Coworking spaces an alternative to traditional office

By Jenna Shackelford, posted Jun 17, 2021 on BizFayetteville.com

Workspaces shared by different employers can often complement each other and share costs. (Photo provided by The Hub)

Over the course of the year, companies across the world have reconsidered the traditional 9-5 office job, and many of them have introduced more modern ideas for running their establishments. One alternative to a typical office that has gained popularity in Fayetteville over the last few years is coworking spaces.
Coworking spaces can take a variety of forms, but the common ground is that they allow staff and employees from different companies to work in the same workspace to accomplish their tasks. Often, coworking spaces can be more cost-effective than working in a typical office or even from home because many spaces provide access to resources that businesspeople or their employers would otherwise have to pay for themselves. Additionally, coworking spaces, because they are shared between multiple companies, are intrinsically networking-friendly.
Fayetteville has four coworking spaces: Revolutionary Coworking, The CORE Innovation Center, The Common Community Workspaceand The Hub.
While having multiple coworking spaces in town might sound like competition, the spaces complement each other because they serve different purposes.

Revolutionary Coworking
Revolutionary Coworking, a nonprofit workspace, was founded in 2016. Core values of the space are education, economic development, connectivity, collaboration, innovation, workspace liberty and sustainability.
A variety of businesspeople and visionaries utilize the space, to include military service members, veteran entrepreneurs, women-owned businesses, independent businesspeople, and non-traditional students.
Aside from the networking opportunities at Revolutionary Coworking, the space provides several kinds of workspaces in addition to conference facilities. The environment also offers technology and telecom capabilities.
For more information about Revolutionary Coworking or to learn about membership, visit https://www.revolutionarycoworking.com/ or call 910- 960-7765.

The CORE Innovation Center
The CORE’s networking space was founded by the Fayetteville Cumberland Economic Development Corporation.
“Originally, we started this journey into trying to build this center for conversation and collaboration around technology innovation and also offer coworking downtown,” said Robert Van Geons, CEO of FCEDC. As other coworking spaces began to sprout up around the community, FCEDC saw the opportunity to develop their specific niche.
“We were presented an opportunity to expand and grow our space here on this floor and really what we’re looking to build here is a center for military contractors and innovators in technology,” Van Geons said.
That audience is the key differentiator between The CORE and other coworking spaces. MetroNet provides gig-plus fiber-optic service in the space and individual offices have individual keys. The space features key card access to control for security.
Van Geons said that if you can do your work on your laptop, you might be a better fit for another coworking space. “We are really looking at people who have data intensive needs who need an above-average secure location,” he said.
The CORE has room for 11 individual operators in private workspaces but the ability to accommodate up to 75 people in conference-style seating and meeting rooms, as well as open coworking spaces to meet and congregate.
The scheduling is flexible whether people need the office space for a few days or a few months.
“We believe that Fayetteville can be a center for applied innovation. It is that type of creativity and collaboration we look to be hosting here, including tech meetups and being a conduit for conversations and innovation in the meeting space,” Van Geons said.
For more information, visit fayedc.com or email info@fayedc.com.

The Common Community Workspace
The Common has two locations — one on Morganton Road in Fayetteville and one in Spring Lake.
The spaces are great for local entrepreneurs or people travelling for business. The Common boasts of its affordability by offering its space hourly, daily, weekly, monthly and yearly to accommodate a variety of businesspeople.
For business people who want a professional setting without the jarring costs of a commercial space, The Common has private rooms, training and meeting rooms, private rooms with multiple desks, or desks in a common open area. Additionally, there is free wifi, included utilities, smart locks in rented spaces and more.
The close proximity to Fort Bragg makes the space accessible and optimal for military spouses and Fort Bragg contractors, but The Common has features that may be ideal for a variety of entrepreneurs.
To learn more about The Common or to book the space, visit https://thecommonworkspace.com/ or call 910-485-5900.

The Hub
The Hub, which began conceptually in 2018, will open soon in downtown Fayetteville.
“The Hub is a coworking and collaborative community that helps businesses grow and thrive from the heart of Fayetteville. We hope to be Fayetteville’s Community Connector,” explained Henry Tyson, the founder of the space.
“I thought it’d be great to have a premium and professional workspace that would bring people together to inspire one another and support small business through meaningful resources and amenities,” he said.

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