Comments on: Could Open Space work in Crozet?

By: Jim Duncan

Jim Duncan — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 13:18:24 +0000

Everyone, thanks so much for your comments. I really appreciate it and I’m sure the Open Space folks do as well.

The question really is – does Crozet yet have the critical mass to support an Open Space? I honestly don’t know. I think we will in three years, but now I’m not so sure.

Hmmm … maybe if we could somehow access this years’ tax returns and see how many people in the Crozet area are claiming the deduction for telecommuting …

By: Randy

Randy — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 05:02:09 +0000

Hi Jim,

Good question. I once considered starting a co-working facility at Old Trail; but, after doing a market and financial analysis, decided against it. For what it’s worth, I’ll share why:

At a minimum, the annual operating cost for the first two years is around $65K, when factoring a commercial lease for 2000 sq/ft; capital cost for furniture and equipment; plus insurance, utilities, phone, broadband, etc. If the business charged $100/month for unlimited access, then it would require approx. 55 annual members to break even.

After informal discussions with people, I discovered that most (but not all) telecommuters and self-employed individuals would rather frequent a coffee shop, than commit to a monthly fee. Although a membership size of 55 seems relatively small, my conclusion was that the Crozet-area market is not yet big enough to sustain a co-working facility business.

–Randy

By: Sharie Meduri

Sharie Meduri — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 20:59:04 +0000

Jim,
This sounds like an incredible concept! I officially work out of an office in Richmond. But the truth is that my home and car serve the greater role of a base. This concept would certainly better serve my professional and organizational needs. I would love to see the space and have the details of the features.

Thanks,
Sharie

By: Justin Beights

Justin Beights — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 18:16:59 +0000

Definitely.

By: Amy Eastlack

Amy Eastlack — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 15:11:42 +0000

Jim, as you know I love the concept of OpenSpace. And once given some thought, I might actually think it could work better in some place like Crozet, where many of the residents into Charlottesville. However, I’ve heard that many of these places around the country haven’t been making it (a recent example was in the suburbs of Denver, where many people commute into the city). I’m not sure if this was due to poor planning or just general lack of use, but I’d be curious about other co-working success/failure stories in similar communities.

By: David Wayland

David Wayland — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 14:43:16 +0000

Jim, I wouldn’t need such a space, but it makes alot of sense. I would think it would contain Internet, copy and fax equipment, an office secretary/aide, who could assist clients, collect money,operate the machines, take messages, etc. The idea reminds me of a business incubator. The old Community Credit Union building would be a good spot, if parking could be worked out.

By: Justin

Justin — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 13:17:54 +0000

I’m a commuting professional who works in Charlottesville and lives in Crozet. I’m lucky enough to work for an organization that has implemented ROWE (a topic for another day) which means I can work wherever and whenever I want. In general, I go to my office but I’d be willing to work more in Crozet if there were some dedicated space for it. With two kids, working at home is out of the question. Mudhouse works in a pinch but an OpenSpace annex in Crozet would be great for home based productivity and for networking with like minded professionals. I would, absolutely, use the space.