National Coworking Day – It’s a Wrap

National Coworking Day – It’s a Wrap

National Coworking Day came to Devonport last week as part of Techweek18 and Level One HQ threw open its doors to the co-working public.  We were one of more than 30 co-working spaces throughout New Zealand to take part in the event, set up to encourage as many potential, new or existing coworkers to try out New Zealand’s coworking spaces.

Among our visitors, we had Arno, a personal chef and food stylist from Nice, who has worked in five-star restaurants in the South of France and is now based in Auckland where he develops experience-based menus and runs cooking classes for a range of private and corporate clients. His business is all about giving his clients a memorable experience and he says it’s vital for him to connect with people and find out what they like. 

Graham is a Bayswater local who runs his own risk management business and enjoys meeting up with people who are into similar things.   He says the benefits of a co-working space are the commonality of ideas and outlooks, and the interaction with others.  He’s currently dividing his time between a home office and a city base but says it’s good to ground yourself in the “outside world” for a while. 

Lesley is developing her own business and says that it’s “nice to get out of the house and be around other people – it’s refreshing”.  She’s worked in all kinds of different environments but says that co-working is good for interaction and hearing about the interesting things others are doing.  She says that at Level One HQ, instead of commuting to and from the city on the ferry, you get a different perspective sitting above the terminal.  And of Level One HQ, she said, “it’s a beautiful space, well laid out and very professional.”

Level One HQ to Celebrate National Coworking Day, 22 May

Level One HQ to Celebrate National Coworking Day, 22 May

Level One HQ is taking part in National Coworking Day as part of TechWeek next Tuesday, 22 May.  As we did last year, we’ll be throwing open our doors to the public between 9am-5pm that day in order to encourage as many potential, new or existing coworkers to try out New Zealand’s coworking spaces — of which there are many.  Globally, more than 1.2 million people work in coworking spaces; a figure that’s increasing daily.
We’ll put aside some desks to accommodate drop-ins that day, and will wrap things up with an informal Tuesday night drink from 4.30pm.  Feel free to spread the word to friends, family, colleagues and anyone else who you think might benefit from a Level One experience.
Check out the TechWeek listing here.
E-Commerce Explained

E-Commerce Explained

A range of Devonport’s local businesses gathered at Level One recently for a workshop hosted by Simon Lampen and the Devonport Business Association on e-commerce and the benefits of having a web presence in an increasingly seasonal market.

 

The businesses ranged from long-established retail outlets with a global-facing online presence to self-confessed technophobes who relied on word of mouth to generate new business.  Some had inherited websites with their businesses, but didn’t think they served the needs of their businesses well; others were keen to learn how to maximise online traffic generated by the likes of TripAdvisor and other online reviews.

 

Simon discussed with the group the benefits of having an online store so that customers that find you can actually buy from you there and then. Also an online presence for those customers who are searching online — giving them the ability to follow the online trail to where they can purchase.  This can be as simple as having a prominent listing via Google Places, or also listing their products on sites like Trademe and other similar sites that perform well in searches. Systems are also important, namely a point of sale system that serves both retail and online purchasing so retailers can keep track of stock at all times and from all outlets without duplicated effort.

 

The group also discussed ways to build an audience through the establishment of a robust and frequently updated customer database and customer communications such as regular newsletters.  In all of this, customer experience is key.

 

It’s hoped that the group will meet more frequently, more as a peer support mechanism to discuss common areas of interest and to share best practice.