INTRODUCTION
Are you wondering how to open a coworking space even if your surrounding community is relatively small? Coworking spaces can often thrive in large cities communities due to a greater number of businesses/freelancers needing office space; in smaller towns, demand can sometimes be trickier to generate and maintain.
In this coworking operator story, we focus on Jen Thoemke, who has successfully shaped her coworking dream into a reality against the backdrop of the Rocky Mountains in scenic small-town Colorado.
As a member of our Coworking Space Operator Mastermind, Jen’s journey offers priceless insights into opening a coworking space, successfully marketing it organically, and ultimately expanding to multiple locations.
BACKGROUND
Jen’s coworking business is located in Golden, Colorado, a vibrant town of 19,000 residents, and Red Rocks, Colorado, famed for its stunning open-air amphitheater.
As a native of Golden, Jen dreamed of opening a local business one day and initially thought of launching a wine bar or coffee shop – or a business that would help bring people together.
Prior to the launch of her space, she was already well acquainted with the potential demand for a coworking space in Golden and had networked previously with many community members/business owners.
Leveraging over 25 years of leadership experience ranging from non-profits to corporate America, she has skillfully built an entrepreneurial community in a small-town setting and has mastered the art of how to open a coworking space in a small community.
BUSINESS OVERVIEW AND LAUNCH TIMELINE
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- Jen’s first Connects Workspace location opened in June 2015 in the historic Colorado National Guard Armory – which occupies multiple levels inside the structure.
- She also purchased the adjacent Cafe 13 after launching her first Connects Workspace location – a fast casual breakfast/brunch concept and a popular dining destination for members of the Connects Workspace.
- Later in 2023, Jen launched a second Connects Workspace location near the famed Red Rocks Amphitheatre, along with launching an adjacent food hall and a thriving cupcake business, Gold Mine Cupcakes.
- In 2023, Connects Workspace will be opening a third location in Idaho Springs, Colorado.
COWORKING REVENUE STREAMS
Her revenue-generating strategy includes offering private offices, flex desk areas, meeting rooms, and VA services bolstered by mail service and cafe. The cafe, resulting from hard work and investment from friends and family, offers a unique synergy with the coworking space. Jen’s members enjoy the luxury of casual meetings over coffee, followed by professional, focused meetings in the adjoining workspace or conference rooms.
“So I worked really hard to put together some friends and family and bought the cafe. And the reason was we’re just, I mean, we’re literally a door from each other. You can go through the cafe to get into the) Connects Workspace. And so the synergies between them, it’s exactly what I wanted all along…”\
COWORKING MEMBER ACQUISITION
In a small market, Jen’s strategy for member acquisition relies heavily on organic marketing, word of mouth and member referrals.
A keen community-builder, Jen pens articles for a local magazine, keeping her coworking spaces consistently in the public eye and building trust within her community. For her new location she plans to host tours and sponsor and attend local events to generate additional buzz.
Jen notes that in a smaller town, fewer competitors allow for greater organic growth opportunities and that despite the town’s size, there are always people searching for offices.
Jen has focused on key selling points to further drive growth – many members enjoy being able to talk to other people and being able to focus on work outside of home, the family atmosphere, being close to downtown Golden and the warm and welcoming feeling of working at a coworking space with other like minded people.
HOW TO OPEN A COWORKING SPACE – COWORKING TECHNOLOGY STACK
Most successful coworking space owners leverage a range of tools that facilitate an efficient operation. Jen utilizes a range of tools to help her manage operations across all her locations.
- Proximity – Jen utilizes Proximity, which serves as her space management application. This tool helps her handle the intricate aspects of managing coworking spaces.
- Notion – She also uses Notion to create comprehensive operation manuals to streamline her operational procedures with the help of her operations manager.
- Asana – Finally, Jen also leverages Asana for efficient project management and team collaboration.
CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS
Jen’s journey was not devoid of obstacles. Funding for her coworking/food hall location proved challenging, with multiple rejections from the Small Business Administration. She also had to navigate the intricacies of running a cafe and, subsequently, a food hall.
Jen had to learn how to operate two distinctly different business models – the coworking and restaurant business, at the same time and create a symbiotic relationship between the two types of entities, along with learning operations for both types.
Learning on the fly, she has successfully navigated the intricacies of both types of businesses to create a unique coworking concept that has made her space even more unique within the Golden CO community. She learned to separate her teams while integrating cross-promotional methods to grow both businesses at the same time and share client bases.
HOW TO OPEN A COWORKING SPACE – SUCCESS STORIES
By virtually every measure, Jen has been very successful in creating a vibrant and active coworking community and understands how to open a coworking space quite well after 7 years of experience.
Starting with her first coworking space, she implemented a variety of organic growth strategies that resulted in consistent growth and opportunities to acquire new spaces.
Her coworking spaces also have excellent reviews with members enjoying the coffee and cafe, close knit community, the peacefulness of the space and proximity to other attractions and restaurants.
FUTURE PLANS
Jen’s first location, Connects Golden, continues to thrive while her attention has been focused on her recent second and upcoming third location launches and their growth. After its recent launch, Jen continues to grow her Red Rocks Connects Workspace and food hall combo, with a third Idaho Springs, Colorado location coming up in 2023.
CONCLUSION – HOW TO OPEN A COWORKING SPACE IN SMALL TOWN COLORADO
Jen Thoemke’s journey presents a compelling case of how traditional coworking spaces can be transformed into community centers, integrating workspace and lifestyle.
If you are researching how to open a coworking space in a smaller area, her relentless pursuit of innovative solutions, and focus on community-building offers invaluable insights for anyone planning to venture into the coworking space domain.
To hear Jen’s story in more detail, listen to our interview on the Everything Coworking Podcast.
Are you thinking about opening your own coworking space? Register for our FREE Masterclass: 3 Behind-The-Scenes Secredts to Opening a Profitable Coworking Space.
