Where, Oh Where, Do the Charlotte ‘Self-Employeds’ Work?
I saw an ad on TV the other day about “The New Workplace”. If you haven’t seen it, the commercial promotes the resurging popularity of shared office space amongst the self-employed.
It goes something like this: Guy in a tie, late 30s, walks through a keyman-style building extolling the virtues of sharing a coffee pot and receptionist with a half-dozen strangers. He exchanges smiles and nods with the other “self-employeds” as he spins through the modern chic office/set.
“You work for yourself, but you have people to bounce ideas off of,” he says. “You have clerical support, a copier and coffee, too!” But best of all: you don’t work with or for these people. You’re a self-employed, independent, freewheeling, up-by-your-bootstraps kind of honcho!
It looked – and sounded – kind of cool. As someone who works in an industry ripe for start-ups and freelancers, I found this little community of symbiotic self-starters rather appealing. And with a recession still raging out there, you have to think this cadre of workers will continue to grow as corporate America struggles to rebuild its workforce. Continue Reading »