WHAT IS COWORKING?
Coworking is the social gathering of a group of people, who are still working independently, but who share values, and who are interested in the synergy that can happen from working with talented people in the same space.
The Community Impact Statement
Arbor Hill is a neighborhood AND community that is deserving of new opportunities, partnership development, and continued growth. In using the word “community”, I mean building one that is thriving and inclusive. Being a part of somewhere where there is no “one” definition of community.
I want Arbor Hill to grow and be known as more than a geographic location. For this neighborhood to be known by the common interests and causes, recognized through a sense of identity and its shared emotional connections. Building upon shared values or norms, mutual influences and overall commitment to meeting the shared needs.
I was born and raised in Albany, New York after my family moved here from Shubuta, Mississippi & Mobile, Alabama. My father has been active in Albany, having the most impact in Arbor Hill being that our family migrated to Dove Street & Orange Street for affordable housing within the Capital Region. Watching him give back and serve his community instilled traits within me, that I would further develop, leading me to stay committed to the city I grew up in with my father and family.
I spent 3 years at Phillip Livingston Magnet Academy and saw the possibilities within Historic Arbor Hill as I grew up here, knowing at a young age I would give back to my community, through entrepreneurship and education in the community.
In partnership with Albany Housing Authority, I intend to bring the idea of shared workspace, called coworking to the Arbor Hill neighborhood, January 2016. This will be a mixed-use space promoting entrepreneurship within the community while educating current and aspiring business owners through seminars, special events, and mixers. I'm invested in Albany, New York and have committed to engaging the residents to help them start, run and grow small businesses. Whether they're just starting a business or working remotely for a company (while scaling their own product) I want to develop a space to work and a community full of like-minded (yet creative in their own way) individuals. Through this space, I aim to inspire collaboration, personal and professional development, mentorship, and empowerment here in the Capital Region.
The goal is to help people grow & maintain a network to offer help, collaborate with, and support them through their professional journey. Members will have access to any monthly workshops we host and there will be free printing and scanning as well. The shared workspace will allow room for members to: teach a class of their own, bounce ideas during Friday brainstorms, make new friends at our monthly events and workshops, find help for every need with members from all industries and backgrounds. Here, they'll reach their full potential in a creative workspace, and join a supportive community full of fellow ambitious creators.
With that being said, I want to be a part of the change, moving forward, which is why I'm naming this business venture THRIVE because that is what I envision for the Arbor Hill neighborhood. For it to become & maintain being a neighborhood AND community that flourishes for residents, workers, and entrepreneurs. October 2014, American Planning Association named Arbor Hill as one of America's 10 great neighborhoods. I aspire to maintain it's eminence.
About MeMy name is Kaciem Swain. I'm the Creative Director for Idea Engineering at FlagshipUltra - a creative think-tank agency and idea lab producing brands, events, products in Albany, New York. I'm also a freelance business coach at Train With Swain. I help brands, creatives, startups, and small business owners start, run and grow. This campaign is important to me because I was born in raised in the community that I'm looking to bring a coworking space to. I've been an entrepreneur for 11 years, starting with a nightlife promotions company which eventually pivoted to become a special events company. Arbor Hill is currently going through a new growth phase. The city has built housing, a live/work space for artists, an art gallery and a new park in the neighborhood and I want entrepreneurs to join me in this community. You will join me in promoting the message of entrepreneurship and job creation through bringing startups and small businesses to the capital region while growing the ones we currently have here!
What We Need
THRIVE has arrived, our location is set, the lease is signed and the team is in place. We've turned to INDIEGOGO to engage our future coworkers, neighbors, and community beforehand, in hopes that you will help us make the THRIVE even better. The more money raised now, the more we'll be able to do as we plan out our community. It will enable us to create a space that’s not just functional and beautiful, but one that is a vibrant center for business in Albany's Arbor Hill.
We need $10,000, which will allow us to do the following:
- Purchase furnishings for the workspace from local businesses (tables, chairs, beanbags, couches,etc)
- Lease all-in-one printers, tvs, projectors and other equipment for the residents and members of THRIVE
- Buy paint, tissue, snacks, supplies, and other much need materials.
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Help us build a creative tool and resource lending library for rental and onsite usage. A reference library of books and material samples, audio and video equipment for production and post-production, and art and design tools and supplies will help outfit THRIVE with shared, creative resources.
WHAT WE WILL HAVE:
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Print Station
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Cafe/Coffee Bar
- Concierge Services
- Business To Business Collaboration
- Networking Events
- Weekly Programming
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Tech Support
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Wired Internet & Wifi
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Cleaning & Maintenance
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Library
- Office Hours
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Mailbox
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Event Space
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Staff Support
- Speaker Series
- Seminars
- Workshops & Classes
- Consulting
- Office Supplies
- & More, Based On The Community Needs
Our Overall Impact
The Economic:
Coworking supports small businesses! and small businesses are key for a healthy economy! Entrepreneurship is encouraged through the creation of the right working environment. Talent stays in town, creating an environment for innovation and entrepreneurship helps talent feel good and supported when taking the initiative to start their own business. New networks of collaborations emerge - both physical and through online platforms! Projects are locally grown and with potential global impact!
Growth - While THRIVE grows, so will our ability to provide convenient and affordable space and opportunities will grow too - meaning we can do more, better and faster while making a larger impact within our community.
Education - By hosting classes and workshops at affordable prices we can make learning affordable for the members and neighborhood residents.
Risks & Challenges
While we will use funds raised from this campaign only for capital and build-out expenses, our coworking space is dependent on revenue from members, visitors, and programming or rentals. Like any business, we could see a drop-off in subscriptions and purchases that could endanger our long-term plans for the space.
Our estimates on the cost of capital purchases could be off, and unexpected or emergency costs could supplant the items listed above. But we will endeavor to stick to the original spirit and intent of this campaign in using any funds acquired.
We believe we are qualified to overcome any miscalculations or overages because we have been addressing those kinds of problems for nearly 2 years. We believe in our community space, and we want to make it as presentable as possible to our own city and its visitors.
What we are trying to do with this campaign is to use Indiegogo in the most faithful way possible: to rev up a unique project in Arbor Hill, build some excitement around it, make it beneficial to the people who live here, and move a bit faster than we might if we continued on from our own spare cash.
THRIVE is not a non-profit, but it is, informally, not a business any of the founders expect to feed their retirement funds. It's a labor of love. When we see people helping with each others' projects and chatting over coffee, groups planning events after-hours, and lots of newcomers enjoying a feeling of "heading to work," we feel good about our investment. We think you might feel good about investing in this, too.
Other Ways You Can Help
Some people just can't contribute, but that doesn't mean you can't help us:
- Get the word out and make some noise about this campaign. Send this to your local news station or blogger!
- Please share this campaign through social media!
- Call me and find out how we can partner on this project together!
- Donate furniture & equipment, help us paint the walls, and fix up the space!
- Pass this along to any small business owners, creatives, real estate agents, lawyers or soloprenuers you know!
- Rent the space to host your mixer, networking event or seminar!
And that's all there is to it.
Together, we THRIVE! Thank You.
