Need to know how to get started? Read on!
Woah! It is amazing to have you as a member of THINQTANQ!
We want you to feel at home here and be familiar with all the do’s and don’ts of working in a shared space and of course, a few hacks to help you get the most out of your time!
What is a Coworking Space?
What is a coworking space? How is it different from a shared office space? Why do I need one instead of a hot desk?
It might seem like it is a bit too late to be asking these question, but it is good to understand what a coworking space is, and even more importantly what it isn’t.
A few quick explanations:
A hot desk – Is a desk allocated to a worker when required or on a rota system, rather than belonging to a particular worker. For people at THINQTANQ without a full time membership, they are allocated desks to work at, on an ad-hoc basis, a hot desk. For those lucky enough to have a full time membership, they have their own dedicated desk and don’t need to share!
A shared office space – Is an office spare, oddly enough shared by a number of people but, usually by one or perhaps two larger businesses. These shared office spaces tend to be more like a conventional office and will often come with a long-ish term lease. The workers in them tend to be employees of the company leasing the space and will most often have their own desk.
A coworking space – Is a space which is used by a number of individuals who are working for themselves, working remotely from a larger company or are a small business with a handful of employees. Coworking spaces tend to have short term commitments for using the space and so suit people who don’t want to be tied into a 12 month or more contract or who are, for want of a better word, “digital nomads” who move from place to place. There is often a mix of dedicated desks and hot desks but the people in a coworking space don’t work for the owner/operator of the space. Coworking spaces come in many flavours and styles but essentially they are a set of shared resources around which a community builds to offer support and understanding and an environment conducive to work.
How Is THINQTANQ Different?
THINQTANQ is more than just a place to work. I mean sure, it is that too, but THINQTANQ exists to help you do what you need to do whilst providing an informal yet professional setting and all the facilities you need to make a success of whatever it is you are in the business of doing.
We encourage you to express your personality and share you knowledge with the others in the space whilst being respectful of their beliefs and heritage. Good natured fun is what its all about!
How Do I Connect to the Internet?
Connecting to the Wifi is simple! Just take a look at the wall in the main space and make a note of the wifi password. Once you have found the network THINQTANQ_secure in your network list, click to join and then input the password.
If you are a full time member and need a dedicated ethernet cable for ultrafast extra interwebbyness just let us know and we will arrange it for you.
Can I Help Myself to Drinks and Stuff?
Yes, of course. We provide tea/coffee/water etc and from time to time, delicious tasty snacks for you to enjoy. Help yourself and remember;
- If we run out of something, let Rob know.
- If the coffee pot is empty, make some more.
- If you want to bring in tasty snacks to share with everyone, feel free. Everyone loves to share!
That’s all you need to remember, just don’t go pinching any ones lunch!
What About Printing?
We have a trusty office printer that is available for your use. For low to medium levels of printing there is no charge, it’s included in the price. If you need to print lots of things or you need a super super high quality then have a chat with Rob and he will point you in the direction of some recommended low cost printers.
We would like to remind you (although we are sure it isn’t necessary) to only print things you really need and to let someone know if the printer is running low on toner or paper.
The printer also has a scanner function which can photocopy or scan to a USB stick. There is a scan to email function but don’t be fooled. The printer is trying to trick you and it never works!
To add the printer, simply look on your computer (it is broadly the same for mac and pc) and look for network printers. Find HP Laserjet 400 MFP and add it to your list of connected printers. When you are ready to print, make sure that you select that printer as your output and that is it.
My Print Hasn’t Arrived?
From time to time the printer will refuse to print, usually this affects Windows PCs and is an issue with network print spooling. Either restarting the printer or disconnecting and connecting to the network will resolve the problem. If it persists, please let Rob know.
I Want To Print A Big Report!
It is hard to know when someone falls the wrong side of the fair use policy, but we know it when we see it! We want you to be able to do whatever you need to run your business successfully but if you are worried about your paper use then either chat with Rob or pick up a ream of reasonable quality paper next time you are at your friendly local stationer. Just don’t use all the resources and everything will be fine!