For Gretchen Bedell, a coffee shop is not a place to work.
The owner of Odd Moxie Studios and Design – where she coordinates creative freelancers on a range of photo, video and design projects – finds the din of conversations and whirr of the espresso machine disruptive.
“A coffee shop is designed for the exchange of ideas,” she said. “It’s not designed for you to knuckle down on a report or take a conference call.”
Working from home may not be much better. Bedell has her editing station set up there, but it is not the most professional space for meeting clients. And she finds the pile of laundry distracting.
For business owners like Bedell, it may not make sense to lease space – she said her business succeeds because she saves on overhead. Others are intimidated by the prospect of a long-term and binding lease while in a startup phase, and some travel so much that permanent office space is impractical.
To serve the needs of their community, Bedell and two other residents with similar companies have formed CoWork Williamsburg, a group dedicated to finding a space where independent workers can find productive space and a sense of community.
CoWork Williamsburg began meeting Wednesdays in a conference room of the Williamsburg Regional Library at the beginning of May. Word of their project has spread, and Bedell said a core group of about five has gotten on board with the project, but they are always looking for new faces to join.
Modeled on similar spaces around the state, the session starts at 10 a.m. with a meet and greet, followed by a quiet work time until lunch. In the afternoon they take a “heads up” time, where workers can vet ideas, talk through ideas or work through a problem as a team.
Bedell said the meeting of creative minds forms a “modern conviviality” beneficial to those working through issues many share based on similar lines of work.
“We want to build a community who really help and support each other, and are really interested in what everyone else does,” Bedell said.
After a productive day, the group packs up a 4 p.m. While the schedule may seem abbreviated, Bedell said it takes advantage of the most productive time for workers, rather than the wandering distraction that happens in homes and offices by late afternoon.
Visitors drift in and out throughout the day, as their schedules allow, but the group takes on the community atmosphere of a small office, Bedell said. They make an effort to eat together – whether from packed lunches or with a jaunt to a nearby restaurant – and last week someone brought in cinnamon rolls for the group.
Working alone at home can get lonely, and as a young professional Bedell said she longs for the chance to meet other people with similar interests — professional and personal. She said it can be tough for working adults who have outgrown the bars as a social space to discover a community to keep them in Williamsburg.
“Finding that hip, happening thing can be challenging,” Bedell said.
She hopes to build camaraderie — whether it is through discussing book keeping or book clubs — through CoWork Williamsburg.
The ultimate goal is to get a group loyal enough to the idea of coworking they would commit, in spirit and financially, to putting together a permanent communal space. The vision includes a receptionist on staff – well-versed in the businesses involved – to greet clients and a range of space available to workers, from a desk for a few hours to an office with a door all their own.
To learn more, visit the CoWork Williamsburg Facebook page.
