Staples Tries Co-Working Spaces To Court Millennials And Entrepreneurs (pilotonline.com)

Are there any Slashdot readers who are doing their work in co-working spaces? An anonymous reader writes: Staples office-supply stores is aggressively repositioning its brand to entice new customers like tech entrepreneurs and small businesses, reports The New York Times. "A case in point: Staples' partnership with Workbar, a Boston-based co-working company founded in 2009... Workbar attracts the coveted millennial generation, as well as entrepreneurs, a potential pipeline for new small business customers." Three co-working spaces have now been added to Staples stores, including their original flagship store in Boston, and the Times spotted funky art, skylights, an artificial putting green, as well as gourmet coffee "and -- on some nights -- happy hours with beer and wine."

"This blend of old and new shows how Staples Inc. is digging up its roots as one of the first, and most successful, big-box retailers. Under Shira Goodman, the company's new chief executive officer, Staples hopes it can reverse its years of declining sales, unlike so many other retailers left for dead in the internet age."
The company also reports online orders already make up 60% of their sales, which they hope to push to 80% by 2020, according to the Motley Fool. "Selling products, 50% of which are outside of traditional office supply categories, to businesses large and small has proven to be a resilient business for Staples."

Comments

Yes

[Anonymous Coward]

I work in a famication lab with other people. Sometimes I build stuff, sometimes I program, sometimes I lounge on a couch. It's nice.

Would I go work on projects at a fucking Staples? Hahahahahahah!!!!

Re:Yes

[Anonymous Coward]

I work in a famication lab with other people. Sometimes I build stuff, sometimes I program, sometimes I lounge on a couch. It's nice.

To be honest, that is quite different from what I was expecting a fornication lab to be.

Re:Yes

[BarbaraHudson]

I work in a famication lab with other people. Sometimes I build stuff, sometimes I program, sometimes I lounge on a couch. It's nice.

To be honest, that is quite different from what I was expecting a fornication lab to be.

Translation: He works on Uber's app - f*cking everyone over.

Re:Yes

[Anonymous Coward]

I work in a famication lab with other people. Sometimes I build stuff, sometimes I program, sometimes I lounge on a couch. It's nice.

To be honest, that is quite different from what I was expecting a fornication lab to be.

When you finally have a moment without a NjGGER PENIS deeply embedded in your throat you will then increase your reading comprehension.

Re: Yes

[cthulhu11]

You first. Best guess is the OP meant "fabrication".

Re: Yes

[Anonymous Coward]

It's mah fuckan staplar!! I'll burn dis plasce down! I'm curious guys. It was wed in color and a swingline, and I want it back! Mine! Also fix my paycheck.

Another way to avoid supplying proper offices

[BarbaraHudson]

Just another way to hide the super cheap open office plan behind "hipster" words. Even cubicles would be an improvement.

Re:Another way to avoid supplying proper offices

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm not entirely sold on the idea that cubes are better than open layouts. It's not like cubes offer any real privacy.

Re:Another way to avoid supplying proper offices

[BarbaraHudson]

This is in a Staples store. Do you really want to work on your stuff at an open table in a Staples store?

Re:Another way to avoid supplying proper offices

[Anonymous Coward]

Heh no. Wouldn't want to work in a vision screened corner of a retail store either.
Was responding to the post that was more ranting about open layouts in general than this specific offering by Staples.

Re:Another way to avoid supplying proper offices

[BarbaraHudson]

Open layouts suck. You can't get peace and quiet, you hear everyone's phone conversations, everyone's music, everyone's nattering. And since there's no door, everyone is free to interrupt you. It's like working from home and nobody understands that you're WORKING, so call first.

Re:Another way to avoid supplying proper offices

[Anonymous Coward]

How is having only vision blocked on three sides somehow better? A cloth wall stops sound? What cubes do is give the illusion of privacy and makes it harder to notice that work around you stops suddenly when your phone rings.

Re: Another way to avoid supplying proper offices

[Anonymous Coward]

Good thing that's not what they're talking about...

Re:Another way to avoid supplying proper offices

[BarbaraHudson]

At least it keeps others from screen surfing.

Re: Another way to avoid supplying proper offices

[BarbaraHudson]

Obviously you didn't RTFA or you would have seen the picture. It's exactly what they're talking about. Paying $130 a month as a "member" so you can sit at a table and work in the open.

Re:Another way to avoid supplying proper offices

[Anonymous Coward]

It does help for visual privacy from three sides. That is all cubes do. Since your screen it generally pointed at the open side it is no cure all for snoopers. Open at least you know damn well nothing is private instead of being fooled into thinking something may be.

Re:Another way to avoid supplying proper offices

[futuresheep]

It's been studied, several times over. Here's one you can use for reference. The summary is that in offices where employees have privacy and personal space, productivity is much higher. https://www.usnews.com/opinion... https://www.fastcompany.com/30... https://www.tradegecko.com/blo...

Re:Another way to avoid supplying proper offices

[Anonymous Coward]

Depends on what the open side is exposed to. If people can see in from 20 feet away you're probably fucked, but if you're deep in a cube farm and they have to follow some narrow path to get to you, you can take steps. Last cubicle job I had (before virtual desktops were a thing) I wrote a small service that would listen for ctrl+alt+X and call ShowWindow on any open games/videos/browsers and toggle them between shown and hidden. It worked genuinely instantly so as long as I heard them coming before they were actually in my cube with eyes focused on my screen I was good.

Re: Another way to avoid supplying proper offices

[Anonymous Coward]

Where I work people have discovered this cool new trick called headphones.

Re:Another way to avoid supplying proper offices

[Anonymous Coward]

Every job I've ever had, when I feel like taking a break, I take one. While on break I might go toilet, fix a coffee, make a personal call, browse the net, or play a short game. Any time I was disturbed while on my break I would ask them: "is it urgent, I'm on a break". Most of the time it wasn't, and I'd politely ask them to come back in 10-15 minutes. When it was urgent, I'd ask them to "give me a sec" and then I'd save my game, finish what I was doing, and then give them my full attention.

My policy to this regard has worked 100 times better than any kind of sneaking around pretending to work ever would have.

Re:Another way to avoid supplying proper offices

[JaredOfEuropa]

Is that all they are offering? I've looked into co-worker spaces and "incubators" last year when I was working on some pet projects (working from home all the time wasn't as attractive as it sounds). Most places offered a lot of flexibility, i.e. widely spaced hot desks, quiet cells, meeting rooms, break rooms, fluffy creativity rooms, the inevitable pool / pingpong / foosball tables, up to private offices with leases from a day to a year. And tables as shown in TFA. For lone wolves and small startups it's a good deal: the facilities are generally decent and affordable, and you're bound to meet many other people working on interesting stuff, which can help your own efforts.

But yeah, if it's just a table in a Staples store, then I'd pass.

Re:Another way to avoid supplying proper offices

[serviscope_minor]

Just another way to hide the super cheap open office plan behind "hipster" words.

If you like. If you're a startup with little cash, co working spaces are super useful. Instead of renting whole office, you rent a single desk. Oddly enough it's rather a lot cheaper. And rather than being isolated in a lone office, there's other people near by, so it's not an isolating experience. And some of them provide useful networking stuff in order to compete.

Does that make them hipster? I don't really care. You don't have to have a huge beard, a waxed moustache, tattoos, thick rimmed specs and no socks to work there. On the other hand they tend to be in hipstery locations because the type of useful locations for cow-orking (the cheap, but reasonably central ones) tend to be popular with hipsters too. That generaly means there's also good food and beer nearby, which is a win as far as I'm concerned.

Re: Another way to avoid supplying proper offices

[Type44Q]

so it's not an isolating experience.

And there we have it, folks; millennials' real priorities - fulfilling-emotional "needs" - eventual float to the surface. ;)

Re:Another way to avoid supplying proper offices

[afgam28]

The studies focus on private offices vs open plan offices. The AC was talking about cubes vs open plan, and was saying that cubes are no substitute for a proper private office.

Re: Another way to avoid supplying proper offices

[cthulhu11]

When the power is out, or your kid is home from school, then yes. Charbux finally offers useable wifi but the loud music prevents calls / meetings. Mind you I'd rather do without the fluff aimed at kids with stickers on their laptops they carried in a messenger bag while riding on their fixie.

Re: Another way to avoid supplying proper offices

[cthulhu11]

When I need something for a day, a lease like that really isn't feasible. I need somewhere I can drop in for a few bucks.

Re: Another way to avoid supplying proper offices

[BarbaraHudson]

Doesn't work unless I'm wearing headphones too. And I don't want to, and shouldn't have to. That's why it's better to have an office with a door. Improved productivity, and more importantly, fewer errors caused by distractions, which more than makes up for the cost of a real office with a real door, unless you're working on something of no consequence that, if it screws up, nothing of value was lost.

Re:Another way to avoid supplying proper offices

[BarbaraHudson]

It's Staples. Even the coffee won't be free. For many coders, that's a deal breaker AND a ball breaker. :-)

Re:Another way to avoid supplying proper offices

[BarbaraHudson]

There's no reason a one-person start-up has to be isolating. There's this thing called the Internet, where you can post ads looking for other people who might want to share your place for the same fee and free coffee (unlike Staples). You get to choose who you work around, and they can improve their workspace by setting up a second, larger screen so they're not struggling with the laptop screens lack of real estate. They could even park a desktop there for the duration - not something you can do at a co-working space.

Or, better yet, budget your time properly so that you take screen breaks of 15 minutes to 2 hours to get out of the house, away from work, and let stuff gel in the back of your mind. Your increased efficiency will hopefully more than make up for fewer hours in front of the keyboard, because sometimes you can look at something all day and not see the problem when it's obvious to a fresh set of eyes (and that fresh set can be yours 2 hours later).

Re: Another way to avoid supplying proper offices

[BarbaraHudson]

When I was a kid we had to either go outside to play until suppertime, or do homework. You can guess what we chose. Today, kids sit in front of screens instead, and recent studies have shown the long-term impact on their skeletal system (reduced bone density) that will bite them in spades later in life. Plus there's the whole screentime-obesity link.

So we played. Sometimes had fun, sometimes got beaten up, but at least we weren't isolating ourselves. We knew all the other kids in the neighborhood, and their parents knew us.

Re: Another way to avoid supplying proper offices

[BarbaraHudson]

A restaurant and a BIG tip to the wait staff, as well as buying more than just coffee, works okay. It's more than a few bucks, but hey, you've got to eat anyway, might as well treat yourself. :-)

Re:Another way to avoid supplying proper offices

[luis_a_espinal]

This is in a Staples store. Do you really want to work on your stuff at an open table in a Staples store?

I would depending on the circumstances. I've done telecommuting/freelancing work, and with noisy kids at home, sometimes going to the library or renting a room at a dunking donuts is an option. A co-working space is a good option for many situations.

Shit ain't just black and white. News at 11.

Re: Another way to avoid supplying proper offices

[luis_a_espinal]

Obviously you didn't RTFA or you would have seen the picture. It's exactly what they're talking about. Paying $130 a month as a "member" so you can sit at a table and work in the open.

Which is a good option if you are freelancing or telecommuting with remote employers/clients and do not want to work from home. Another alternative is to rent an office space (which in some areas it might be as cheap as this offering.)

The fact that it doesn't work for you does not make the notion idiotic (or that you are a genius for not liking it.)

Re:Another way to avoid supplying proper offices

[luis_a_espinal]

The studies focus on private offices vs open plan offices. The AC was talking about cubes vs open plan, and was saying that cubes are no substitute for a proper private office.

Nothing is a substitute for private offices, but in 23 years of doing this IT/software rodeo, I've never seen developers with private offices, just cubicles. Private offices are for leads, front-line managers and up (and for good reason because private offices are damn prohibitively expensive to give to every damned developer.)

Re: Another way to avoid supplying proper offices

[cthulhu11]

A restaurant would need to be open at 8am, have usable wifi and something I can order, and not be blasting dance music. That plus the fact that no restaurant would let one take up a booth all day

Re:Another way to avoid supplying proper offices

[serviscope_minor]

There's no reason a one-person start-up has to be isolating. There's this thing called the Internet, where you can post ads looking for other people who might want to share your place for the same fee and free coffee (unlike Staples).

So, co-working spaces are a bad idea and your genius solution is to not use one, but instead run one of your own in addition to your own business? Brilliant!

and they can improve their workspace by setting up a second, larger screen so they're not struggling with the laptop screens lack of real estate. They could even park a desktop there for the duration - not something you can do at a co-working space.

All three of the co-working spaces I've rented at allowed such things.

Re:Another way to avoid supplying proper offices

[BarbaraHudson]

If you "run one of your own", you get to pick and choose which one or two others you're going to share space with. That's important. Maybe you want people with complementary interests; maybe you want people with the same interests. You get to choose who you work with, and whether pets are allowed. In the early days, dogs were allowed in most start-ups. Not so much now. It's been shown that just having a dog sitting in the corner doing nothing lowers arguments in meetings. That doesn't happen with the "workbar" concept. And of course, greater productivity means you finish earlier or produce more in the same amount of time. Less stress. More happiness. Just try doing that in a Staples. (mind you, I used to bring mine in while shopping, and nobody said anything because Newfies are enormous)

Re:Another way to avoid supplying proper offices

[serviscope_minor]

If you "run one of your own", you get to pick and choose which one or two others you're going to share space with.

So now in addition to the long leases of actual offices, you've got the administrative overhead of running a co-working space, vetting applicants and enforcing contracts like kicking them out for bad behaviour. You're making it sound like less and less work each time. I've got a great idea, how about we out-source, and let someone else amortise the long lease risk over many sub-letters and let them deal with all the crap.

We can call those organisations "co-working spaces".

That's important. Maybe you want people with complementary interests; maybe you want people with the same interests.

Or ya know, you can sign up to a co-working space that already does that. There are ones which specialise in tech related startups. And ones that specialise in artists and related creative endeavours. I've always signed up to the former sort.

You get to choose who you work with, and whether pets are allowed. In the early days, dogs were allowed in most start-ups. Not so much now. It's been shown that just having a dog sitting in the corner doing nothing lowers arguments in meetings.

One of the larger companies at my previous cow-orking space got a puppy. Could take it or leave it. And, er what arguments?

That doesn't happen with the "workbar" concept.

This is quite funny. You keep telling me that stuff that happened at co working spaces I've been at is literally impossible. Here's a free clue: you've got completely the wrong end of the stick and are busy shaking it as hard as you can.

Re:Another way to avoid supplying proper offices

[BarbaraHudson]

Who's talking about leasing office space. I've got two spare bedrooms. If I were still into coding, looking for a couple others who want to do the same would make sense.

Re:Another way to avoid supplying proper offices

[Anonymous Coward]

If you are "a startup with little cash", then "good food and beer nearby" is hardly a priority.

Re:Another way to avoid supplying proper offices

[serviscope_minor]

So now in addition from running a co-working space, you're going to do so from your house, and need to apply to the council for a change of use?! If you're going to be renting them out to strangers for the purposes of work you're using your building commercially which almost certainly isn't legal without seeking permission.

Besides, you know, not everyone has the luxury of multiple unused rooms.

Thing is, 300 quid per month is not an onerous cost to a business, even a small one, for a place conducive to work. Well worth the money.

Re:Another way to avoid supplying proper offices

[BarbaraHudson]

As long as the commercial use is 25% or less, no need to ask permission from the city. YMMV. Not everyone lives in the UK.

Re:Another way to avoid supplying proper offices

[serviscope_minor]

Well you ignored the rest of my points. I take it that you are conceding that the things you claim can't be done in co working spaces which I have done are in fact possible.

And you know, not everyone lives wherever you do.

Re: Another way to avoid supplying proper offices

[PingSpike]

Why not go to a public library? They're all over the place and have wifi and are at least somewhat quiet as a rule. Our local one even has meeting rooms you can book.

Re: Another way to avoid supplying proper offices

[cthulhu11]

Again, for work one tends to need a place that's open before 10am or noon, and of course spaces where one can speak are limited. Last library I worked out of had a "study room" that they reluctantly let me into, they wanted advance notice and had like a 2 hour time limit.

Re:Another way to avoid supplying proper offices

[BarbaraHudson]

No, I'm ignoring them because they're not relevant to my proposal. What I was proposing was extremely small scale - one or two other people. Not a commercial venture. It would help end the isolation that people working on their own experience.

And you do the math - in this case they're charging $130 a month, but you have to pay for your own coffees, and you can't bring them in from off-premises, same as you can't bring your own food to a restaurant. So 3 cups a day (that's on the low side), 5 days a week, 4.3 weeks in a month comes out to 64 cups (well, 64.5, but who's counting). Your coffee bill will be more than your workbar membership. And then there's snacks, etc. Far cheaper for a team of two or three people to work from someone's home.

Re:Another way to avoid supplying proper offices

[serviscope_minor]

And you do the math

You're comparing the viability of your own venture not to co-workig in general but to this specific one, too. There's already tons of co-working spaces out there.

Re:Another way to avoid supplying proper offices

[BarbaraHudson]

I'm comparing it to this one because that's what the story is about. Similarly, if the story were about Ubuntu abandoning Unity I wouldn't be talking about openSUSE in a VM.

Re:Another way to avoid supplying proper offices

[serviscope_minor]

I'm comparing it to this one because that's what the story is about.

Then your post is still nonsensical: that means you're saying "this co-working space sucks; go and found and run your own", rather than "go to a better one".

Plus you kept on telling me I couldn't do things at co-working spaces in general, not this one in particular.

Not everyone has the luxury of 2 spare bedrooms and not everyone is happy staying at home almost all the time. Co-working is for those people. If you're not one, that's great for you but that doesn't make co-working spaces a bad idea. Not everyone is the same as you and not everyone feels the same way as you either.

Re: Another way to avoid supplying proper offices

[Anonymous Coward]

Just ignore "Barbra" "ignore my wang" Hudson. Goal post moving troll.

Re: Another way to avoid supplying proper offices

[Anonymous Coward]

Ahh you don't have emotional needs! Cool. Tell me, what's it like back home on vulcan? Do you miss it? Well obviously not I guess.

Re: Another way to avoid supplying proper offices

[serviscope_minor]

piss off.

Re:Another way to avoid supplying proper offices

[BarbaraHudson]

The article was specific, and the limitations aren't just limited to Staples.

I'm Getting Old

[Anonymous Coward]

I must be getting old. Because to me a "co-working space" is a two-person office, with floor-to-ceiling walls and a door.

Re:I'm Getting Old

[__aaclcg7560]

Getting old is remembering when the floor-to-ceiling walls weren't made out off glass and you could bang your secretary on the desk with some privacy.

Re: I'm Getting Old

[cthulhu11]

I worked at a place with two-person offices with walls and ceilings. The walls were Herman-Miller panels and not super soundproof. The contractor next to mine actually was banging the HR secretary in there. Both were married to better people.

Re: I'm Getting Old

[Anonymous Coward]

The contractor next to mine actually was banging the HR secretary in there.

Quoting The Godfather, "It's not personal, Sonny. It's strictly business." :-)

Wait, what?

[MrLogic17]

"Workbar attracts the coveted millennial generation, "

Wait, since when were millennials coveted as employees? Given their stereotyped work ethic, I'd think it would be the opposite.

And yet again, the Gen X'res are forgotten and passed over again by the media.

Re:Wait, what?

[somenickname]

I keep reading stories that millennials are also woefully unemployed. It seems odd to try to court people who would literally work for peanuts. Not to mention the fact that co-working, the latest buzzword for "not valued enough to have an office", is basically the most miserable work environment I can think of. You only need one loud overtalker and productivity effectively drops to zero.

But, yeah... gig economy... millennials... open office... buzzword, buzzword. Hell, why not have a mandatory skinny jeans policy so we don't hurt the feelings of the younger guys.

Re:Wait, what?

[Anonymous Coward]

Any business model that seeks to profit from the upward-social-mobility of millennials is doomed to fail. Labor automation has their asses kicked. The best that generation can realistically do is scrape by as the middle class slowly splits apart into the upper and (mostly) lower classes.

Re:Wait, what?

[Anonymous Coward]

It's false that "millennials" are more unemployed compared to other generations.

It is true that more live with their parents and are not married. But just as many are employed.

Re:Wait, what?

[aaarrrgggh]

While not great for concentration, pop-up/improvised workspaces offer a number of opportunities that you don't get working from home; co-working tries to mimic that. Most co-working spaces offer everything from cafe tables to private offices.

For Staples, it is a smart move to maximize use of real-estate they are stuck with.

Re:Wait, what?

[Kjella]

Not to mention the fact that co-working, the latest buzzword for "not valued enough to have an office", is basically the most miserable work environment I can think of. You only need one loud overtalker and productivity effectively drops to zero.

I think it's one of those "when it works it's amazing, so let's try to make everything and everyone like that". The best scrum team I've met was super chatty, they were constantly bouncing ideas and questions around and even though I'd take on any one of them in a one-on-one coding competition as a team they'd teach the Borg a thing or two about a hive mind. It was like looking at a professional sports team at play, sure every player has their role but if you didn't have any coordination the team that plays well together would overrun a team of highly talented individuals.

The problem is, not everybody works like that. Some talk way too much, some really ought to say something but doesn't. Putting great players and poor players together or lack of coordination can lead to a lot of frustration as some people do excellent work only to see it go to waste. I know I failed at that one at work recently, to me it was obvious since I've lived and breathed the solution I'm working on for some years but to a new person it wasn't obvious at all, so I completely failed to point him to the existing solution so he started looking at a new one. And I've written a lot of code that was for naught.

Re:Wait, what?

[Ol Olsoc]

"Workbar attracts the coveted millennial generation, "

Wait, since when were millennials coveted as employees? Given their stereotyped work ethic, I'd think it would be the opposite.

And yet again, the Gen X'res are forgotten and passed over again by the media.

Holy hell This!

Millennials have not been too successful at working out in the workplace, and it isn't because of the surroundings. It's because their parents and schools have screwed them up so badly.

And "them" is in general. Two of the best employees I've ever worked with were young women millennials. But outside those two, it went downhil really fast. The only saving grace was the problem ones quit quickly and moved back in with their parents or grandparents.

Re:Wait, what?

[sound vision]

Skinny jeans have been hip since way before millennials.

"And with your hair swung right
And your pants too tight, it's gonna be all right"
-The Byrds, "So You Want to Be a Rock n Roll Star?" (1967)

Seriously, look at em:
https://lastfm-img2.akamaized....
They look exactly like indie kids, just missing the Chuck Taylors, because I don't think those existed yet.

Re:Wait, what?

[Anonymous Coward]

It would be nice if you had backed that up with something verifiable.
One thing about millennials is that they have massive student loan debt compared to previous generations.
And the ones living at home tend to be the ones who didn't even complete college.

Re:Wait, what?

[Anonymous Coward]

It's because their parents and schools have screwed them up so badly.

Said every generation ever about the next generation.

Re:Wait, what?

[Anonymous Coward]

Slashdot is probably run by Millennial trash now. They don't even seem to know who their target demographic is anymore.

Re:Wait, what?

[serviscope_minor]

Not to mention the fact that co-working, the latest buzzword for "not valued enough to have an office"

As someone who's done a fair bit of it, I thought co-working was "rent a desk in an office", and usually comes with very short (i.e. end of the current month, if you're not already too close) notice periods. Very useful to have if you're a startup, for example.

Re:Wait, what?

[Anonymous Coward]

Not to mention the fact that co-working, the latest buzzword for "not valued enough to have an office"

As someone who's done a fair bit of it, I thought co-working was "rent a desk in an office", and usually comes with very short (i.e. end of the current month, if you're not already too close) notice periods. Very useful to have if you're a startup, for example.

Re: Wait, what?

[Anonymous Coward]

No. You are correct. The parents are very bad parents. And its illegal to even punish your kids now. So they medicate them. Its an epidemic.

This will be the true division of classes, back to super poor. Lazy, mental disorders -- no idea of self preservation. They would rather die in the streets than try. We need a war. It toughens up people. Sadly, we need bad shit to happen as that is when humanity really shines and gets back to the basics.

I must be getting old

[Anonymous Coward]

I must be getting old. Because to me a "co-working space" is a two-person office, with floor-to-ceiling walls and a door.

Re:I must be getting old

[ColdWetDog]

Yep, you're getting old. Can't remember what you posted a few minutes ago.

Then it's your car keys.

Then you're toast.

Re:I must be getting old

[Anonymous Coward]

Slashdot misbehaved. Post showed up without a postid and clicking "reply" on it got a "not a valid article id" nor was it visible in the normal view either. So I assumed it was eaten by a bug.

Re:I must be getting old

[PopeRatzo]

"I can't find my glasses."

"They're on your head."

"Shut up, millennial scum. I'm not too old to show you what for."

Re:I must be getting old

[Anonymous Coward]

You're starting to get old when you forget to zip your fly after going to the bathroom. You are old when you forget to unzip it before you go.

Re:I must be getting old

[Ol Olsoc]

Yep, you're getting old. Can't remember what you posted a few minutes ago.

Then it's your car keys.

Then you're toast.

Toast? Hey young fella, I love toast can ya bring me some?

We had mighty good toast back in the day. Non of this artisanal crap! Who the hell wants painted toast anyhow. Now where was I ?

Re:I must be getting old

[Anonymous Coward]

You're starting to get old when you forget to zip your fly after going to the bathroom. You are old when you forget to unzip it before you go.

You're officially over the hill when you think the staff like you and really want to hear your opinion about everything. Or when you stand in front of something, asking where that thing is, because you can't seem to read a sign or a label but you can spot a nametag a thousand yards out, in the dark.

Some of these chain retailers

[Anonymous Coward]

should go all-out with the information age theme with HDTVs and smaller touchscreen consoles everywhere. For example, in the case of Staples, they could have a 70" HDTV running CNBC with the latest business news, except that all the commercials would be (per agreement with CNBC) for Staples.

Slashvertisment?

[rsilvergun]

Since when is an office supply store adding a coffee shop/bar to their stores News for Nerds, Stuff that Matters?

Re:Slashvertisment?

[somenickname]

This isn't a slashvertisment, it's a hand wringing exercise for anyone over the age of 30.

Re:Slashvertisment?

[Hognoxious]

Because it's a paradigm shift towards a more organic, collaborative business ecosystem.

What a square old daddy-o you are!

Re:Slashvertisment?

[Ol Olsoc]

Because it's a paradigm shift towards a more organic, collaborative business ecosystem.

What a square old daddy-o you are!

Ooohh, I love that purdy talk. You're hired!

Re:Slashvertisment?

[Tough Love]

Slashdot content warrior? (SCW)

Re:Slashvertisment?

[Anonymous Coward]

You've forgotten to use the word "synergy". :-)

truth+mercy=justice

[Anonymous Coward]

takes away the fear based overkill violent punishment features... cease fire stand down.. sing along,, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wplUBFVsbtw .. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myo9wXrNUP4.. thanks..

I don't get it

[future assassin]

seriously can someone explain what they are trying to do. I read something about something hip and chill music.

Re:I don't get it

[aaarrrgggh]

Say you are stuck with a 20-year lease on a big-box retail store for a commodity product that everyone just buys online now. You pay $1/square foot for the space. You realize that you could convert 10-20,000 square feet of non-performing space into something that has a value of $2.5-3.5/square foot, plus offers some follow-on benefit to the remaining store.

Do you like money?

Re:I don't get it

[BarbaraHudson]

And selling "workbar memberships" at $130 a month is going to pay the bills? I guess they're going to make it up in coffee sales or something. So what happens when you want to show stuff to a client - do you buy them a membership too?

Re:I don't get it

[Man On Pink Corner]

I've heard dumber ideas. When you need supplies, you'll get them from the store you're already in. Ditto with coffee.

These stores are stuck with floor space, retail employees, and other forms of overhead that competitors like Amazon don't have to worry about. It may be time to consider wacky ideas like creating a 20,000-square-foot Starbucks.

Re:I don't get it

[aaarrrgggh]

A serviced office runs $300-800/month, so $130 for a "work address is actually not a bad deal. Hell, an amortized cubicle runs over $500/month in most cities. In places where commute times are meaningful, having structured environments for employees to work from that are close to home is a huge advantage.

Re:I don't get it

[DogDude]

It's called coworking. It's been a thing in medium to big size cities for about a decade or so.

Re:I don't get it

[AHuxley]

The hope is to get people in store and then have to buy stuff to do their projects. The more people that sit around chatting all day about their dreams, the more some of them might need pens, paper, a new usb flatbed scanner, 3d printer supplies, a camera card and other artistic consumables.
As the consumers are surrounded by project materials, they might spend at that location too as the creativity flows.
Smarter people just find a deal online for the same consumables with free postage USA wide.

Re:I don't get it

[JaredOfEuropa]

a 20,000-square-foot Starbucks

Also known as the 3rd circle of hell.

Re:I don't get it

[BarbaraHudson]

Lack of privacy, having to pack up your things when you need to go to the bathroom or skip out for half an hour for lunch (and drag it all with you), not having your own peripherals (printer/scanner/large 2nd screen) ... you might as well put the money towards a real home office.

What next - bean counters saying "You're all being moved to work bars and we'll save SOOO much money"?

Re:I don't get it

[luis_a_espinal]

Say you are stuck with a 20-year lease on a big-box retail store for a commodity product that everyone just buys online now. You pay $1/square foot for the space. You realize that you could convert 10-20,000 square feet of non-performing space into something that has a value of $2.5-3.5/square foot, plus offers some follow-on benefit to the remaining store. Do you like money?

This. This is similar to Walmart turning closed warehouses into data centers. People treat smart business like the work of the devil or some shit like that.

Re:I don't get it

[luis_a_espinal]

Lack of privacy, having to pack up your things when you need to go to the bathroom or skip out for half an hour for lunch (and drag it all with you), not having your own peripherals (printer/scanner/large 2nd screen) ... you might as well put the money towards a real home office.

What next - bean counters saying "You're all being moved to work bars and we'll save SOOO much money"?

It's call compromise. Some people need to make the compromise. Others do not. And no, sometimes you do not want to have a home office.

Re:I don't get it

[aaarrrgggh]

There are different arrangements; some places have lockers at the desk as well as external monitors and network resources.

It is more of a social at,o sphere than working at home... some people need that.

What in the actual fuck?

[Powercntrl]

So, is this like how Barnes and Noble has a Starbucks inside? Or, is it more like how the local mall couldn't find enough individual shops to rent out the place, so they converted most of the bottom floor into a gym (ostensibly for exercise, not Pokemon)? Or, is this like when I ask the guy I think is a salesperson at Walmart to unlock the anti-theft case so I can buy something, but he can't help me because he's only there to hock DirecTV subscriptions?

The "new economy" sucks.

Re:What in the actual fuck?

[Anonymous Coward]

No. It's like a library. But without books.

Re:What in the actual fuck?

[Tough Love]

You know you're growing up when you suddenly realize how bad Starbucks coffee actually is. Hint: try somewhere on the Italian end of town.

This could work

[PPH]

As long as the locations are near a convenient Office Depot for picking up supplies.

Theory meets reality

[Hognoxious]

Theory: Staples Tries Co-Working Spaces To Court Millennials And Entrepreneurs.

Reality: They attract hipsters, slackers and the occasional thief.

Re:Theory meets reality

[Ol Olsoc]

Theory: Staples Tries Co-Working Spaces To Court Millennials And Entrepreneurs.

Reality: They attract hipsters, slackers and the occasional thief.

And the old people who are tired of hanging out at McDonald's in the morning.

Here's the solution

[Anonymous Coward]

Two steps:
- Hire Americans 35 years old or older;
- Hire H-1B and other visa holding foreigners for diversity, including age diversity.

No special needs, no problems, no risk. Great team work and great work ethics.

Solved!

Re: Here's the solution

[Anonymous Coward]

They have transgender H1Bs?

Struggling to see a benefit

[BenJeremy]

Seriously, how is this any better than working at your kitchen table? I've got a small computer desk with a laptop dock, full keyboard, trackball, and a wall-mounted monitor for those occasions when I work from home. In a few more months, I'll probably start working a portion of my week from home on a regular basis, and I'll probably add at least another monitor and set it up more like my main system.

The chairs pictured in that article look awfully uncomfortable, and squinting at a tiny laptop screen for 8 hours, while others are jostling around me, potentially spying at my work? That's just stupid. Worse, you have to pay for this, right? Basically you are paying for the privilege of sharing a wi-fi connection.

Yeah, I'll pass. There is zero appeal for anybody with common sense.

Re:Struggling to see a benefit

[starless]

Seriously, how is this any better than working at your kitchen table?

If you're single, maybe slightly more chance of getting laid?

...a longhaired freelance astrophysicist, said that he had met two girlfriends (now exes), and his current roommate, via power-strip negotiations.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12...

Re:Struggling to see a benefit

[Tough Love]

Seriously, how is this any better than working at your kitchen table?

Fewer food scraps? Or maybe not.

Re:Struggling to see a benefit

[Tough Love]

...a longhaired freelance astrophysicist, said that he had met two girlfriends (now exes), and his current roommate, via power-strip negotiations.

Server room inspections are even more productive, provided you are into hairy sysadmins.

Re:Struggling to see a benefit

[AHuxley]

Re Seriously, how is this any better than working at your kitchen table?
Staff will wonder past and hint about the fun that can be had with a 3d printer that is on special.
Need different special pens for the comic, more special art paper? Like to try pencils or water colors? Coffee?
A sheltered workshop for people with trust funds.

Re:Struggling to see a benefit

[Anonymous Coward]

Gym analogy. Have you ever bought some workout equipment, thinking, gee this is way cheaper than paying for a gym membership. Plus I won't have to worry about other people's germs, and I'll save lots of time, too!

Now. How often have you actually used that equipment? It turns out that the social environment provided by a gym provides pretty decent motivation for the members. Well, for the members who don't blow off their workouts, that is.

Re:Struggling to see a benefit

[serviscope_minor]

Seriously, how is this any better than working at your kitchen table?

Just about anything is better than working at your kitchen table full time. I can work fine from home one or two days a week, and have a home lab/workshop set up just for that. But never seeing anyone day to day and having no real proper separation between work and home life sucks for most people.

There is zero appeal for anybody with common sense.

Common sense says it's worth spending 300 quid a month to stay sane. What lacks common sense is the false economy of not spending it.

Yeah, no.

[JJJJust]

Went to Staples a few months ago. Staples brand 6 ft micro USB cable was $38.99. Even for being in a premium location (Chicago Loop), that's just bullshit. Co-working spaces won't solve the basic problem of Staples being (or having the perception of being) over-fucking-priced.

To court millenials and entrepreneurs

[Dunbal]

Anyone would think there was a shortage of talent. Funny, that's not what the unemployment figures claim. Or are businesses basically saying "fuck older people we don't want you, we only want young people" without actually saying this of course, because that would be illegal.

Re:To court millenials and entrepreneurs

[Anonymous Coward]

The only millennials that are highly-coveted are 30 years old, unmarried, no children, with a Masters degree in Comp. Sci/Statistics/Physics/Mathematics/Electrical Engineering/Biology with a CCNA, several infosec certifications &/or a clean SSBI.

The rest of us might as well be dogfood.

Re:To court millenials and entrepreneurs

[Anonymous Coward]

a CCIE or two doesn't hurt either.

Could this be anymore lame?

[Anonymous Coward]

No, no it could not.

Re: Could this be anymore lame?

[Anonymous Coward]

it's lost on Staples that their corporate values are completely at odds with the co-working mindset.

Re:Could this be anymore lame?

[Anonymous Coward]

"any more", two words.

At least it's not as bad as the Megapath ads...

[Anonymous Coward]

At least it's better than the ads for Megapath.

That scumbag company has a broken cancellation process where none of their online cancellation systems, which they insist you MUST use, actually work unless a human does something behind the scenes. And if that just never actually happens, they keep charging you forever until you force them to quit. I believe they have it set up so that a human can 'confirm' that you really wanted to cancel--you know, in case you filled out a long, complex form by accident. And if that just never happens to help preserve their stats, oh well, not their problem, even if they never so much as attempted to call you. Never mind that the same is not true when *they* have billing problems.

Speakeasy used to be great. I'm still sad they got bought out and turned into that scumbag company Megapath. If anyone here ever wants to cancel service with them, I advise you to document every single step, because in my case, I felt that they designed the process to screw the unwary soul who thought that filling out the cancellation form would actually result in cancelled service, or that them not contacting you about cancellation meant there was no problem with it.

If I had it to do over again, I would raise a ticket the very next day after filling out (and documenting) my cancellation complaining that the email was never received and no one had called. And don't accept any BS for an answer. It took about 1 minute to arrive when I had a human on the phone...

If you want to entice me to your business...

[Anonymous Coward]

...pay me a lot of money, and give me my own desk, with a chair of my choice, a fast computer and two large screen monitors.

And an office when I can shut the door and keep the noise of the millenials out.

Re:If you want to entice me to your business...

[Anonymous Coward]

> chair of my choice

I would kill for that. At the last two start-ups I worked for, the chairs were just dangerous. We had lost time accidents six times between the two companies. The latest company I work for does HR and payroll software, and our controller broke her shoulder and our lead dev both had broken bones due to bad chairs. I had a bolt break and lost a part of my tongue when my chair broke and my chin hit my desk. Companies these days don't care about Workers' Comp claims.

Re: If you want to entice me to your business...

[Anonymous Coward]

Same here. My company's name rhymes with a scent ass. We've lost several devs due to chair injuries.

Re: If you want to entice me to your business...

[Anonymous Coward]

Every lost time accident we've had was because of broken chairs. Sad to see companies care so little.

Re: If you want to entice me to your business...

[Anonymous Coward]

My company has put seven devs either in the hospital or urgent care because of crappy chairs.

Re: If you want to entice me to your business...

[Anonymous Coward]

Clearly the chairs were sabotaged to get rid of unpopular losers.

Re: If you want to entice me to your business...

[Anonymous Coward]

I lost part of my tongue to a cheap desk chair. I hate companies too cheap to buy decent chairs.

Re: If you want to entice me to your business...

[Anonymous Coward]

> a scent ass

I know who you're talking about. They're based in Bellevue, WA and San Mateo, CA. They're too cheap to buy safe chairs. A couple of high level employees had lost time accidents due to their chairs.

Re: If you want to entice me to your business...

[Anonymous Coward]

Same here. Workers Comp is apparently too cheap these days to for companies to be reasonable.

Re: If you want to entice me to your business...

[Anonymous Coward]

We lost our controller when he hit his head in the corner of his desk and died. We still don't have safe chairs.

Re: If you want to entice me to your business...

[Anonymous Coward]

Apparently this. We've had three devs end-up in the hospital because of bad chairs. It sucks to be required to work Seattle hundreds only to end-up with permanent injuries because of crappy chairs. I chipped a tooth and later hurt my tongue (and it still hurts!) because of crappy chains.

Re: If you want to entice me to your business...

[Anonymous Coward]

We don't provide safe chairs. I had to take the only sick days I've ever taken after losing part of my tongue after my chair broke. Also, a coworker dislocated his shoulder after his chair broke. He required surgery.

staples?

[Anonymous Coward]

No idea what this store is; us millenials don't even both with brick and mortar places anymore; and you want me to work for you? waaaaaaat

"artificial putting green"

[Anonymous Coward]

That only attracts those racists that play golf. Obama started trying to be black but them came full on white to respect his mother Stanley. At the end of the time he ruled the US, he had gone full on white. We should reject their kind instead of facilitating their hate via golf.

Re:"artificial putting green"

[Anonymous Coward]

This. Golf is racist.

Re:"artificial putting green"

[Anonymous Coward]

Obama started trying to be black but them came full on white to respect his mother Stanley.

His father was a black man and his mother was a white man. No wonder Obummer was ghey.

Re:"artificial putting green"

[Anonymous Coward]

Her name was Stanley. She wasn't a man so you're wrong, but she did have a man's name.

Re: "artificial putting green"

[Anonymous Coward]

This. Only racists play golf.

Re:"artificial putting green"

[Anonymous Coward]

Get a sense of humor you pedantic piece of shit.

Re: "artificial putting green"

[Anonymous Coward]

And Obama became a racist after he started playing golf.

Re: "artificial putting green"

[Anonymous Coward]

This bit since Obama was more than half white he embraced golf.

Not much to buy at Staples...

[__aaclcg7560]

The only thing I ever brought from Staples was an Ergotron Neo-Flex monitor stand that I had to special order as the local stores didn't carry it and was less expensive than ordering through Amazon at the time (circa 2012).

You want me to work for you, and care?

[Snotnose]

First, I want a desk I can use every day, not some shared thing. Second, desk needs a lockable drawer so I can stuff my collection of MP3s in to it, whatever format they may be in. Third, I want a computer that I can install the software I find useful on itl, and can count on it will be in the same state monday morning as it was friday evening.

You fail any of these, you just lost a good developer for whatever you thought you were saving money on. Keep in mind, these are my minimums. I'll take a lot of shit, but if I don't have a dedicated desk with a dedicated computer and a lockable drawer, then fuck you.

Re:You want me to work for you, and care?

[Anonymous Coward]

I'll take a lot of shit, but if I don't have a dedicated desk with a dedicated computer and a lockable drawer, then fuck you.

Age is just a number. If you think old, and act old, then you're old.

Re:You want me to work for you, and care?

[DogDude]

You obviously don't understand the concept of coworking.

Re:You want me to work for you, and care?

[Anonymous Coward]

There is no "concept".

It's cheap-ass antics from piss-poor employers. Stand up for yourself and tell such companies to go suck a giant bag of dicks.

Millenials don't have the cash to be entrepreneurs

[Anonymous Coward]

A lost generation indeed.

Meh.

[Fencepost]

There are times when I think it'd be nice to have a coworking space to use, but what Workbar is offering doesn't look like something I'd want unless it also had other things going for it such as available meeting & presentation rooms, a location that was convenient to places I was going to need to go, or good networking opportunities.

Maybe I'm spoiled being in the suburbs, but I'm really not seeing the advantage this has over any of several local libraries or a Starbucks, and I could work in either of those free or for about the same cost as Workbar.

amazing how stupid MBAs really are

[WindBourne]

It never dawns on these idiots that nobody is going to be loyal to these American companies, when they are not loyal to Americans. Staples, like walmart and target, are just front-ends for china.

Just like the rest of the developed nations, we need to put a vat on our goods, and esp. on parts/goods/services coming over the border.

Re:amazing how stupid MBAs really are

[Anonymous Coward]

There is already VAT in America. It's called "sales tax".

Re:amazing how stupid MBAs really are

[WindBourne]

totally different tax and is implemented ONLY at retail and only by states. IOW, it has no impact on parts/goods/services crossing the border. OTOH, nearly all other nations that we deal with have VATs on the borders.

They forgot one detail

[Anonymous Coward]

Workbar should be neon-lit, OR (even better) irregularly blinking-or-fading-power-neon-lit-complete-with-static-sound-effect "Workbar"

Install stuff we don't have.

[Mal-2]

If they've got 3D printers, I might well give them a spin. Same if they have color laser printers that can be rented exclusively (no sharing and worrying about other people seeing your porn^Wconfidential printouts). A light-duty CNC mill would also be an attraction.

While they might have the color laser printers, I doubt they allow any one person or group to corner it like that, and I see no mention of the other two things I'd want to see. I can make coffee without their help, thank you very much.

Re:Install stuff we don't have.

[serviscope_minor]

If they've got 3D printers, I might well give them a spin. Same if they have color laser printers that can be rented exclusively (no sharing and worrying about other people seeing your porn^Wconfidential printouts). A light-duty CNC mill would also be an attraction.

Sounds like you want more of a hackerspace/makerspace/fablab sort of place than a cow-working spaces. Those tend to be more like renting a desk in an office kind of deals. And speaking of your laser printer habit---someone recently got instabanned from my local hackspace for "sanding his wooden dowel" in the space if you know what I mean.

Re:Install stuff we don't have.

[afgam28]

Sounds like you're looking for something like TechShop - http://techshop.ws/

Re:Install stuff we don't have.

[Mal-2]

It's not that I'm looking for this myself -- the Greater Los Angeles area is fairly well studded with maker spaces. But it would be wonderful to have something of that nature in every major city and a lot of smaller ones, with signage visible from every main highway. They could be the McDonald's of maker spaces and I'd still consider it a Good Thing.

Poll time

[Anonymous Coward]

Quick show of hands:

How many folks here would pay $130 per month to sit at a table in Staples to do their respective work?

Yeah, that's what I thought.

F***king Staples

[Anonymous Coward]

Obviously except to themselves, Staples is declining because they sell Chinese-slave-made low-quality products for a premium price. And they can do that because they dumped same crap at low prices for enough years to put independent office supply shops under. It's just the nature of monopolies...until they kill the golden goose.

Re:F***king Staples

[RotateLeftByte]

It seems that everything Tech that is on sale in the USA is made in China by slave workers.

Is there something that isn't we can talk about?

This is awesome!

[Anonymous Coward]

If on the road and your only other choice is working from Starbucks, - overworked wifi, fight for power plug, high-glare seat, summertime loud as hell frapachino blenders even piercing noise cancelling headphones.

Country-dependent

[DrYak]

It is true that more live with their parents and are not married.

Maybe in the US.

A growing trend seen in Europe is millenial living flatmates in a shared apartment.
So, yeah they also tend not to live up the "married living in a house with a dog by mid 20s" cliché of their parents.
The only difference with the US is that they're not staying in their parent's basement (probably due to europe being more densely populated, and the parents not having basements available for that due to living in apartments)

Re:YFirst, I ou want me to work for you, and care?

[serviscope_minor]

First, I want a desk I can use every day, not some shared thing. Second, desk needs a lockable drawer so I can stuff my collection of MP3s in to it, whatever format they may be in.

My previous co-working space had a dedicated desks with a lockable drawer. My current one, and one before that has non lockable drawers but provided lockers nearby.

Third, I want a computer...

That's your employer's problem, not your cow-orking space's problem.

How long until coworking becomes dorms?

[swb]

Why not incorporate living spaces into this concept, a kind of dorm?

Basic living spaces, shared bathrooms, a cafeteria (with discounted prepaid meal plans) to go along with the shared office work spaces.

Co-located spaces

[zifn4b]

Honestly, I think companies themselves created the buzz around young people liking co-located spaces when in fact, it's the companies that prefer open, co-located spaces because it makes it a lot easier for them to observe you and make sure they get as close to 100% utilization out of you as possible. It has nothing to do with people thinking co-located "spaces" are cool. The Fortune 500 company I worked at that adopted them, it was very clear what their motivation was for moving to them. And as others have posted, it's very clear there is less productivity in co-located spaces as well.

Re:Co-located spaces

[serviscope_minor]

Very nice and all, but it's got nothing to do with TFA. Cow-orking spaces are places you go to rent one or a small number of stations at which you can ork cows (i.e. desks). Your neighbour will likely be from a different company. The company you rent space from doesn't give a fig if you get high utilisation or low utilisation of your workers as long as you pay the rent and don't piss off the other customers.

Re:Co-located spaces

[zifn4b]

Very nice and all, but it's got nothing to do with TFA. Cow-orking spaces are places you go to rent one or a small number of stations at which you can ork cows (i.e. desks). Your neighbour will likely be from a different company. The company you rent space from doesn't give a fig if you get high utilisation or low utilisation of your workers as long as you pay the rent and don't piss off the other customers.

My bad. We have one of those where I live. It's a scam to make money. Paid membership to be in some large incubator with no orchestration? The only reason I can think of why anyone would do that is the sense of feeling like you belong to some exclusive club like a prestigious golf club membership.

Re:Co-located spaces

[serviscope_minor]

Office rental is a scam now? WTF?

It's really simple, right? You want an office with office facilities but are only have a few people. So, you sub let space from someone. This ain't complicated.

Re:Co-located spaces

[zifn4b]

Office rental is a scam now? WTF?

It's really simple, right? You want an office with office facilities but are only have a few people. So, you sub let space from someone. This ain't complicated.

That's not the way it's pitched here. Some people do use these co-located incubator spaces for cheaper rent but it's an open space for all the companies. Cross pollination and collaboration is encouraged and that is the basis of the business model. It's also pitched for people who are interested getting into "the scene" whatever that means. That's the part that I find to just be a no value sales pitch.

There is no evidence that I'm aware of that it helps grow businesses any better than anything else. What it does do is it allows the investors in the to reap a huge profit with a lot of hype and happy talk.

I guess my biggest problem is the people who run these things tout it as if they are the heroes of the tech industry when they're just basically glorified "tech slum lords" out for money who couldn't care less about the industry.

Staples is toast

[Anonymous Coward]

Staples started out as a big box cheaper office supply store, disrupting main street stationers. Then came places like Office Club (later to merge with Office Depot), underselling Staples. Then came the computer boom, and Staples decided to get into electronics, because the digital office was THE thing. But, other places were selling the same stuff, and cheaper. So, Staples raised prices on other stuff. Then people figured out it is easier to buy that stuff from Amazon or Walmart.

What's left for Staples? Basically, nothing. They can't compete on price, nor convenience, nor quality. Bye-bye Staples.

Slashdot continues to fall down

[bussdriver]

I remember when the slashdot had less idiots.

Golf is elitist (expensive; often exclusive,) it is not racist.

Golf is not a sport - it is an evolved version of playing fetch with your dog.... except it is for 1. Usually, it is played in parallel with others so you can socialize while you all go fetch your balls. Actually, it is popular as a disguise for ass kissing.

Re: At least it's not as bad as the Megapath ads..

[Anonymous Coward]

Good to know. Many companies do this counting on people to be too lazy to follow up and just keep paying. Even some afraid of conflict. They tell you next month and surprise, you still get billed. Better pay and try again. A year goes by.

A 20,000 sq. ft Starbucks sounds like hell to me

[zerofoo]

If businesses want to improve productivity give me one of two things:

Either

an office with a door

OR

A VPN router, IP phone, and a laptop so I can work from home.

A 20,000 Sq. Ft. Starbucks sounds like my idea of hell.

That picture is depressing

[Rastl]

The picture of their 'hip working space' is downright depressing. Concrete floors so every sound is magnified, tables so you need to fight for space when it gets busy, no visible power stations (might be for photo purposes but might not), no privacy at all. No place to meet with clients.

Honestly you would be better off going to your public library and using their wi-fi and work spaces. Your taxes are already paying for them and they don't mind when people are there for long periods of time. They're even catching up with the times as some of them allow beverages in covered containers so you can have your coffee at your work area.

It would be an interesting concept if they had tiny office-type areas that were closed off so you could work with a small team, on a conference call, meet clients, etc. As it is they're just turning their employee break rooms into pseudo-conference rooms.

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