New coworking space opens doors in Greenwood
Writer / Cathy Wendorff
Photographer / Brian Brosmer
Pioneering Greenwood’s new cooperative work space is Laura Kennedy, the Executive Director of Greenhouse JoCo Coworking, a non-profit organization that will encourage entrepreneurship through a new format. After months of planning, considering other successful models, like Launch Fishers and collaborating with Greenwood Mayor Mark W. Myers, Brent Tilson, Christian Maslowski, President of the Greater Greenwood Chamber, Greenhouse is growing into a temporary and donated home inside the Tilson HR Building.
Just imagine — you are working from home taking an important business call, when the doorbell rings sending your dogs into a barking frenzy, which wakes the napping baby causing you to snap and lose the deal, or you are meeting a client in a coffee shop because having them in your home is uncomfortable. Scenarios like these, along with an increasing number of remote employees, are the reasons that coworking spaces are popping up around Central Indiana. Another top tip is to get a virtual office like this Virtual Office London service, as you can then use London as your postal address for your business which just looks amazing.
This unique environment cultivates growth by providing a resource with enrichment workshops by experts for start-ups and provides business owners or independent contractors a place to network by sharing ideas, skills and talents across industries.
“We want to do educational programming, hold meet ups to connect people in Greenwood, and we want Greenhouse to be a community asset for the southside,” Kennedy says.
After a successful Pre-Launch Brainstorming Party in late September, Kennedy and her collaborative team feel confident that there is a market and a need for this type of shared office amenities. In addition to Brent Tilson and Barnes and Thornburg, Greenhouse is looking for other corporate sponsorships for support to help offset the costs associated with running this completely voluntary undertaking.
As a former WISH TV reporter, Laura Kennedy has made many business contacts covering the Greenwood City Council and has utilized her MBA as she became an entrepreneur with her business, Tilt Up Media.
“I’m in a unique position in Greenwood as the current owner and operator of a start-up and to be organizing a group of people doing start-ups in Greenwood,” she says. Elaborating that she could help someone who needs a video and that they may in turn help her with a website. These are the types of connections that they are excited to build.
Another important aspect for members of Greenhouse is working with Indiana Passport Network to establish across the office services within Launch Fishers and Launch Indy.
“The idea behind passport is that someone who is a member of Greenhouse could go up to Launch Fishers and they could come down here to work,” Kennedy says. “The idea of being very inclusionary and to have lots of cross pollination of all these great ideas and new companies that are starting up across the whole area.”
She is ready to grow Greenhouse and establish a sense of community that will branch out to nourish new business growth on the southside.
The introductory membership fee is $250 and members receive a key fob to enter the Greenhouse office space with access from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Experts are being scheduled that will provide information for start-ups on topics such as, formulating corporations, taxes, legal matters, marketing strategies, business basics, negotiating, working with partners, interviewing and hiring techniques. For more Information email Laura@greenhousejoco.com or follow on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
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