Co-Work Space Coming to McMinnville
Downtown McMinnville is quickly becoming the place to be for entrepreneurs and remote workers.
Due to the $60,000 award of the TNECD Placemakers grant applied for and administered by the McMinnville-Warren County Chamber of Commerce, The Biz Foundry will establish a second location in McMinnville, TN in addition to their original location in Cookeville. Funded by the Launch TN program associated with the TN Department of Economic and Community Development as well as private contributors, the non-profit's purpose and mission is to serve and grow the entrepreneurial community in rural areas across the Upper Cumberland. The McMinnville-Warren Co. Chamber has partnered with The Biz Foundry for the past four years bringing entrepreneurial education and support programs, such Co Starters, a startup bootcamp, and My Big Idea, a Shark Tank-style regional competition for high school juniors. The establishment of the co-work space solidifies The Biz Foundry’s position in the community and presents more opportunities for entrepreneurs to find the support and network they need to be successful.
“The Biz Foundry is run by a board of seasoned entrepreneurs who are connected to an entrepreneurial network that spans the country. In addition to sharing the challenges of entrepreneurship, they can help clients find markets for their products through their network, avoid the pitfalls of taking on too much overhead up front, and other common challenges entrepreneurs face. This increases startup success drastically”, says Chamber president Mandy Eller.
The co-work space will be located in the Panther Creek Forestry building at 118 South Court Square, also known as the old Hargrove Office Supply building. The space will include open office spaces, private offices, a welcome area, meeting room, and a kitchen for socializing and building relationships. Clients will be able to rent a desk in a shared space or a private office for a small fee each month as opposed to renting a larger office space while trying to grow their business. These spaces will also be available to remote workers. “Millennials are changing the workforce in many ways, including increasing demand for remote work that gives them the flexibility to work from any space. A study from Emergent Research shows that co-work spaces combat the loneliness that accompanies remote work and encourages learning new skills which increases the happiness of the worker by creating a community”, continues Eller.
Co-work spaces have existed in urban areas for several years but rural areas are finding they are well-suited for such spaces due to an innate sense of community. “In that regard, having this co-work space could help us target Millennials looking to leave the sprawling urban areas with high costs of living, such as Nashville and Murfreesboro, because they are familiar with the concept and are not forced to live where they work. Also, a growing number of retirees are choosing to become part-time remote workers or entrepreneurs, so we anticipate and welcome a wide age range to fill the space”, says Eller.
Anyone interested in renting space in the new office can contact the Chamber of Commerce at 931.473.6611 or email Mandy Eller at meller@warrentn.com.
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