Forum - Coping with the recession

I'm very encouraged this year by the spirit of collaboration being shown by the many freelancers and small businesses who have seized on the idea of coworking with such enthusiasm. Coworking has been around for a few years, but now really seems to be taking off. Maybe that has something to do with the recession and a feeling that it's better to pull together than compete.

I discovered coworking and Jelly last autumn through Lee Cottier who organises Jelly in the Bristol and Bath area and helped me start up in Frome. We publicise Jelly thro Twitter and have been getting many enquiries from people all over the country wanting to start their own coworking events. Coworking simply means getting out of your home office to work alongside other freelancers and home workers. There are coworking spaces springing up where you can rent a desk from just a few hours a month at accessible prices. Jelly is a free event held just for a day in a venue willing to host a group at no charge.

The beauty of Jelly is that people come along not to sell themselves or pitch their business, but for a change of scene, to chat and share help and advice. They always end up surprised by how much they have achieved, with some new connections they would otherwise not have made, and possibly fresh inspiration.

This is a very exciting development for small businesses and home workers, as it tackles isolation, the main problem of working from home and the cause of much demotivation. Just shows there's no such thing as an ill wind...