Birmingham coworking spaces join forces to raise awareness of facilities

In the popular practice of coworking, multiple companies or entrepreneurs share office spaces, thereby reducing the expense and administrative hassles of running their enterprises.

Coworking has grown rapidly in the United States in the last 20 years, and that growth will continue, said Kim Lee, founder of the Forge, a coworking facility located in The Pizitz downtown.

Prior to the coming of COVID-19, “experts were predicting coworking could make up as much as 20-30% of commercial real estate by 2030,” Lee told Iron City Ink. “These statistics have not been reevaluated, but all signs are pointing to reaching that goal at a much quicker pace.

“Many organizations are realizing that the traditional office lease does not fit into the category of ‘necessary’ and are rethinking the way their organization will office,” Lee said.

All types of professionals now want flexibility in the way they “office,” said Meredith Calhoun, a co-founder of Practice Works, a coworking facility located near Avondale and Forest Park.

“Coworking spaces offer that flexibility and professional, productive spaces in which to connect, grow and thrive,” Calhoun said.

Seven Birmingham coworking facilities have now banded together to further raise awareness of coworking opportunities in the Magic City. The Birmingham Coworking Collective, which began in September, includes Forge and Practice Works, as well as The Hub, Innovation Depot, MAKEbham, Social Venture and WORX.

The Collective is offering a Coworking Passport, which offers prospective tenants a chance to schedule one day of work at each of the participating spaces for free and experience each community before committing to a membership.

The new entity seeks to “bring more awareness to the coworking options in Birmingham and make the spaces more accessible to those who need a workspace,” said Lauren Bedford Cushman, community manager for WORX.

“I talk to people all the time who don’t realize how many options we now have in Birmingham for flexible work space,” Calhoun said.

The member facilities at the Collective are a diverse group in terms of size, style, focus and location.

Forge opened on the mezzanine level above the bustling Pizitz Food Hall in 2017 and was the first coworking space downtown. It offers open workspaces, private offices and meeting rooms.

Practice Works is a coworking space for wellness professionals, and their clients designed to help those professionals grow their practices. The facility also provides event space and three classrooms perfect for meetings and retreats.

Innovation Depot, a nationally known business incubator, is located on First Avenue North downtown and offers 140,000 square feet of office, lab and coworking space for startups, including many tech companies.

MAKEbhm, located in Avondale, provides studios for makers and offices for creatives. The facility offers dedicated offices, dedicated desks and drop-in memberships.

SocialVenture is a coworking and meeting space in Woodlawn managed by REV Birmingham. Office spaces are available for daily or monthly rent at affordable rates. The facility is temporarily closed, according to its website.

The Hub, located in West Homewood, offers communal workspace, day passes, private offices, conference rooms and event space.

Worx offers luxury private office suites and coworking spaces at two area locations, one in Vestavia Hills and one on Commons Drive near Lakeshore Parkway.

Some of the organizers of the Birmingham Coworking Collective cite the advantages of coworking for business tenants.

For a new business, overhead fees can be very high, and joining a coworking space removes that financial burden since the facility provides such services as internet access, printing and utilities, Cushman said.

“You can focus on the specifics of your business,” said Becca Impello, co-founder of Practice Works.

“It feels better to be in the ‘trenches’ alongside others than going it alone,” Impello said.

In addition to having help with business operations, this means that the entrepreneur can enjoy “the connection and community of being around other people,” she said.

And for those who work remotely, coworking spaces offer a place to focus, Cushman said.

“Working from home can be distracting, but having a dedicated work space is helpful and increases productivity,” she said.

Lee was inspired to help start the coworking collective thanks to her positive experience taking part in the Global Workspace Association, a helpful resource for shared-space operators, workplace strategists, real estate investors and service providers.

Lee learned that the GWA was planning to launch local chapters.

“It was perfect timing for Birmingham Coworking Collective because we no longer had to spend time and money around legal formation and charter rules and could lean on the infrastructure of the GWA,” she said.

Those interested can sign up at birminghamcoworkingcollective.com.