directly into their passion. In turn, they are the ones to blame if things go wrong. Next, the environment is collaborative and diverse, meaning little direct competition, and plenty of opportunity to give each other advice and motivation. And even though it may look for a free-for-all, people that work in coworking spaces actually report feelings of more structure and community. Seeing all of those people around you hard at work will push you to work that much harder.
Sounds pretty idealistic, right? You have access to WiFi, a kitchen, meeting rooms, and can collaborate as you please. But on Campbell's search for the perfect coworking space, it was a bit of a Goldilocks situation. The first one was too "strict and stuffy" and the next one was "the work version of hippie commune houses." She found that a lot of these spaces had months-long waitlists. Though after a long search, she found what she deemed the best option for her team, and moved in.
At first, it was ideal. But shortly after, she started to notice some very significant problems. First of all, there was no guarantee that they could get the same desks everyday. There were a ton of rules. The noise-level was like a jungle gym, and Campbell often found people pitching her ridiculous ideas just for the sake of mock-collaboration. At the end of the day, she felt homeless.
While Campbell found that the coworking space didn't work for her, Business Insider suggests that offices can take aspects of coworking spaces to make them more collaborative and productive. By including networking and social events, and rearranging some desks, offices can replicate this commune-like atmosphere without going overboard.
So the coworking space is highly debatable, but if you're not one for the office, you can always try a coffee shop or your local library!
If you're interested in finding out more about coworking spaces, click here!
Airbnb is a great option while traveling, but you should protect yourself from damage charges from unscrupulous hosts.
Airbnb offers an affordable option for people looking to be more comfortable as they travel.
However, there are downsides to staying in a host's home rather than a hotel. Whereas hotels are designed for constant streams of visitors and often have furniture built to last, at an Airbnb, you may be staying on old or cheap furniture that a host is using in order to maximize their profits.
And while most reputable hotels will have regular room inspections from staff to check for any wear and tear, Airbnb damage disputes are oftentimes he said, she said situations. If you are in an Airbnb and something breaks, there are a few steps you should take in order to ensure that you are not on the hook for damages out of your control.
If you're keeping tabs on the art and tech worlds, you've probably been hearing whispers about "NFTs" for the past month. Just over the past week they've entered the mainstream lexicon.
Twitter founder Jack Dorsey made the news for selling his first ever tweet. The app has been teasing paid subscription models and newsletter-like features, but tweets for sale is "the next frontier."
just setting up my twttr— jack (@jack)1142974214.0
The 2006 tweet went up for auction as an NFT, and the current bid is $2.5 Million. But what does it mean to own that? Why would anyone want to? And what even is an NFT?
Long gone are the days when the majority of Americans dreamed about owning a home with a white picket fence.
The traditional American Dream may be on its deathbed, but that doesn't mean a core component of the vision can't survive. It simply takes a diverse perspective. People can still believe they can attain their own vision of success in society with hard work, knowledge, and risk-taking. Investing in today's American Dream may literally mean investing money in our modern economy, starting with our infrastructure.
Real estate investing in particular is a lucrative method that can boost income and secure a better financial future for many. There's always risk involved, but the payoffs can far outweigh the uncertainty. Selecting solid financial investments is about confidence and competence. If you're looking for some advice on this kind of investment, here are a few savvy tips for new real estate investors.
Stick To a Specific Strategy or Niche
Real estate is a challenging sphere of the business world, one that requires several key skills: groundwork knowledge, networking, perseverance, and organization. True knowledge of the real estate market will come with time and experience, but it's a smart idea to select one area of the market and stick to it. This is the best way to attain in-depth familiarity with your specific niche.
First, choose a geographical area close by and then a niche strategy within it, such as house flips, rental rehabs, or residential or commercial properties. By doing so, you can become aware of current inner working conditions in the market and you'll have a better idea of how these trends may change in the future.
Be Vigilant About Viable Financing Options
While it takes money to make money, you don't have to use all your own money. A common misconception about real estate investing is that you must be wealthy to start off. This isn't straight fact, however. A majority of people can test the waters of real estate investing without a lot of initial cash in their pocket.
Aside from traditional financing options from banks and institutions, private lending options can be worthy solutions. Hard money lenders are popular, reasonable choices, and they tend to have fewer qualification requirements upfront. However, be sure to strategically choose a hard money lender to find the best possible fit.
Master the Art of Finding Good Deals
There may be hundreds of thousands of available properties for sale on the current market, but the bulk of them will never amount to the final money-making result you desire. Another great tip for new real estate investors is to use good math to estimate profit. Taking risks is part of the process, but you have the ability to analyze properties and use networking sources to find the greatest deal. You can't win every deal, but you can steadily work towards a thriving financial future.
