Working together in the Village

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This article was published 07/10/2019 (2393 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The daily grind of an entrepreneur, independent business owner, or creative can be filled with distractions and isolation.

Even when determined to get the job done, at-home offices offer plenty of reasons to procrastinate, and heading to a coffee shop for a change of setting doesn’t come with any guarantees (and rarely free refills).

To help their fellow entrepreneurs get ahead, Rachel Dufresne and Andrea Tiopo have opened TableSpace, a new co-working facility in the heart of Osborne Village complete with casual co-working areas, dedicated shared work spaces, a podcasting and vlogging studio, private telephone booths, and a kitchen stocked with snacks, coffees and amenities to keep the creative session going.

“People grow faster together and better together,” Dufresne said. “No matter what level of entrepreneurship you’re at, somebody can afford to make their space a priority and their business. We really do believe having a space like this accelerates your path,” Dufresne said.

“We’d love to see people grow their businesses here and this be a hub to create,” added Tiopo. “We want people to succeed and really build their passion through TableSpace.”

TableSpace occupies the building that was formerly Oxfords Salon at 196 Osborne St. and the renovated space now serves multiple purposes. In the morning, fitness camps run daily at 7 a.m. on the main floor, led by personal trainers and fitness pros who are also members of TableSpace. By 8 a.m. the 16 seat co-working space is set up, as is the 44-seat dedicated work area.

On the second floor there are 11 private offices available for lease, six of which are occupied, including one by the Osborne Village Business Improvement Zone, a conference room and photo studio, washrooms and showers, client waiting areas, and nine designated desks. After hours, the 2,500-square-foot main floor doubles as a venue for workshops, social events, fitness classes and other programming co-ordinated by the founders.

“It’s providing a place that offers all of that in one space; to be prompted into thinking about wellness, and thinking about social in the evening, and opportunities within the place you work to sign up for mixers and workshops and events, so that those things don’t just slide off the table,” Dufresne said.

Depending on your membership level, TableSpace provides varying levels of access and amenities. The most basic package offers access to the main floor co-working areas for two full days a month, plus all of the basic member offerings, including wi-fi and daily use lockers, for $35 a month.

Personal trainer Dilpreet Bhattal has come on board as a founding member and was doing paperwork for her coaching services business, Little Tank Fitness, in a quiet alcove at TableSpace when The Sou’wester dropped by.

Bhattal said the appeal of TableSpace was that it takes her out of her comfort zone, creates some distance between her professional and personal life, and is a spot to meet clients and other entrepreneurs in a neutral environment.

“Most people leave work at the door so they can just relax and turn their minds off at home,” Bhattal said. “Here there are no distractions and everyone else is working around you too, so that’s motivating.

“The atmosphere sets you up to work, to brainstorm, and to get stuff done.”

With parts of her coaching handled exclusively online, Bhattal said TableSpace is also a valuable social setting to meet people and network.

“I’m a people person and sitting at home, I’m not going to meet people,” she said. “There’s opportunities to meet like-minded individuals and entrepreneurs.

“You never know who you might bump into and want to collaborate with.”

And it was just that sort of intervention that brought Dufresne and Tiopo together to create TableSpace. Dufresne, whose background is in corporate accounting, said she’d been toying with the idea of founding a co-working business for about a year and was seeking a creative outlet.

While workshopping her business plan, she was introduced to Tiopo through a mutual friend, and the new partnership took off.

“I’ve seen this concept in other cities,” Tiopo said, “And I thought there was a big gap in Winnipeg and it was missing something like this.

“I was so passionate to help Rachel create something even bigger than what she’d imagined.”

TableSpace officially opened at the end of September and as the business settles in, Tiopo said they plan to add outdoor workspace for the summer and will be opening the basement for events and rentals. More information is available at tablespace.ca