As makers of a web-based app, we’re all about folks working from where ever they happen to be in order to get the job done. In fact, I’m writing this from my house where I’m currently snowed in with almost a foot of snow outside and one slightly stir-crazy pre-schooler making paper snowmen at the kitchen table. You’ve gotta do what you’ve gotta do!
Sometimes, though, it’s nice to have a place to go to do your work where there are not piles of laundry stacked around you and no one is licking their fur really loudly while you are trying to write (LOOKING AT YOU, KITTY). Which is why we’re such fans of the co-working movement. Co-working is the best of both worlds: your schedule is flexible and yours to make, you can talk to folks or not, and you can choose a place that’s conducive to the type of work you need to get done. And all this without the expense and hassle of actually keeping a full-time office.
Many great co-working spaces and apps have cropped up over the last couple of years. I recently gave a presentation with my friend Amy Ellis of MailChimp at the gorgeous Link co-working space in Austin, TX, where we met founder Liz Elam. They have an interesting model where you become a member (like you would for a gym) but rather than working out, you get a lovely, airy, fully-stocked and functional office at your disposal with kitchen snacks and instant, smart co-workers. Genius!
Here’s a quick interview with Liz (sorry for the shaky camera work and the skinny picture: I was actually getting sick that day)
Here at BatchBlue, we love a good cause. This year the holiday season afforded us a few great opportunities to get involved (as well as share a few laughs over growing-in mustaches!)
We kicked off the season in November when we joined the international effort to raise money for men’s health with our own Movember team. Movember is a month-long effort to raise awareness (and cash) for men’s health issues by growing mustaches. The funds raised through Movember’s US campaign benefit the Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) and LIVESTRONG, the Lance Armstrong Foundation. For thirty days, the BatchBlue “Mo Bros” fearlessly grew their mustaches in spite of the pitfalls of somewhat prickly upper lips and lots of good-natured teasing from friends and family. The BatchBlue Mo Sistahs joined in the fun, too and helped cheer the team on! Team BatchStache raised $1012.00 for the cause thanks to our family and friends.
In December, it’s a BatchBlue tradition to partner with our friends from the Providence Geeks and collect donations for the Rhode Island Community Food Bank. Food and funds were collected at the Providence Geeks December meeting at AS220. The third annual “Geeks for Good” event collected $404.00 and 188 lbs of food. That goes a long way to help feed the hungry in our state: we’re grateful to all the local geeks who helped make this donation possible.
We also made a donation on behalf of the employees of BatchBlue to Boys’ Town of New England, a great organization that provides temporary housing and support to children in crisis situations (abusive homes, custody issues, etc.) If you haven’t heard of them before, please check them out as they are doing really good and important work in helping kids in our area.
When last we checked in on our friends at Rise of the Cubicle Farmer, our friends AJ, Tony and Michelle were headed West. Armed with laptops, caffeinated beverages and a couple of videocameras, they’re on a 65+ day journey around the US and Canada stopping along the way to chat with entrepreneurs, workshifters, freelancers and the companies that help them do their work wherever and whenever they need it.
They’re even using our recently launched BatchBook iPhone App to build a database of all the cool folks they meet along the way. See what AJ had to say about the App here:
Several people sent me the link to NYC VC Fred Wilson’s blog post in which he asks his readership for suggestions for a “Family CRM” service. He explains that he and his wife Joanne Wilson a.k.a Gotham Gal are looking for a way to share basic contact/calendar information, build some e-mail lists for social correspondence, planning and general family-managing.
In the thread, a few BatchBook customers recommended our CRM BatchBook (thanks Boris, Sri, Stefano and Sandro!), so I’d talk about how I use my BatchBook account to help manage my busy family.
First, I should explain that BatchBook was not designed for managing families, but it WAS designed for those small businesses that are about the same size, shape and energy level of an on-the-go family. I think the folks who recommended us recognize that the flexibility of BatchBook makes it work for all sorts of situations, including the work/life balancing (or is it juggling?) act that we small business owners face every day. As we know all too well, the line between business owner and family member frequently blurs.
My otherco-founders and I started BatchBlue so that we could build a business deeply integrated with our family lives (I have three small children; they have two). Part of the solution for me has been using a personal BatchBook account to manage my family life. Here’s how I do it:
Two plus years working from the couch and kitchen table had my back and wrists all cranky, to say the least. Hence, I recently set up a permanent workstation, taking into account some best ergonomic practices that I’ve garnered over 14 years of some-sort-of-desk-job history. I’m happy to report that, almost immediately, my back and wrists graciously behaved as a result of my mostly-minor modifications. I figured yawl (that’s how we do in the East) might benefit from a handy check list of 10 things to consider when settling down for a day – or 14 years – of your own desk work. The list is just a guide on seated positioning, so I didn’t hit on adjustable tables, standing workstations, glare, or any helpful exercises. See the resources at the end of this post for more ergo tips and gear.
1. Keep your head aligned over shoulders; don’t stretch neck forward.
2. Your eyeballs should be looking straight ahead, not up or down. To achieve this, the top of your monitor needs to be no higher than eye level. You might need a riser to help lift your laptop or monitor to a good, eyeballs-dead-center position. A chair with adjustable height may help here as well.
3. Sit as far away from the screen as comfortably possible.
