Get The Answers: Creativity flows in right space

Nick Shewring. Photo / Supplied

BizDojo offers a stimulating hub for solo businesses, writes Nick Shewring, co-founder of BizDojo, serviced co-working and collaboration space provider.

Many small businesses, especially creative ones, start life at the kitchen table, but when they reach a certain size they need to find business premises. There are a growing number of hubs around the country where creative businesses are setting up shop in the same location to enjoy a more collaborative work atmosphere.

Are workplaces changing for small businesses, especially creative ones?

In the past few years we're really starting to see the fundamental transformation of what we take for granted about the workplace. Rapid advances in technology, including the rise of cloud computing and software-as-a-service, mean that it's now easier and cheaper than ever to start your own business.

Societal trends are also driving the atomisation of the workplace - New Zealand has always been a nation of small businesses, but now people are more individualistic than ever before, and increasingly prepared to forge lifestyles based on their own needs, expecting increasing autonomy and freedom.

The paradox that comes from all of this change, however, is that for many, working solo can get lonely and stressful, especially for creatives, where the pressure to be the sole source of ideas, designs and clever solutions can often be overwhelming.

Co-working spaces like ours are the ideal environment to locate peers to connect and generate creative synergy as well as achieve high levels of productivity. Our work spaces are best suited for businesses who are looking to benefit from a stimulating environment that aims to foster creativity, innovation and collaboration. Our residents generally come from what we call the TEDS sectors - technology, entertainment, design, and sustainability.

What facilities do companies share in the BizDojo workspace?

We offer a fully serviced plug-and-play co-working environment. As part of their subscription, all our residents get their own desk (either dedicated or hot-desk dependent on their chosen membership option), high speed internet connection, storage, use of meeting rooms, printers, copiers, and other facilities. All bills, except for telephones, are included as part of the subscription rate.

We also have a dedicated community manager in each BizDojo location, who is on hand to assist residents with early-stage growth, training, funding, business development, and events. Residents have casual access to our spaces in other cities included as part of their subscription. We have spaces open in Auckland and Wellington, with plans for a BizDojo Christchurch.

Have you seen creative ideas flourish between companies in your spaces?

We're big believers in the idea that creativity and innovation flourish in the edge interactions between people of diverse backgrounds and experience, and we've seen plenty of this happening at the BizDojo.

Aside from the usual collaboration on project work for clients, there have been some pretty interesting business ideas bubbling up among our residents.

BizDojo resident Big Voice has also created a fantastic collaborative multi-platform art exhibition called Project Connect, which a large number of our residents have got behind as participants and collaborators, with some amazing contributions resulting from this.

How do you interest people in coming and joining the companies you have?

We rely heavily on word-of-mouth and our resident networks. We also use Facebook and Twitter. We've had a lot of success raising our profile through marketing on sites such as BizDojo alumnus Sharedspace (www.sharedspace.co.nz), and sponsorship of the creative sector, including BizDojo residents Design Assembly (www.designassembly.org.nz), and The Big Idea (www.thebigidea.co.nz).