Located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, The Hub Spark recently opened its doors to a community in which coworking is a relatively new concept. With a laid-back vibe, colorful space, and an after-hours lounge, The Hub Spark is supporting collaboration and social connection for creatives, entrepreneurs, and remote workers. We spoke with The Hub Spark’s Martin Volinsky about what makes his space a great place to work and play.
Why did you decide to open a coworking space?
We built a collaborative space in the heart of an amazingly new and artistic area of Fort Lauderdale, the MASS District/Flagler Village. The concept is pretty fresh in the area and one of our top priorities is educating the district on what coworking is and why they want to be part of this collaborative movement. The area is considered to be the next upcoming part of South Florida and we’re excited to join the neighborhood. This is an area that is growing with a lot of development. We wanted to bring something new and unique.
What kinds of amenities do you have? What makes your coworking space special?
The Hub Spark is a coworking space by day and full bar at night. We basically don’t want our members to leave without a smile on their faces because not only were they productive during the day but can also enjoy a drink in the evening. When you walk in you are welcomed with every type of work environment you can possibly dream of, from work nests and fireplace couches, to a fire pit and bolted tables that are leveled for working while seated or standing. Our amenities include high-speed internet, coffee/water/tea, cold brew coffee on tap, printing/scanning, member happy hour rates, private member events, networking, free beer on Fridays, guest passes, and weekly food trucks for lunch.
What is your favorite thing about operating a coworking space?
Building a community of driven yet easy-going individuals. We are connecting and creating a movement that brings a whole new vision to coworking. We’re creating a family. We want our members to walk in through the doors and find their coworkers by day and friends by night.
What has been the most surprising or unexpected thing about operating a coworking space?
Lack of knowledge in the community about what a coworking space is, which is also an amazing challenge we are working on to educate our community.
What’s your favorite story about one of your members?
To be honest, the majority of our members are new in town and it’s been absolutely amazing hearing their stories of how they met at the space and now have friends in the neighborhood.
What is your biggest piece of advice for someone wanting to open a space?
Do lots and lots of research and of course, if you’re an independent coworking space, to use Proximity software. They’ve provided us with lots of support and education since we got involved in the coworking industry.