Workhubs, where,when and why?

Workhubs may be hot on the lips of many startups and freelancers and are creating a buzz around London but how do you go about finding them around the world and getting access if you aren't in and around the debate in your freelance circles?

If you're on the road a lot and don't fancy setting up your laptop in a coffee shop, a new service called Loosecubes will apparantly find available desks near you. Loosecubes is a community marketplace that connects workspaces with freelancers, small businesses and entrepreneurs – anyone who needs an inspiring place to work for the day, week or month.

The idea for the business was hatched by Campbell McKellar while she was working for a Manhattan real estate business. One year, her boss allowed her to work remotely in northern Maine where she found she was happier and more productive. She started dreaming about an artist’s barn with a fast internet connection and no distractions, and decided to create Loosecubes to help her find that barn. Following her return to New York, she based herself, appropriately, at a co-working space called New Work City. It was through her connections here that Loosecubes went from an idea to a reality, and in late 2010, Loosecubes started matching people and places across the United States and beyond. According to McKellar, there are now more Loosecubes connections than Starbucks in New York and it currently boosts a network in 600 cities across 67 countries.

A nice touch is that the Loosecubes site allows users to rate the spaces. And it’s got a neat social aspect, too. If you connect your Loosecubes account to Facebook, it will find recommendations for great workspaces based on your social connections. www.loosecubes.com.

If you are a member or have any experience of loosecubes - please get in touch and let us know on freelancingmatters@pcg.org.uk.

Dont forget, if you are a PCG Plus member you do receive access to The Workspace group's various work space facilities in Clerkenwell and the Leather Market. For more details visit the PCG site here>.