December 4, 2009

Holiday deals for teleworkers seeking office space

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For many home-based workers, there comes a point where you start looking forward to your periodic jaunts to the grocery store and the sporadic visits from your friendly neighborhood UPS deliveryperson a bit too much. You know you need you to pepper your weekly routine with more opportunities to breathe the same air as other people -- coffee with friends, trips to the gym, and so on. Only you've been in the house so long you frequently find it difficult to shower, dress, and leave.

Ladies and gentleman, after more than 15 years of working from home by my lonesome, I find myself at this crossroads.

Sure, I could go work in my friendly neighborhood cafe or library branch. But one doesn't want to wear out her welcome (or risk eating three pastries a day) at her corner roastery. Likewise, there comes a point in every professional's career where packing up her laptop every time she needs to use the public restroom gets old.

For this reason, I am considering renting an office outside my home. It's been so long since my home has merely been a place to eat, sleep, unwind, and entertain friends (as opposed to the place where I make my money) that I can't remember what completely shutting down from a day at the office is like. I've heard, however, that the feeling is heavenly. It's something I'd like to experience for myself in the next decade.

As luck would have it, a couple of shared workspaces in Seattle are offering discounts for the holidays. Here's what I've turned up. Feel free to add any coworking deals of your own in the comments.

StartPad. This Pioneer Square coworking space has housed many an entrepreneur and software developer during the past two years. Currently the facility is offering renters who sign up in December an introductory rate of $200 a month for the first three months. (Normally rent is $300/month per person.) See StartPad.org for details.

Office Nomads. This Capitol Hill coworking space is the professional home of numerous writers, designers, software developers, and entrepreneurs. Office Nomads is offering new members who sign up in December $100 off their first month's rent or their third month free. (Monthly rent ranges from $375 to $475 + deposit.) Or, if like me you're more of a noncommittal sort, you can sign up for a $50 basic membership in December (which gets you three drop-in days for the month + discounts on any additional days you drop in) and get a second basic monthly membership for free ($50 value) to give to a fellow teleworker. See OfficeNomads.com for details.

Michelle Goodman is the author of "My So-Called Freelance Life" and "The Anti 9-to-5 Guide." E-mail Michelle at mgoodman@nwjobs.com

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