Individual focus, shared space

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This article was published 13/06/2016 (3507 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A new place to get work done is giving innovative entrepreneurs and businesses some new options to set up shop.

Regus Canada, which provides flexible workspaces around the world, has opened its second Winnipeg location at 330 St. Mary Ave., nine years after it first opened at 201 Portage Ave.

Demand for such spaces has grown since 2007, according to Wayne Berger, vice-president of Regus Canada.

“From the day we opened, the demand has really (pushed) us to look for another great location, and the whole co-working, flexible workplace environment has become more and more well-known and more and more attractive to many organizations. So we’re receiving more and more requests to open up some great space,” Berger said.

That space, Berger said, makes it easy for business owners to focus on building their organization up.

“We have a large community of startups and entrepreneurs looking for space because it’s great for people to come in and have a shared office space, everything is managed — all of the operations, all of the systems,” he said. “IT, furniture, business lounge, etc.

“Really, a client only has to worry about focusing on the core aspects of their business.”

Because of the easy setup, Berger said the Regus model is attractive to businesses trying new things.

“For companies that are looking to grow and move into new, emerging markets, it gives them a great place that offers flexibility while they test out a new market to see if it’s viable for the business,” he said.

Scott Dixon is one of those entrepreneurs checking out the Winnipeg market to continue his work doing grassroots fundraising and marketing for charitable organizations.

Dixon just moved to Winnipeg from Victoria and has been working in Regus workspaces for the last two years.

“The professionalism is what really appealed to me the most. The fact that the ease of being able to walk in there and not have to set up an office, the furnishings were already there,” he said. “It required no initial setup. I pretty much just came in and could start work from Day 1.”

The cost of a shared office, or co-working space, starts at $300 a month.

Window offices start at $650 a month while interior offices start at $480. Meeting-room rates are $89 per hour.

The St. Mary location looks a bit different from the Portage location. Berger said he thinks the non-cubicle appearance of the new office will draw in a lot of innovative businesses.

“We’re really using some cool attributes in the space,” Berger said. “So this space had an old bank vault that we have on the floor, and we’ve retrofitted and built it into some interesting co-working space.

“There’s a real strong usage of natural light throughout the floor. It has a more urban-industrial look and feel with some exposed concrete and a lot of collaborative workspace where people can meet and gather and work together.”

Norm Cherrey enjoys the community at the shared workspace at 201 Portage Ave., where he set up his accounting firm, ITS Inc., five years ago.

Cherrey’s business primarily caters to professional hockey players, including around 70 NHL players, across North America. He said Regus’s services have given him the opportunity to expand his business.

“They’ve basically been the admin part of my business,” Cherrey said. “They do all of my typing that I need. They help me with my invoicing. They do all my Fed Exes, and most of my clients are out of town, so I have to send out a lot.

“If I’m not here they’ll take messages. It’s a valuable service and it fits my needs,” he said.

“They’re very professional, they always have a smile on their face. I love dealing with them, they almost feel like family, quite frankly.”

bailey.hildebrand@freepress.mb.ca