Win the ultimate Sacramento coworking experience.
Sunday, August 2, 2009 at 1:01PM So check it out: We have decided to celebrate our expansion here at The Urban Hive by giving you the chance to win a 3-month Resident Level coworking membership. But there is a catch: we want you to earn it. You game?
This is what we need from you: We would like for you to...
1.) Post a comment. The comment should answer two questions:
- First, why should you win the three month membership to The Urban Hive.
- Second, how will coworking positively impact your business/life?
2.) Click the "share" button and post this page to Facebook and/or Twitter.
Make sure to also leave your name and email in the proper fields when commenting so that we can contact you.
We will be giving out 2 memberships. Each membership will last until October 31. Those who don't win will still have an opportunity to join The Urban Hive at a huge discount. So, if you value coworking and live in Sacramento, you should definitely take the time to leave a comment.
The contest ends Monday, August 10, at midnight. The winners will be announced soon after!
We can't wait to hear what you have to say!
Urban Hive Week Long Contest from The Urban Hive on Vimeo.
Brandon
We have winners!!!!
Reader Comments (19)
Wow! I love the Urban Hive. We had a great mixer there. (Successful Thinkers). I am not the same living at home working out of my dining room. It would be a huge lift for me to out of the house. I am starting to feel like a hermit living and working in the home. And I am really ticking people off at my local coffee house when I need to make calls. One day I was disturbing the crowd and I felt a cold mocha go down my back. Brrrr. I have never felt the chill of society quite like that. I would really be lifted up by great soloprenuers like SuccessFool. I live in Sacramento and was going to share a office space in Rocklin but it is such a long drive. I can take light rail to the Hive. I love your atmosphere and co-working environment. My wife and "squatted" Friday. It would help if I could bounce an idea off a fellow soloprenuers brain before I put the idea to market and find like-thinking individuals with whom they can collaborate. I do not want to go back to corporate America. Please break me out my dungeon! and let me thrive in the Urban Hive!
Jeff Stowe New Age Power Brokers 916-222-2288 http://www.cagas.info jeff@cagas.info
As much as I love my cat, Oliver is not the best business companion. He is constantly distracting me from getting my work done with all of his meow chatter and cute rubs around my legs while I am at my home desk. He is also known on occasion to completely make me loose my place by sporadically jumping on top of my keyboard while in the middle of writing an important document. Not to mention, his claws are not the best component for new/ vintage designs I am working on. By giving me the complementary membership, you will not only be offering me a wonderful opportunity to collaborate with local designers, artists, and entrepreneurs, you will also be giving me the opportunity to break away from Oliver the cat. I think it is time for me to have more human contact and less feline while trying to start my new business- Mandy [CA]stles: a women’s apparel company focusing on organic, sustainable, renewable, biodegradable and recycled materials.
My answer to question #1 "why should you win the three month membership to The Urban Hive."
If I'm not mistaken you first asked that question with why do you "deserve to win" and my first thought was, well I don't deserve it any less then anyone else, lol.
Actually, I spent more then 20 years as a mostly stay at home mom and except for a little retail experience I've not been inside the business world. Today I am a single woman with adult children and an independent certified mobile massage therapist. One of my goals is to be THE massage therapist for the downtown/midtown business professionals of Sacramento. I think I should win the three months membership at the Urban Hive because by doing so the Urban Hive would be showing support for the "displaced homemakers" (thats legal terminology for mom without a job/skills) of America getting back into the working world including as an entreprenuar, helping one to be totally self supporting and of couse stimulating the economy. What better reason can there be then that?
My answer to question #2, how will coworking positively impact your business/life?
The concept of coworking is new to me and as I learn more about it the more enthused I become with it. To work with a community of other independent professionals each working on their own business goals while interacting with each other for the betterment of all is a healthy positive step that I want to be a part of. I have had my own massage office in the past and found as nice as it was I gravitated towards my mobile work and sub-contract work so that I could interact with other business professionals outside of my clients who needed to be quiet and enjoy their massage. I am happier and more productive when I don't feel isolated not to mention how much I learn from others and I bring my own brand of offerings to the plate in the form of my experiences and knowledge of well being within the scope of my practice. It would positively impact my business/life because it would make me happy.
Lynda Morgan CMT
Don't worry, get a massage!
First, thanks for holding this contest. The Hive has always been generous in community outreach, and this is a splendid way to celebrate your expansion.
I think I could be an interesting and instructive addition to the group there, and mesh in a way that makes the whole greater than the sum of its parts. My experiences with local businesses, friends from various events and associations and influence from social networking activities would all contribute to enriching the experience for both myself and others and fit well with the basic concept of coworking. Most conveniently of all, I live just a few blocks from The Urban Hive, so it's an obvious match geographically.
I'm certain I would benefit greatly from working with the other residents there, some of whom have already been very helpful to me in the past, and it would be nice for me to have an office to go to when sitting at home is not the best way to get things done. I've just left a position which I held for 2 years, which has two particular implications: (1) that i'm now separated from an office environment i had become used to and reliant upon, and (2) it's a perfect time for me to be branching out conceptually and working with a wider variety of people, both those I've met before, and those entirely new to me. My hope is that some time at the Hive could be just the sort of learning and growth experience I'm looking for at this stage.
Thanks again for providing the forum and the prize. I'm sure I'll see you guys soon.
I'm a rare breed. There aren't many experienced FileMaker developers in the Sacramento area. My consulting work is an important asset to the many many small business that use this rapid application development tool to run their business. Connecting with the Hive would make this resource available to more local small business. Plus... I work with a Bay Area development firm called, Beezwax Datatools, Inc. so I think it is fate for me to work at the Urban Hive.
Coworking will keep me sane. Working in slippers is great from time to time but the isolation is stifling. I'm about community and collaboration, and my work would be much more enriching and satisfying with a venue for this part of my personality.
First and foremost, thank you for running this contest.
I believe I am the ideal "fit" for the ideals of The Urban Hive. If I were to win, the next three months (and beyond) will add a very willing, creative, available and collaborative partner to the collective hive. I have 26 years of sales, management, marketing and entrepreneurship to bring to the other members and participants.
My newest start-up is called Synectic Groups which is defined in Dictionary.Com as:
"a group of people of varied background that meets to attempt creative solutions of problems through the unrestricted exercise of imagination and the correlation of disparate elements." (that pretty much describes The Urban Hive, doesn't it?)
I not only embrace, but require, the collective help and resources that the "brain trust" at The Urban Hive would provide. I see my creativity and work flow multiplying with the synergy of this group through ideas and referrals.
Again, thank you for the opportunity to enter your contest and interact with The Urban Hive.
Steven
Why Should I Win?
As the co-creator of a fairly successful indie webcomic at EBEN07.com -- we need a space where we can jump our creativity up to the next level. Take this sucker out of our garages and spare bedrooms, and get serious about making comics both online and in print. Lose the distraction, get buzzed on good coffee, and let ideas really flow freely.
Something like Urban Hive really appeals to me because we're not ready to do Eben07 100% full-time, but we want to get there and this is the perfect step in between. A place to meet, be around other creative talent that's eager to learn as much as teach to help the whole hive become a success.
I think having a comic inside of Urban Hive would add a nice piece of flare to the whole concept. Round out the creativity with a unique project taking place under its roof.
Those are my two cents - now off to tweet! Follow us @Eben07 and @DBethel
Cheers,
-Eben Burgoon
Co-Creator of the Eben07 Comic
Also - I think one other thing that is really unique about independent comics, and particularly webcomics, is that they have to be jack-of-all-trades sort of people. In addition to creating a comic, we often code have to code and create our own websites, we've got to be a marketing team, advertising team, and even self distribute and promote our work. Its a lot of work to do, and there are soooo many distractions at home between girlfriends, cats and video games.
We're ready to get super cereal about making Eben07 a success, and we hope you'll see that in us if you award us the prize! Either way, we're definitely looking at Urban Hive with a lot of interest.
All the Best,
-Eben Burgoon
Although I currently work for the state, this offer makes me want to come here on furlough days.
What a great offer.
Why we should win..
Not only will SyTeck inc and I benefit greatly from having three free months of office place to work from, but our presents will add to the the overall positive vibe of The Urban Hive that promotes free thought and collaboration.
The ability to coworker at the Urban Hive, presents Syteck Inc. and I the opportunity to meet and collaborate with other talented individuals and organizations.
My dishes don't f---ing shut up! The laundry pile grows a bit every day despite its strict diet of eco-friendly detergent and water. The trash can keeps kicking me in the shin and the sink won't stop whistling despite my threats. I met my last client (a developmental edit of a novel) on a Sunday at Tower Cafe but there were no tables so we had our business discussion by the fountain. Once, I met a business associate at a Mexican bar and the mariachi came and sang romantic songs to us.
The part time job boss just relocated out of town and our office for meetings became flippin' Panerra. Pannerra! Or however you spell it-- could someone help me out here?
I've been dealing with this for close to ten count 'em 10 years and am ready to carry my Mac out into the world where someone appreciates it.
My new manuscript evaluation/writing and editing business wants to emerge from its cocoon -egad the bed subliminally vibrates irresistible bad metaphors-
I deserve The Urban Hive because it's cool and I'm cool and I have lots of friends who need cool office space for meetings and I know agents and stuff who can hook everybody up.
Did I mention that my partner brews beer?
I would bring a number of advantages to fellow Hive members. Besides my abilities to help organize and promote, I also act as a cheerleader, knowing when someone needs encouragement or a muffin. My wide experience allows me to act as a sounding board, and I don't exactly have a reputation as a "yesman"; an analytical critique is better than one that just makes the person feel good; I've seen too many great projects fail simply because the people involved were too busy already congratulating each other.
The bottom line is that I love working with other people just to see what we can do, and how that can have a positive effect on others lives. I think that you stop being creative and lose your soul when you stop doing things just to see what you can do. If you can make a profit, so much the better.
As for me, I'd stop procrastinating and actually get some work done. It's hard to focus even without TV and internet, and I need someone to talk to every so often just to keep me focused. I need a team environment to be productive, and so I'm hoping to join the Hive.
I am so excited that you guys are having this contest! I have only gotten to spend one day working at the hive so far, but that day was one of my most productive ever! I would be at the Hive everyday if it weren't for the strain on my wallet right now, and as every entrepreneur knows, your income is a direct result of your productivity, and lately that hasn't been what it should be, simply because it is impossible for me to work at home!
The coworking concept is new to me, but it is exactly what I have been looking for! I love that I can come and work on whatever I need to do for the day and have a positive work space that is shared with others who may not be working in the same business, but are there to share their thoughts and ideas in an environment that inspires creativity and productivity. It is so nice to not be stuck working at home or from a coffee shop. Working from home seems ideal until you do it, and then you realize that it isn't all it's cracked up to be! I find that at the end of the day I have done the dishes, did a couple loads of laundry, made a nice lunch, and watched a little tv, but I didn't really get too much work done. Not to mention trying to make phone calls with my 3 year old talking in my ear and Blue's Clues playing in the background doesn't sound very professional!
I am in network marketing, and being sociable is what I do for a living! Working at the Urban Hive encourages me to communicate with others and has provided me with a great place to get to work and really put in my best effort for the day. I think I deserve to win because it would allow me to work the way I know I could be if I didn't have the distractions of being at home. If I could utilize my day by working in a space where others come to do the same, I know it will really motivate me and make huge improvement in all aspects of my business, and most importantly, my income!
Working at the Hive just one day made such an improvement in my work day, and I can't wait to go back again. Since then, I have told several friends about it who were also looking for a place to work and I know they will want to come in to work there also. The place has a great vibe, really cool people, and provides me the opportunity to make phone calls, send emails, meet with clients and do the things I need to do to without distractions, yet it is also a place to network and meet new people, get new ideas, and converse with other like-minded entrepreneurs.
I would really love to win, but even if I don't, I will be back, and I am bringing my coworkers with me!
Rebecca Gibbons
I have the hardest time getting any work done at home. Whether It is distractions or laziness, I can't seem to be productive. I need to be inspired and I feel like if I got out of this appartment and away from these three distracting dogs I'd be able to be.
I think that I should win because it would get me out of my comfort zone and help me become inspired again.
I’d love to win the three-month membership because:
a) I’ll be able to publicly and effusively acknowledge and thank The Urban Hive in my book, which will surely be published soon when I have a place to go and work on it (!) and
b) I’ll spread the word about The Urban Hive so that you ultimately will lost no money in giving me this three-month squatter’s permit. I’m a sure bet. Like the networking worker bee that I am, I’ll buzz around letting people know about this marvelous space and
c) I have just been furloughed for the state and could use the break (Arnold clearly spends too much time buying bronze bears to festoon his office door instead of hammering out a workable budget) and
d) I would benefit so freaking much from the co-working environment instead of toiling away in anonymity at the claustrophobic desk in my house.
e) If you look at the time stamp for this post, you will see that I’m suffering from crippling bouts of procrastination when left to my own devices at home, which would surely be eradicated by the soothing balm of like-minded souls, tapping away at their overpriced laptops just mere feet away from me.
How will coworking positively impact my business/life?
Although writing is a solitary pursuit, the act of creation flourishes when in collaboration with others. It’s the creative movement created between two like-minded (or terribly different!) people which can create pure magic, like when you were a kid and saw fireflies for the first time, flickering and dancing out in the darkness, a manifestation of something entirely new.
I know that at some point, I need to let my drafts go out into the world—a scary moment, cutting the cord and hoping that the piece of art you incubated and created will have a life of its own, without you. But there is a security, a solace in working with others who are creating while in the void themselves, reaching deep into the darkness to create form, to conceive, to flesh out a dream and breathe life into it.
At some point, you must log off from the computer, unplug from the grid and actually reach out to other human beings to see if what you’re trying to create has any resonance. You want to speak your truth, articulate your vision and share your stories. You want to listen to others, enjoy their work, and experience the joy of being alive through creation and collaboration.
I am looking for that space in Sacramento.
First, I should personally win the the membership because this seems like something that is totally up my alley. I am an artist and a blogger and am looking to expanding my brand in the very near future. I have a lot of ideas and think this would be a very substantial rung in the veritable ladder of success. I am young and ambitious and I believe I would bring a new and different energy to the space.
On another note, being a true "starving artist", this is not something I could afford on my own at this time. I think this contest is tailored for someone who would greatly benefit from it and couldn't afford it otherwise.
I have a lot of ideas and really just need the means, space, and the community to do accomplish them.
Secondly, the concept of "coworking" is new to me, but seems like it is just what I need for things to pick up. I am a social person and I thrive most when working with a group of people. Working with other people with similar interests would be ideal, and in my social networking and blogging life it's hard to work day to day and face to face with other people. I would love to help others with there projects and get help. My work is breed from my working with other people. I think adding me into the mix would be a beneficial adventure for everyone involved and really help me expand.
lastly I will just say please.
oh and I LOVE coffee, so there's that too. :)
also, i just threw that comment together real fast in order to make the midnight deadline. Just found out about this. Let me know if you want to know more.
Did I miss who won? Where is it posted? I thought it was supposed to be announced today, but maybe not?
We are all on pins and needles anxious for the results...