Coffee and power: everything you need to take over the world. Or, at the very least, a coffee shop in Portland. Freelancers, artists, creative minds and artisans can now stop holding their collective breath—the time has come. The office that’s not an office has finally moved into town—a coffee shop workplace especially for you!
“I work in coffee shops all the time,” some may retort, wondering what is so revolutionary about this idea. Well, two things. One, it’s a coffee shop that doesn’t just tolerate the eight hours you spend borrowing their internet after buying one cup of coffee; it’s actually a space designed for just that. And two, your days of solitary work are over—this place will be teeming with activity and a host of other freelancers conducting business.
It’s called Coffee & Power and in its own words, it’s “an online marketplace where people can buy and sell small jobs, enabling a new breed of mobile workers to connect in a way that’s fast, low-friction and fun.” But the way it’s different from other online networks is that it also operates in physical spaces—coffee shops, or work-clubs—that are essentially hubs for business interactions.
Some of the current job postings on Coffee & Power’s website offer to “crochet an octopus for you,” “design a logo or app icon for your anything,” and “teach you how to use Final Cut Pro.” If you’d like a scientist with a Ph.D. to “edit and proofread your scientific report,” you’re in luck—they’re probably willing.
Coffee & Power currently has two other “work-clubs” in San Francisco and Santa Monica, respectively. What better place to set up shop than Portland, where according to a 2009 Census Bureau survey, there were no fewer than 73,816 self-employed workers? Urban Grind Coffeehouse and Roaster, a local, independently owned business in the heart of the Pearl District, will be the newest work-club location.
So, not only can business transactions occur electronically through a trusted website, but now there’s a physical location that provides space to work and collaborate locally with access to a constant stream of coffee. Urban Grind owner Dian Crawford is herself an example of its collaborative potential. she said. In an interview with Jon Mitchell of ReadWriteWeb she explained that her first posting will be for someone local to re-upholster her benches and chairs.
Not only will this be an essential support to the professional freelance population, but it will also offer opportunities for students to find a network of people in their desired field from and with whom they can begin learning and collaborating. The vibrant energy of a room full of creatives will provide a dynamic platform for honing your own craft and an opportunity to engage with other local talent.
But honestly, you don’t have to be a budding software writer or hemp-weaving seamstress to care about Coffee & Power coming to Portland. The Urban Grind location is just another great way to make a few bucks by advertising any genre of skill, and at the same time offering a professional, public place to meet clients. Postings like “I will bake vegan goods” just scream Portland, so all you culinary geniuses, get to baking and, in between classes, hop on the street car and drop those cookies off in less than half an hour.
Portland Coffee & Power will officially launch at Urban Grind on March 14th at 6:30 p.m., so make sure to check it out. Because, no matter what your skill or talent, (limerick writing, anyone?) remember, all you need is a little power and a lot of coffee and you can…well, you decide.