tor Minna Van says the space is

now "work" for over 4O devel-

opers, program mers, marketing
professionals and even a cou-
rier company. "It's definitell'
a creative class," she says. "Our
biggest industry is the startup
entrepreneur."
"People work together to
develop ideas," says Shirley Chan,
the CEO of Vancouver's Build
ing Opportunities with Business
(BOB), which has just launched
a new co-work space in the cirY's
Gastown district. "Being isolated
is not ideal for being creative
You need access to other peoPle
of like mind."
"It's invigorating," agrees Lor
raine Murphy, a writer who
uses the BOB space. "It's going
to change the way work hap
pens. It's not a cubicle farm, but
Dozens ol entrepreneurs use Vancouver's Network Hub as lheir base it's a professional and creative
environment."

No colleagues? Whyyou is
For many people, co-working
important enough as a
booster to offset the cost ofmem
morale

should consider renting some bership. Payment varies, with

most offering day rates and
monthly options. For instance
As self' employ ment rise s, other people makes you more inate other workspaces. Most for about $450 per month, worl
efficient." Rafuse, who is a VP of boast an open-concept design ers at CoworkYYC get a desk
co-w orksp aces are offering
geosciences for ajunior oil and and, at minimum, provide users Internet access, printer use
a popular alternative to gas firm, adds that CoworkYYC with desks, meetingtables, Inter- a mailbox and access to the
thelonely home office couldn't have launched at a bet- net access and, in some cases, boardroom and kitchen. Thel
ter time. While co-working has kitchens and relaxation areas. also have the benefit ofbounc
orking from home existed in pockets for some time, According to California-based ing ideas offof those working ir
had its benefits it has taken offin the wake of the Emergent Research, there are the graphic design, web desigr
for Calgary-based recession, which has resulted more than 2OO co-working and oil and gas industries.
graphic designer in a growing number of people spaces throughout the U.S. In But co-working is not withou
Jeff Gibson-among them, per- working for themselves. "We Canada, they're setting up shop its challenges. For one thing
sonal space and control over his wouldn't have started up in nor- in Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal it has to be cost-effective, anc
schedule. But after three years, mal times," he says. and elsewhere. sometimes that means out-o
he began to notice a shrinking This increase in self-employ- "There's disillusionment with the-way locations. "The bigges
network and a general feeling ment is a nationwide trend. the corporate lifestyle," says and fanciest [co-work spaces] art
of isolation. So last November, Between October 2OOB and Mike Brcic of Toronto's Centre in the west in Vancouver," sayt
along with his friends Quinton October 2O09, Statistics Can- for Social Innovation, one ofthe Andrew McIGy, an initiativer
Rafuse and Nik Thierry, Gib- ada noted the loss of4BO,OOO oldest co-work arrangements in co-ordinator at BOB. "But beinl
son launched CoworkYYC- jobs. Duringthe same time, more Canada. "People don't want to a few blocks east is generall'
a 2,5O0-square-foot, open-con- than IOO,OOO self-employment be a cog in the machine. They cheaper for us. This is smalle
cept co-workspace, accented positions were created. Between want to unleash creativity and indie and grassroots."
with a brick flreplace and pop 2OO6 and 2009, self-employrnent passion, and we see that here." And etiquette has yet to b,
art-in downtown Calgary. These in Canada rose 8%, with close For those who rent a co-work determined for many co-wor
days, Gibson is sharing the space to 2.7 million people now work- desk, it often becomes about spaces. ls it ol( to bring i
with 14 other freelancers and ing for themselves. As a result, more than just getting out of a cellphone? Can you switc
contractors from a range ofsec- whether self-employed people the house. Many have found desks? "There can be clashes r
tors. Co-working, he says, gives are looking for the colleague business contacts through personalities," admits Murph
self-employed people the oppor- experience or a separation of colleagues. Vancouver's Net- But she says for her, the ben
tunity to work in a creative, col- home and work, co-working is work Hub is one of the most fits far outweigh the challenge
Iegial atmosphere. becoming a popular option. in-demand co-work spaces in "I could tell how much bettr
"Co-working boosts your net- Generally speaking, co-work Canada. They offer simple desk I felt by how much work I di
work instantaneously," he says. offices aren't the maze of high- space as well as private offices and how much better it rval
"The proximity and energy of walled cubicles that might dom- for high-spenders. Co-ordina- she says. -LYNDSIE BouRGoN

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