The coworking tale here at CoMotion carries some common beneficial threads. The story of Prestige Digital is yet another reminder of why this place is so popular.
Without belaboring the point, getting to sit down and meet fellow members here at CoMotion On King is one of the coolest parts of my coworking experience. Sara Lang, owner-operator extraordinaire of Prestige Digital, certainly reinforced this. She is one of the original members of CoMotion – or at least close to it. So it’s always nice to hear how people have grown with the space and benefited from those who’ve joined.
Like many, Sara started out on her own, operating her business from the commuter-friendly kitchen table and coffee shops around the city. But, like so many other freelancers and small start-ups, there was a desire to experience sunlight, fresh air and other like-minded humans.
Interacting with others in a similar situation was one of the driving forces for Prestige Digital to start up shop at CoMotion.
After checking out an open house, Sara jumped on a discounted trial membership offer. Almost right away, she found she was hooked. “Everything got better. There’s a definite emotional and psychological benefit to working at CoMotion – it feels like it legitimizes your business.” The outcome of this was more consistent working habits and a stronger work ethic which, ultimately, has paved to the way some solid success for Prestige.
A casual collaborative meeting in the CoMotion commons area.
One of the interesting benefits that Sara raised was the opportunity to be around others who understood the trials and tribulations of being an owner operator. For many who have decided to take the plunge into any kind of self-employment or entrepreneurship, it can be a pretty scary endeavor when you’re completely on your own. The coworking environment of CoMotion gave Sara the confidence of having plenty of people around who had taken the exact same steps and know how to dodge the pitfalls.
Networking, of course, is the other enormous benefit of coworking.
It’s certainly no secret that reaping the rewards of building strong connections can take some time. But, with hard work and patience, things generally pay off. Such is the case here with Prestige Digital’s relationship with Forge & Foster.
Forge & Foster are certainly the anchor tenants at CoMotion on King. And their activities of acquisition and revitalization around the city are quite public. To those like Sara on the inside of CoMotion, this represents a solid opportunity. And before long, Forge & Foster was in the market for someone to build them a few websites.
“This was an opportunity that never would have happened if I was working at home.”
Lunches, coffee breaks, or social gatherings, the CoMotion kitchen is spawning ground for coworking opportunities.
Thanks to another mutual connection with The Generator, CoMotion’s resident social media gurus, the match-up was made. A mutually beneficial relationship was, uhhh, fostered thanks in large part to the function of coworking. And so far, this connection has resulted in the design and development of websites for the Black Forest Inn, The Beverly, Eat Well, and Little Big Bowl; all restaurants under Forge & Foster’s subsidiary, Honest Foods.
Maintain your expertise and expand service offering by referring within the network.
Given that the vast majority of Prestige Digital’s clients are small to medium sized local businesses, there are often opportunities to refer the services of other CoMotion members. “Often clients don’t have the time to investigate exactly what they need”, Sara explains. “This is an opportunity to go above and beyond by recommending services that will help their business – and to have those services coming from people right here.”
This also goes for potential clients, too. Although a required or requested service may not be something you offer directly, it may be offered by someone within the CoMotion network. Instantly, this can enhance the breadth of your service. A huge advantage for the small start-up or sole proprietor.
It’s rewarding to see mutually beneficial arrangements come together. It’s such a cool microcosm of how our economy thrives on the successes of small businesses. Watching it unfold, repeatedly, within a concentrated space like CoMotion On King illustrates the contributions coworking spaces like this can make to our community.
