Why work from home when you could cowork?
Chances are, there was a motivational poster hanging up in one of your high school classrooms that said something along the lines of “Teamwork Makes the Dream Work.” Not everyone was a fan of group work in school, so corporations graciously provided corner offices where employees don’t have to speak with anyone other than their receptionist over an intercom (those still exist, right?).
Recently, creative individuals + entrepreneurs have been trading in traditional offices for the present-day coworking space. Built from “The Coworking Manifesto,” these shared spaces encourage collaboration over competition as members typically come from different companies, ventures, + projects, and thus do not fall to standard office politics. The community acts as a springboard for creativity, allowing people to participate + learn– overall developing a greater sense of pride in their projects.
So if you need a professional space, a sounding board, or if you just have cabin fever from working at home, here are a few affordable office sharing opportunities around town.
Cohort 9 | Photo by @harborec
The Harbor Entrepreneur Center | 1205 King St. Ext., Ste. 200 | $20/day; $100- $1350/month | I may be a little biased as this happens to be home base for CHStoday– but having Workshop next door, for any Pink Bellies cravings, + being able to mingle with Cohort 9 - an all-female accelerator program for women in business, HEC offers ample opportunity to make connections. 👭
Photo by @oe_charleston
Office Evolution | 460 King St., Ste. 200 | $99+ | See this space for yourself by coming to “Charleston Coworking + Coffee,” an event hosted every Thursday where anyone can cowork for free. Oh, and there’s breakfast. 👋
Photo by @skinnydipcharleston
The Skinny Dip | 345 King St. | $125/month + $50 fee | This space is also home to a boutique shop + bar. The best part- as a member, you get a shop discount + $5 wine specials. 👗🍷
Photo courtesy of @localworks
Local Works | 1630 Meeting St., Building 2 | $175- $370/month | In addition to being a designated stop for local food trucks, displaying local artwork to sell,+ helping business generate $21.6 million in revenue, this office is also within “skipping” distance to breweries + restaurants to continue the conversations post office hours. Also, in 2017, more than half of their coworkers were women entrepreneurs [mic drop] 🎤
The Eves Collective | 44 Markfield Dr., Unit B, West Ashley | $250- $450/month | Opening last September, this all-female boutique coworking space offers fully furnished offices, access to video background + lighting equipment, + the opportunity to surround yourself with like-minded women in business. The location is intentionally chosen to support working moms who can benefit from nearby daycares, schools, + stores- such as Target which is only 2.4 miles away. 📍
Holy City Collective | 142 Sportsman’s Island Dr., Unit C, Daniel Island | $20/day; $200/month | No need to discuss the increased parking prices downtown, as this space provides free parking for workers. 🚙
Kid Cave | Photo by @theworknest
Worknest | 606 Old Trolley Rd., Ste. 102, Summerville | $25/day; $175- $750/month | Calling all parents! As commendable as it is to try + complete projects while your kids use your lap as a jungle gym, sometimes, you may find yourself dreaming of having an extra set of helping hands. Being touted as “South Carolina’s only baby-friendly shared workspace,” here you can get your work done with the help of a nanny + kid-cave. 👶
Coworking was a new experience for me when I joined CHStoday + so far I’ve met some pretty cool people (+ dogs– shoutout to Piper).
Have any co-working spaces in the area that we didn’t mention? Let me know where you like to cowork by emailing hello@thechstoday.com.
-Justine, Multimedia Producer