One of the hottest trends in business over the past decade continues to be a fresh concept to many, and shows no signs of slowing down, especially in the Port Huron and St. Clair County area.
Co-working has come to mean many things over the years, from its beginnings as hackerspaces in Berlin to current incubator establishments that offer start-ups and entrepreneurs a space to collaborate and develop new ideas for the sake of the surrounding economy.
Port Huron in the past few years has been home to Loft 912, and more recently, The Underground, with those involved with both projects gauging expansions.
"Business is booming!" says Director of Business Attraction for the Economic Development Alliance of St. Clair County Quentin Bishop. "Our [The Underground] enclosed offices are completely full and we are in the stages of creating more co-working space because our desks are all being utilized."
And while some people may see a co-working space as just a physical shared space, the same as a coffee shop or library, others see it as the key to successful future development.
"Co-working spaces benefit entrepreneurs, freelancers, and remote workers by giving them a place to go and people to interact with," says Loft 912 self-described "founder, host and janitor" Matt Brooks. "This is in contrast to the alternatives of working from a home office or the coffee shop."
Lately, co-working spaces are evolving from just shared work space into business incubators and accelerators, which usually help grow a business through funding and mentorship.
"It is true that The Underground offers an incredible co-working space but our main focus is the incubation program that begins with the client's end in mind," says Bishop. "Our core focus is the development companies so that they are sustainable."
The Underground marked its grand opening this past June, in 5,000 square feet of space in the basement of the recently renovated Sperry's Moviehouse building. It includes office space, meeting rooms co-working spaces and conference rooms.
The renovation of the lower part of the building transformed the space into a hip business center, with a state-of-the-art business support center, two quiet rooms, kitchen, print area, reception area, bathrooms and an elevator.
"It has helped me be more efficient in scheduling meetings and mentoring," says Healing Hearts Home Ministry President and Founder Christina Gallina-Flood who rents space in The Underground. "Especially with mentoring, it has become a lot easier and more enjoyable to meet because my clients and I are able to be at a place where it's an easy drive and we both enjoy the meeting space."
The Underground, which describes itself as an incubator more than as a c-oworking space, also provides early stage funding to entrepreneurs thanks to a large donation from the Community Capital Club, which granted $20,000 to the Economic Development Alliance of St. Clair County which also donated $5,000.
"The Underground excites, engages, and aligns entrepreneurs' strategic plans," says Bishop. "We focus on their core values and what actually creates traction for their company."
That renovation alone seems to be one piece of an overall revitalization effort that has taken Port Huron by storm, to the delight of several business owners and community members.
Brooks explains:
"The revitalization of our great city is dependent on all stakeholders working in concert to badassify the spaces and places where they have influence. This includes storefronts kicking their facades up a notch. It includes building owners following the lead of people like Larry Jones [CEO of Maritime Construction] renovating their rooftops on down to the basements in their buildings. It includes community leaders and government officials being genuine champions and cheerleaders for being sure all stakeholders have the support and resources they need to make it all happen. The entrepreneurial ecosystem is just a part of the entire revitalization picture."
Loft 912 launched in 2015 in a building on Military Street that dates to the 1800's and features exposed brick, hardwood floors and tall windows with plenty of light streaming through.
The packages at Loft 912 offer combinations of semi-private work stations, shared work space in the common area, use of the Launch Pad meeting room, participation in community working events, and a mailing address, as well as daily and monthly passes.
A ping pong table serves as the main table in the common area, a kitchen, a selection of musical instruments, and funky meeting spaces.
Brooks also plans an expansion of sort.
"I have my sights set on a sister location that will offer private offices, a compliment to the open floor concept at Loft 912."
While some may also shrug off co-working spaces as places for young professionals to goof off, or have a place to play, some convincing numbers published by the Huffington Post in 2015 confirmed that co-working is an important idea that should be cultivated in the professional world.
They published findings from a Wix and Officevibe study that predicts 40 percent of the workforce will be freelancers, temps, independent contractors, and solopreneurs by 2020.
The study also found that 70 percent reported they felt healthier than they did working in a traditional office setting, and 91 percent have better interactions with others after working.
"I am also enjoying meeting other individuals in the space that we share," says Gallina-Flood.
"Connections are what co-working is all about!" says Brooks.
For more information on The Underground and its programs, visit http://www.startunderground.com/.
For information on Loft 912 visit https://loft912.ph/.
Healing Hearts Home Ministry can be found at https://www.healinghearts.org/.