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    New to Loosecubes? Get Off on the Right Foot.

    Coworking for the first time can be a bit daunting. What to wear? Who should I eat lunch with? What if I don’t fit in? Not unlike the first day of school, the anticipation and ambiguity of what’s to come may be intimidating for some.

    Setting expectations is key. And who better to show how it’s done than one of our illustrious members? Entrepreneur, writer and community organizer Amanda McCormick created a Beginner’s Guide to Loosecubes that will have you coworking like a pro in no time. Check it out: http://www.jellybeanboom.com/a-beginners-guide-to-loosecubes/.

    Psst: Not sure where to cowork first? We’ll show you the ropes at the Loosecubes HQ!

    May 16, 2012 by annarenethomas

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    Taking Time Off (And Enjoying It)

    Having good intentions of taking a vacation is easy. We all like the idea of exploring new places, reading on the beach, and trading in our devices for mai tais. The reality, however, is that our plans rarely come to fruition. As recently reported by the Huffington Post, nearly half of all U.S. workers are leaving their vacation days fall by the wayside. So what can we do about it?

    In a recent post on Forbes.com, In Good Company’s Adelaide Lancaster provides 9 strategies for taking time off successfully. Not only is a fulfilling vacation feasible, she says, but it might just be crucial to your professional success, too.

    May 13, 2012 by annarenethomas

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    Loosecubes Hearts Roomorama

    We know that Loosecubers tend to travel a lot for work (and play), but 1 oz bottles of shampoo and friends’ pullout couches can get old (and uncomfortable) after a while. That’s why our friends at Roomorama decided to make it easier for you to live like a local while on the road. Roomorama is the discerning traveler’s one-stop shop for short-term rentals. You can use their online marketplace to connect and transact with hosts who believe in convenient, rewarding, and unique travel experiences.

    The best part is that they’ve decided to offer a 20% discount on bookings for the Loosecubes community! Use discount code CUBEDLOVE when you book your next trip to take advantage of this awesome deal.

    April 25, 2012 by anthonymarinos

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    Ergonomics to Go - Tips for Working In Comfort Wherever You Are

    A guest post by Vivienne Fleischer, President & Co-Founder of Performance Based Ergonomics

    These days, it seems that the modern workplace has turned into wherever our laptops, phones and to-dos lists happen to land.  While all of us nomads, road warriors and entrepreneurs find that a lot of freedom and creativity comes with this style of working, if you’re not careful, your neck, back and shoulders can get cranky! Whether you work at home, a coworking space, a local cafe, hotel, or an airplane consider these practical ergo tips — your body will thank you!

    Adjust Your Chair: Get to Know Your Chair’s Features

    1. Adjust your chair height so that your knees are level with or slightly lower than your hips, and your feet are on the floor. If your chair isn’t adjustable, try using a small pillow to raise your height. 

    2. If you choose to sit against the back of your chair, make sure you have adequate lumbar support, avoid reclining while typing or mousing, and maintain a neutral pelvis to minimize back strain. 

    Make Your Laptop Work for You

    1. Plug-ins are key! Whenever possible, use an external keyboard, mouse and monitor. Consider using a laptop riser along with your external keyboard and mouse. We love GoldTouch Go! Keyboards & Laptop Stands and the Cricket Laptop Stand.

    2. Whichever keyboard or mouse you wind up using, make sure that your arms can rest comfortably by your side, with your elbows bent at approximately 90 degrees and your forearms more or less parallel to the floor. 

    3. If your desk height is too high (or chair too low), try using a lap desk for your laptop so that your arms can hang comfortably by your side when typing.  Tip your laptop screen back for easier viewing. 

    Outsmart Your Smart Phones Mobile Devices: Spare Your Neck, Thumbs and Wrists!

    1. Use a headset when talking.

    2. When texting, switch up your typing fingers.  Your thumbs don’t have to do all of the work!

    3. Keep your head and neck in a balanced position.   Try holding your device closer to eye level to avoid dropping your head.

    Using an iPad, Kindle or Tablet

    1. Prop up your screen with a laptop stand to avoid holding your device for prolong periods of time or placing it flat on your desk and straining your neck. 

    2. If you do a lot of e-mails or typing on your device, invest in a portable keyboard. 

    Carrying Your Stuff

    1. Lighten up your bag and carry only what you really need. 

    2. Try using a roller bag. Your back will jump for joy!

    3. If you use a backpack, make sure you carry it on both shoulders.  Don’t defeat its purpose by slinging it over one shoulder!

    Last But Not Least, Pace Yourself

    1. Take frequent breaks. Stand up and stretch. 

    2. If you feel any strains or pains, stop what you are doing, take a break, stretch and try working in a different position.  

    3. If strains or pains persist, make sure to talk with your health provider to get relief.

    ——

    Performance Based Ergonomics’ President & Co-Founder Vivienne Fleischer is passionate about wellness and an expert in ergonomics, health and wellness and piano performance (degrees from Juilliard School and Oberlin Conservatory). 

    Learn how to be a happier, healthier coworker at Vivienne’s upcoming workshop at the Loosecubes HQ on April 24th!

    April 19, 2012 by annarenethomas

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    Loosecubes + Zipcar: A Match Made in Sharing Heaven

    As members of the sharing economy, we’re lucky to have the opportunity to work with some pretty incredible people and organizations that share our values: better-utilization of existing resources, community, and being kind to the environment. 

    We’ve been big fans of Zipcar for years, and now we’re spreading the love to our members through some exclusive discounts: Zipcar is waiving the $75 business account set-up fee for Loosecubers, so registration costs just $25/year! Our members will also receive discounted weekday rates (not to mention a positive impact on the environment).

    Learn more and get started at http://www.zipcar.com/loosecubes.

    April 17, 2012 by annarenethomas

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    Announcing Instant Book & Mobile!

    We’re going mobile and making it easier than ever to book a great workspace. Here’s how:

    Instant Book - Now, all Loosecubes can be booked instantly. Search, book, and pay for a desk (for up to 3 days) in just a couple of clicks. We’ll notify the host of your reservation, and you’ll be on your way to a happy and productive workday. Book a Loosecube now!

    Loosecubes Mobile - On the go and need a place to work? Our snazzy new mobile site will help you find and book a Loosecube around the block. Manage your reservations and get directions, too. Just visit www.loosecubes.com on your mobile device.

    We’d love to hear what you think about these latest developments! Email anna@loosecubes.com with any feedback/questions/concerns.

    April 16, 2012 by annarenethomas

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    bizperc or Bust: How a Kansas City Incubator is Forging a Path to Entrepreneurship

    Who’s leading the nation’s charge in entrepreneurship? Silicon Valley? New York City? Nope, says Sarah Snyder of bizperc: Kansas City.

    A seemingly surprising candidate for the role, the self-proclaimed City of Entrepreneurs is making no secret of its intentions to become a top source of innovation and economic growth in the U.S.

    We had the opportunity to chat with Sarah to learn more about how she and her community at bizperc are leading the entrepreneurship charge — in KC and beyond.

    LC: bizperc is a self-described business ‘incubator’. How does that differ from a coworking space?

    S: bizperc is a coworking space powered by Think Big Partners, a startup accelerator. Tenants at bizperc have direct access to Think Big Partners, which offers lucrative business consulting services such as marketing, social media, legal, HR, and investor pitch coaching. We encourage and coach companies here to move forward fast – it’s an accelerator. If a tenant stays at bizperc for too long, we’re probably not doing our job. They should outgrow us.

    LC: How is bizperc involved in supporting the growing entrepreneur community in Kansas City?

    S: We do more than just cowork at bizperc. We hosted Startup Weekend KC in the spring of 2011, and that really put us on the map. Every First Friday we host Entrepreneur Corner for startups to exhibit their products/services, meet each other and have fun.  This year, we’re hosting developer groups, a Launch and Learn series, a startup community council and bootcamp sessions. As a result, the Kansas City startup community views us as a valuable resource. In fact, The Kauffman Foundation for Entrepreneurship recently highlighted Think Big Partners in one of their popular Sketchbook videos.

    LC: What challenges do you and your members face in building new businesses amidst the current economic climate?

    S: In 2009, Think Big Partners was knee-deep in the startup process; developing a business and marketing plan, building a website, and building out bizperc. And when the recession hit, we knew it would be extremely difficult to grow the business. Like us, thousands of other entrepreneurs were facing similar issues: banks weren’t lending, businesses were going under, and the economy was deteriorating. So, we set out to foster the growth of more small businesses, by providing an affordable, sustainable and extremely beneficial resource: bizperc!

    LC: What are you looking forward to most in 2012?

    S: We have so much to look forward to this year! We just launched our second coworking space, KCCowork, in Prairie Village, KS. KCCowork will join the Think Big Nation network — a “not only for profit” model that aims to create more successful startups everywhere. We’re also expanding our annual Think Big Conference to include Kansas City, Baltimore and Memphis. Most exciting to me is our first accelerator class: selected candidates will receive one-on-one mentoring and pitch coaching to prepare them for a visit to Silicon Valley to meet with investors. We’re now accepting applications for our first full accelerator class to start in the spring, too. Last but not least, Think Big Partners will begin investing in technology-focused, early-stage startups this year. We can’t wait!

    March 01, 2012 by annarenethomas

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    A Land Without Loosecubes


    As a Loosecubes engineer, I am permitted encouraged to pack up my MacBook Air and relocate anywhere a Loosecube can be found. I’ve been studying Russian for almost 2 years, and when I thought about where in the world I might want to spend a few days working remotely, Moscow was my first choice. Loosecubes has locations in 71 countries, so I had lots of exotic places to choose from. Much to my dismay, Russia was not one of them.

    How could the largest country in the world not have any Loosecubes? It’s difficult to say, but remember that the fall of the Soviet Union was less than 20 years ago. Despite being taught in schools, English is not spoken by much of anyone older than 20. Tight corporate fists have stalled the growth of telecommuting and coworking, making it a challenge to find shared workspaces.

    But I was not deterred. I plunged into a world devoid of loosecubes.com and combed the internet by hand - like anyone would have done before our Founder, Campbell McKellar, dreamed up Loosecubes 18 months ago. I located a new coworking space on the north side of Moscow, mustered up all my Russian skills, and fired off an email inquiring. (“Могу ли я зарезервировать стол в пятницу?” or “Can I reserve a table for Friday?”)

    To my surprise, a fast response, including a blush-inducing compliment on my Russian skills, was returned by Alex (the host) the next day. A few weeks later I was zipping through the Moscow subway tracking down Flacon Coworking. Locating it was hard enough but communicating with the host and paying for my desk was a real challenge. I quickly realized one of the many powers of Loosecubes: A quick, painless process for finding, booking, and paying for a space all online make the language barriers virtually disappear. (Do you know how much easier it is to read/write in a new language than it is to speak/hear? Especially with dictionaries and Google Translate if you get stuck!)

    Over the next 5 days, not only did I get a lot of work done from a comfortable, productive workspace, but I learned a lot about what we as a company need to do to be more effective in international markets. Plus, I helped Flacon add their space to loosecubes.com, becoming the first location in Russia!

    Спасибо! (Spasibo!) Thank you to Alex for hosting me at Flacon in Moscow and for expanding the Loosecubes network to its 72nd country! Together, we are changing the way people work around the globe.

    Colin Bartlett is a back-end developer at Loosecubes. He lives in Brooklyn with his two chihuahuas, Loki and Lola. Does the idea of exotic workations around the world intrigue you? Loosecubes is hiring!

    February 24, 2012 by Colin A. Bartlett

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    5 Tech Tools for Staying Productive Wherever You Work

    Guest Post by Ivan Drucker and Caroline Green of IvanExpert


    Technology has made it easy to work from anywhere, whether you’re traveling to a faraway city, renting an office part-time, or sitting at the kitchen table at home. A little preparation can make the difference between wasting time and getting things done. Here are 5 ways technology can help you stay productive, no matter where you’re working:

    1) Have access to your email when you’re offline.

    Just because you use Gmail for mail doesn’t mean you can’t read and write emails when you don’t have access to the internet. Apple Mail, Outlook for Windows and Mac, and all other email programs can be set to make local copies of your inbox, your folders, and your sent mail; any emails you write while offline will send once you’re back on wifi.

    To get started, set your Google mail account as IMAP instead of POP, and then follow Google’s instructions on IMAP client settings for your computer’s email program.

    2) Have access to all your documents from every device.

    Use document or cloud storage utilities such as Google Docs, Dropbox, or SugarSync to make sure all your necessary work files can be accessed from any location—your laptop, a friend’s computer, even your smartphone.

    We prefer Dropbox for a few reasons: It’s easy to grasp the concept and set it up, you’re not restricted to certain kinds of files, and you have your files stored locally on your computer so you can use them when you’re without internet. Plus your first 2GB is free!

    3) Create and edit documents on your mobile device.

    Smartphones and iPads now allow you to work on documents directly on the device. Documents To Go is the best-known series of apps in this category, and it’s available for multiple platforms including Android, iOS, and BlackBerry; it’s already set up for use with Dropbox for easier access to all your files.

    4) Block out distracting noise.

    You may not know ahead of time what type of environment you’ll be working in. To curb the risk of distractions, have your smartphone or iPhone prepped with your favorite white noise app so you can focus amidst background conversation.

    A few of the best-rated iPhone apps in this category are White Noise ($1.99), Relax Melodies Premium ($2.99), and Sleep Machine ($1.99). All have “lite” or free versions as well. There are dozens more, so keep looking until you find the one that works best for you.

    Noise-canceling headphones help too—they’re not just for airplanes.

    5) Hide distracting visuals.

    Although there’s not much you can do to hide movement beyond your computer screen, you can prevent your computer from distracting you by using software tools that prevent certain activities.

    Pared-down word-processing applications that block out the desktop, all open windows, and all menus are a great way to avoid distraction. Try FocusWriter for Mac and Windows (free).

    Other applications blur out or minimize all inactive windows. For Mac, try Think (free). For Windows users, Swept Away (free) automatically minimizes inactive windows after a period of time you set.

    You can also use applications that restrict your access to certain sites on the internet, such as AntiSocial for Mac ($15, free to try) and Do Not Disturb for Windows ($40). Set it up with your personalized “blacklist” of websites, so you can still do your online research without getting tempted by Facebook.

    January 17, 2012 by annarenethomas

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    Celebrating Worldwide #JELLYWEEK 2012

    January 16-22nd marks the first ever Worldwide #JELLYWEEK, during which coworkers everywhere will come together in their own communities to collaborate, network, and celebrate the inspiration born through the magic of working together. 

    We’re excited to represent the event in North America, and will be hosting a Meetup at our HQ on Monday for anyone who’s interested in working/hacking/crafting with us.

    Several Loosecubes throughout the NYC area are joining in on the fun, too, including:

    • Open coworking and awesome events at WECREATENYC
    • Courtesy coworking day at Green Spaces on Tuesday, January 17th
    • 3rd Ward is giving away 50 free coworking day passes

    Follow our updates all week with hashtag #loosejelly, and join us in this celebration of global collaboration!

    January 13, 2012 by annarenethomas

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