As I discovered, trying to find a place to power up your laptop (aka "the true lifeline and soul source of potential revenue") for a start up business while in the Big Apple is nearly impossible.
Ask any entrepreneur, freelancer or business traveler what their opinion is with regard to working from coffee shops, big and small, in Manhattan and they will back me up on this--you either need to be grandfathered into your little nook or be willing to sit on the floor and swap your laptop batteries out every few hours. One major coffee chain (that a lot of entrepreneurs have supported these past few years) is now covering their power outlets so that they can't be used by anyone. As if starting your business and paying $4.00 for coffee wasn't already stressful, right?
Affordable, self employment workspace in New York City is almost unheard of.....that was until the Wix Lounge came along and provided it...FOR FREE.
In addition to this FREE office space is FREE wireless Internet FREE hot coffee and FREE networking. And because of the Wix Lounge, I have connected with other dream chasers trying to take over the Empire State, one start up at a time.
Thanks to Wix--the online, flash website building platform which sponsors the space, the process of starting a business in this challenged economy has become less intimidating and even more inspiring in the Big Apple.
Working at the Wix Lounge where the Empire State Building is within plain sight
My maternal grandparents immigrated to New York City in the early '60s while I often joke that I immigrated to New York City in 2011. Manhattan is an entirely different animal compared to the hills of Hollywood by which I came. But the American dream evolved in this city; the city that never sleeps. And I want to be where my dreams can come true. Apparently, I am not alone.
Eager and anxious to slay the concrete jungle with my success, I took to the Internet to find a place where I could work and keep myself any one of these three things: motivated, grounded, focused. With the help of Google, I came across the Wix Lounge located at 10 West 18th Street centrally located near the Flatiron, Union Square and Chelsea. The website site said they provided free workspace. Unsure of what that really meant, let alone, what I should expect, I jumped on the crowded six train from uptown and headed towards the Empire State Building--the true symbol of success, power and style representative of New York's "make it anywhere" motto.
Photo by: Jaclyn Mullen
What I found turned out to be more than I could have ever imagined, even for a girl coming to NYC from the land of motion pictures.
Entrepreneurs engage and encourage each other while working at the Wix
Working at the Wix Lounge has proven to be a breeze. There are a variety of start up companies within the walls, each mapping out their 5 year plans for success. People with their laptops type in unison while sitting at desks or on comfortable couches.
And talk about the people; tons of people frequent the lounge and work really hard. Week one, I met Victoria Monsul, the manager of Wix Lounge, and Rodney Williams Itier, Photographer for Getty Images. Week two, I met Julius D.C. Bryant, of Damien Christopher Model Agency. Week three, I met Zachary Held from Open Action, Mike from Holstee and Joshua Manley, founder of Idea Pinata.
Since my first visit nearly 10 weeks ago, I have flown back to LA to recharge and upon return to NYC, I continue to work from "the Wix."
At the Wix Lounge, I am never alone. Sure, as a solopreneur, I may be the only one putting the blood, sweat and tears into my company but while I do so, my working Wix friends are by my side simultaneously putting blood, sweat and tears into their companies too.
As a matter of fact, my "working at the Wix" crew now entails Charlie from ServedFreshMedia.net, Andre Wagner (a photographer/fashion designer from Omaha, NE) and Raeven Western, founder of the blog PushyDreamers.com
New York, the Big Apple, the Empire State. It may be known for breeding tough business people but the Wix Lounge proves that when the start up industry gets tough in Manhattan, the tough go to Wix and get to work. I hope to see you there soon.
This post is merely the beginning of more "Working at the Wix" start up stories. If you would like to gain personal exposure for your startup and blog, email victoria@wix.com
She will be hand selecting a new "Working at the Wix" story to feature each week in the newsletter.
In closing, be sure to leave a comment in this post with your name, website and Twitter handle so we can all continue to connect amongst the concrete jungle.
Signing off ,
Founder of JaclynMullenMedia.com
Do you have a start up story to tell? The Jaclyn of All Trades is compiling a series and we want your tips! In need of some social media help? Email info@jaclynmullenmedia.com or follow me on Twitter @jaclynmullen
You can also follow @WixLounge on Twitter too
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