As many of you know, for some time it has been a goal of Jeff and I to open up a coworking facility in the Omaha area.  For those not familiar with the term, coworking is a concept where people can rent desks, and work in a shared/collaborative environment. The picture above shows one such place in Vancouver, called Workspace. The basic premise is that you give innovative people a place to work that’s not a Starbucks, but a place that has a stronger “creative vibe” than a typical executive suite or shared office space. It’s truly a place that fosters creativity and collaboration, and facilitates long-lasting friendships as well as partnerships.

Here’s a great video explaining the concept…

That being said, a question we get asked almost on a daily basis is…

What is the current status of coworking in Omaha?!?!

The good news is, there is a great deal of positive movement towards setting up what will be a fantastic facility. We are currently finalizing what the coworking place will actually offer, where it will be located, etc. We’re working with individuals from various organizations on these details, and we hope to have something finalized very soon.

Here are some other questions you might be asking…

How much will it cost?

We don’t have any numbers yet, as we’re still gauging interest, looking for buildings, etc. However, we know that the space will be affordable for freelancers, startups and small businesses. The goal here is to foster collaboration and build community, not strike it rich on rent checks. Expect a very cool facility, for a very fair price with flexible options.

Where will it be located?

This is also up in the air right now! However, because the audience that we’re targeting is the “creative class”, we feel that the location we pick for such a place should reflect that. As such, we’re currently looking at targeting the Midtown-Downtown areas, as those are generally the areas of town that are associated with creativity in Omaha. There’s a lot to go into picking a space though — cost, accessibility, availability of parking, proximity to food/coffee, etc. We’ve got some leads and ideas, but we’re always open to suggestions — especially if you know somebody, who knows somebody, who owns a building…!

Can I do anything to help?

Absolutely… the best thing that anyone can do to help at this point is to help spread the word, and help us gauge interest. If you’re interested in the space, leave a comment below, send an email or otherwise let us know next time you see us.  This goes for anyone else you know who might be interested in the space. Lastly, if you have any ideas or thoughts, please feel free to send them our way as we’d love to hear from you!

As we get more details finalized, we’ll have many many ways that people can help out, and we really appreciate all the support that people have offered up. Trust us when we say that we will take you up on that offer some day 🙂

If you have any more questions, you can definitely let Jeff or myself know, we’d be happy to chat with you. If you want, leave questions in the comments and we’ll answer them there, so that everyone can see the answers.

Thanks to everyone for your ongoing support for Silicon Prairie News, the coworking facility, and everything else exciting thats going on! There’s a ton of exciting things happening, and we’re excited for what’s in store for 2009!