A long, long time ago (ok, 2010) life was very, very difficult for some:
1. Professionals who were constantly traveling. They found themselves conducting work in coffee shops down the street from their hotels, feeling less professional and productive.
2. Entrepreneurs and freelancers who work from home. Their living room wasn’t the most professional place to meet with investors or partners, and raising capital becomes a little more challenging at Starbucks.
3. Desks. So many quality workspaces across the United States were being neglected; going weeks or months without any human touch.
Thanks to entrepreneur Mark Gilbreath, the dog days are over. Mark understands that work happens no matter where you are, and, thus, thought of a solution: LiquidSpace.
I recently chatted with Mike McCormick from LiquidSpace’s Business Development team (who is also a friend of Rick's from Georgetown) about this awesome company and what we can expect from them in the future.
So, what is LiquidSpace exactly?
Mike calls LS the OpenTable of workspace. It provides members with real-time booking availability (online or mobile) and access to over 2,000 office spaces across the US. Located in venues, biz centers, hotels, city libraries, and private offices, you’ll never have to worry about not finding a seat at Panera, or being kicked off the internet every 30 minutes at Starbucks again. LS is currently focusing on a few key cities in the US right now, including Chicago.
Chicago's booming startup scene is one that thrives off coworking spaces. Collaborative work environments allow entrepreneurs to work side by side and find and meet with investors and mentors in order to launch the next big thing. If you're not part of a coworking space, but need a spot for out of towners to come work, you need LiquidSpace. Here’s where you can find work spaces in Chicago.
LiquidSpace saves professionals valuable time that would have otherwise been wasted arranging a sub-par meeting space. More time = increased productivity. By booking with LiquidSpace, traveling across the country is no longer a factor in terms of how much work you’re able to get done. The work and meeting spaces available on LS provide great working environments, making you and your clients feel right at home. Better environment = increased productivity.
Here’s how it works:
1. Simply sign up (for free!) and search for the workspace you need by where, when and how you work.
2. Browse LiquidSpace’s search results and reserve your ideal space in just a few clicks.
3. View your reservation details and check into your workspace online or via the LiquidSpace mobile app. LiquidSpace also allows venues to include vital information like wifi codes, directions, and parking instructions in your reservation details.
For the lonely, underutilized desks (and their owners!), LiquidSpace is a match made in heaven. With LiquidSpace’s simple-to-use space management tool, you can fill your empty desks (for cash!) with professionals who came to do one thing: work. Consequently, you’ll be enhancing your work environment, able to deepen relationships, incubate a community, and perhaps even gain some new ventures.
Workspace venues and members benefit from using LiquidSpace, as do enterprises. LS is currently courting a handful of companies, both large and small, who may consider mobilizing their workforce by allowing employees to search and book the workspace they need via LiquidSpace. The company has recently partnered with Marriott, and is in the midst of piloting a deal that will add nearly 40 hotels to LiquidSpace’s marketplace. With more and more large companies being introduced to the idea of employees working from home or in co-working spaces opposed to tradition office spaces, I think we’ll see LS making more big moves in the future.
