For past readers of In The Know, you’ll remember that our workspace was Storage Unit #1. Not that I’m unappreciative of the free storage unit to conduct some business out of, but it never felt…well, it was a storage
unit. I had 4 walls with no windows. It was kind of depressing; it was as bad as attempting to work from home while doing the laundry.

Enter CoHabitat: As of this writing, CoHabitat has been open a little over 2 months and they are already moving & shaking. I just love cool work environments, especially ones that don’t cost an arm-and-a-leg; one where I don’t have to pay another internet bill, buy more furniture- one in which other entrepreneurs are networking together, and mostly, where the Habitat is governed by it’s members.

Working from home in your robe has its advantages, but those who are self-employed or freelance in various forms realize the ticked to inspiration is typically getting dressed and out the door, even if you don’t “have” to.

The Forum (part 1) – PDF | Part 2 (PDF)

CoHabitat in Shreveport will be a non-profit organization, interested in giving people a place to work with similarly trained or interested others. Typically, shared workspaces like CoHabitat have been used by creative professionals looking for a place to get work done with the focus that an office provides outside their own homes. These people are also looking for the kind of community that offices often provide, and out of which relationships and collaborative efforts can emerge. They are often relaxed atmospheres.

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While this is a concept successful in cities, such as New York, Dallas, and Houston, this is the first one in the ArkLaTex area.

CoHabitat serves the purpose of allowing creative people to be in a relaxed, productive environment for work and collaboration with people in other creative businesses–web design, graphic design, movies, videos, audios, music, writing, public relations, marketing–to be around one another with similar and complementary talents.

More from The Examiner (PDF)

When Shreveport native Victoria Provenza decided to locate her technology firm proSPATIAL back home, she needed a temporary space while the business incubator at the Cyber Innovation Center was being
built.

CoHabitat was the perfect solution in more ways than one.

“I could’ve moved into any executive suite,” Provenza said. “But I would’ve never had access to the network of technology people who can work as contract employees.”

CoHabitat is a version of a relatively new concept that has found success in hubs for the technology industry, like the Silicon Valley, Dallas, Seattle and Austin, Texas.

The concept is a shared workspace for professionals who work independently or on a freelance basis.

The tenants tend to be in digital media or entrepreneurs, working in fields like software, graphic and Website design. Additionally, and more importantly, according to the project’s founders, CoHabitat gives like-minded people a chance to share ideas and opportunities.

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