In Colorado’s beautiful Vail Valley, high up in the Rocky Mountains, you might be fortunate enough to call CO Workspace your coworking home. Here’s what space owner Lonnie Leto says about their new and improved workspace.

 

When did you open your coworking space and what enticed you to do so?  

Our first exploration of coworking came 4 years ago when we opened Simpatico-working in our current space. At the time it was in response to demand from our local chamber and business association. We had available commercial space and tried it out on a smaller scale. Based on Simpatico’s success and continuing shifts in workforce demand we recognized the opportunity to expand and create a coworking space with real intention and that provided what many local business people need without all the things they don’t. Today Colorado Workspace is made up of more coworking space than its predecessor and we’ve added a ton of mechanisms and events to foster networking, idea sharing, and personal and professional development. If you like Simpatico, you’ll LOVE Colorado Workspace.

 

Tell us about your space. How big is it? What kinds of amenities do you have? What sort of quirks make it special?

Colorado Workspace is 25 private professional offices on two floors and space for 100 coworking “nomad” members (those without an assigned work area). We share our building with the Dusty Boot Roadhouse, one of Eagle’s iconic bar restaurants. The Dusty Boot will cater meetings and provides a great place for lunch or a drink with clients and coworkers. We also have “The Community Room” at Colorado Workspace, which is just what it sounds like. During the day it’s part of the coworking space, but after hours it’s a place for movie showings, professional development, art classes, yoga classes, you name it. We extend that space to the community to program free of charge with events and classes. It truly is the community’s room.

 

What is your favorite thing about operating a coworking space? 

The people that I interact with here every day. Our tenants and their contacts share different professional backgrounds and have different experience and outlooks on business. Obviously, you don’t get that working from a home office, but there is also a collaboration and general interest in others’ success that I haven’t seen in traditional office spaces either.

 

What has been the most surprising/unexpected thing about operating a coworking space? 

For us, it’s watching a tenant go from nervous about committing to any office space while trying to keep costs down to launching a business and then talking to the same tenant a few months later, and they are ready to take a private office or multiple offices because their business is flourishing. That’s the best.

 

What’s your favorite story about one of your members?

My favorite story about our tenants is the story of the Colorado Workspace concept, branding, and launch. We intentionally used professionals from our space for branding, graphic design, website, public relations, and marketing. Another tenant did our build out and construction management. We figured we should practice what we preach in terms of collaborating with other coworkers in the space. Turns out it was a big success and proof that coworkers can and do successfully collaborate.

 

What is your biggest piece of advice for someone wanting to open a space?

Do your research and take the first step! It’s professionally and personally fulfilling and the people you meet make all the difference.