I’m off to the Birmingham Social Media Café again this Friday (last Friday of every month in the Coffee Lounge, Navigation Street). This month I’m planning on sticking around for a while afterwards to see how I get on with a spot of ‘Jelly’ type activity.
What is Jelly? from Amit Gupta on Vimeo.
Jelly is the name of a co-working scheme that started in the States. Everyone brings along their shiny laptop (many of the attendees are freelancers or run small businesses ) and gather somewhere with free wi-fi, comfy seating and refreshments to get some work done. The cost? A cup of coffee. And maybe some cake if you feel you’ve done enough work to treat yourself!
The idea is simple, but if, like myself, you spend most of the working week working from a home office, the idea of having a bit of company, even if it’s just a handful of people in the same room for an hour or two a month, is a welcome relief.
I’m convinced that so many projects and businesses fail because people feel trapped and isolated without the support networks and sociability that come with the work environment. ‘Working from Home’ seems to be the magic wand for saving us from recession, being better parents or lowering our carbon footprint. However, I’ve yet to see anything really address the emotional aspect of making this transition.
Silly name, potentially fantastic idea. I’ll let you know how it goes.