Co-working spaces places where solo entrepreneurs and virtual employees can get work done are taking off across the state. The Lehigh Valley is the latest region to get a dedicated co-working spot with wi-fi, coffee and conference rooms.
Hive 4A, which started up informally in February, opened earlier this month in its permanent home in the Bridgeworks Enterprise Center. It takes up 2,200 square feet in the Allentown business incubator and is open five days a week (members can pay extra for around-the-clock access to their desks).
Like other co-working spaces, Hive 4A came about as a desire to give the work-from-home crowd a space other than their living rooms or the local coffee shop. As Matthew Tuerk of the Allentown Economic Development Corporation points out, those who work from home have household chores in their face all day. Taking up residence in a coffee shop means buying a lot of coffee, and not all the customers are there for business. “Everyone who’s here is here to work,” Tuerk says.
But Hive 4A sticks out because of its connection to the Bridgeworks. That means members don’t have to go far for help with financing or business plans. Hive 4A is also exploring partnerships with groups like the Lehigh University Small Business Development Center and Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation.
About a dozen people are coming into Hive 4A every day. Tuerk hopes this spurs collaboration among solo workers. He’d also like to see other co-working spaces open in the Lehigh Valley.
Source: Matthew Tuerk, Allentown Economic Development Corporation
Writer: Rebecca VanderMeulen