Growing Your Business in a Co-working Environment

This is our firsthand account of the experience we had transitioning from an out-of-home business to a company with real estate.

The HIVE Katy. It was the last tool we needed to get our company running like a well-oiled machine. The work-from-home phone conferences, long emails and text messaging were deemed insufficient after about two months, and with a newborn baby being the latest addition to the boss’s household it was clear that change was necessary. We needed time in the same room. We needed to be able to bounce ideas back and forth as they popped into our minds. We needed the option to review each others work and provide feedback immediately. Working from home wasn’t really allowing us to experience these things that are so essential to company functionality.

Thus began our search for the perfect workspace.

Of The HIVE’s many business services we’ve been fortunate enough to take advantage of all, hence my urge to share our experiences and highlight how each service has improved the productivity of our digital signage hardware and software companies, Houston Dynamic Displays and HD2Menus.com.

Virtual Office – This is the simplest yet most crucial tool a startup needs. When working from home we did not have the luxury of a receptionist. No corporate office mailing address. And conference room space? Forget it. The HIVE provided us with office essentials right off the bat! This also included a full kitchen and printing and faxing capabilities.

Coworking – We found coworking to be quite interesting. We used this service before deciding to make the move to a suite. For us, it was like a test run. It was a way for us to make sure we really needed to stray from working from home, and boy did we ever! The beauty of coworking is its ability to motivate you. So, you’ve rented a coworking package. You’re out of the house now! No more distractions; no unfolded laundry staring at you from the corner of the room; no dog pawing at your leg asking to be played with; no freshly soiled diapers to change during the allotted 8-hour working window; no listening to the neighbors’ rowdy children as they laugh and yell outside. These distractions aren’t typically a nuisance, but personal experience has taught us that one minute of distractions can easily to turn into 3 hours of unproductivity. Starting off at The HIVE by investing in coworking space was like using a defibrillator on our business – it jump started productivity after a moment of slowness. Another bonus was the networking aspect. Coworking with other business owners is a great way to spread the word about your company, learn about others, and build professional relationships with fellow entrepreneurs.

Executive Suites – We decided to upgrade from coworking to a suite for several reasons. Although the benefits of coworking were satisfying, it came time to acknowledge the growth of the company. Sometimes you just need an office! Our suite allows us to really make The HIVE a home for our business. We can arrange the desks to our liking, add guest seating and even have the space double as a showroom. We are a company based on visual technology, and the hardware products needed to display that technology are simply much too large to transport for client meetings. Our office suite takes care of that issue. With plenty of floor space and room for wall-mounting, we are able to proudly invite customers and prospects to check out the latest and greatest in digital signage, touch-screen kiosks, and digital menu boards.

Meeting Rooms – We’ve laid claim over the conference room more times than I can keep track of. When we were still coworking, this conference room provided a professional, private location for business meetings. Customers seemed more open to conversation inside the safety of those four walls, and they never had to know we didn’t have an office space. The conference room still proves to be most useful even now that we’ve upgraded to an office. On those days when the desks are a little too messy we just stroll over to the conference room and – voilà – it’s there waiting to greet us like an old friend.

Our recommendation couldn’t come any higher. As a startup in the world of technology we’ve seen our productivity skyrocket, and the ease of showing our product lines increase. Those are the things that ultimately drive the most important aspect of every startup – SALES. We know firsthand that being an entrepreneur is a roller coaster ride. Thrilling? Yes. Fulfilling? No doubt. Scary? MOST DEFINITELY! But investing in space at The HIVE Katy allowed us to focus on the thrilling and fulfilling while letting us shoo away some of the scary.

Check out more about the HIVE here.