March 3, 2008
Worldwide Coworking at Sunshine Suites
Hardcore freelancers are no longer squatting at Starbucks, opting instead for coworking spaces. These facilities give entrepreneurs an affordable workspace, hyper-flexible arrangements, and a reason to change out of their PJs. We reported on the trend last August, and it has been growing rapidly since. Now, one company, Sunshine Suites, is taking the idea global through a new network of linked offices.
The brainchild of Cheni Yerushalmi and Joe Raby, New York City-based entrepreneurs, Sunshine currently has three locations in the city: Flatiron, NoHo and Tribeca West. These networking-focused office setups are for both startups and established companies. Tenants have access to all the amenities of a large corporation, including on-demand video conferencing, a T-3 internet connection, a Vermont vacation home for company retreats, as well as preferred rates on health care, access to capital, and discounted gym memberships. They pay nominal amounts for desk space and phone lines, and have the flexibility to expand or contract their space on short notice.
They will soon be able to expand beyond an extra desk. With rollouts slotted for Miami, San Francisco and London in the coming year, tenants will be able to add cross-country or overseas office space with just two weeks’ advance notice. If you land a project in London, for example, you can have a setup and a mailing address ready to go without canvassing local real estate or getting into a sketchy setup.
To keep their own operation clean, Yerushalmi and Raby are rolling out a new feedback and ratings model to keep tabs and foster accountability. If someone doesn’t live up to their end of a bargain, skips an agreed-upon payment, or acts in a manner unbecoming the community, it can be notated electronically for all tenants to see. Yerushalmi’s eventual goal is a seamless international network of offices housing startups, entrepreneurs, and established companies with a collaborative spirit.
Related on PSFK:
Coworking: A Brighter 9-to-5
| 
| 
| 
Leave a Comment