September 2014 Minnesota Business Magazine article

Shared work spaces give companies jump-start

Places like Nordeast Makers, City Food Studio, and Collective Spaces are helping Minnesota entrepreneurs easily launch new ventures – and network a bit, too

Have you ever had a great business idea but just couldn’t muster the resources to get it off the ground? You’re not alone. Many entrepreneurs have stumbled due to lack of space, capital, equipment, and so on. It’s an age-old problem. Luckily, it’s becoming easier to do something about it. From co-working offices to commercial kitchen facilities, entrepreneurs are taking advantage of an increasing number and variety of shared work spaces offering flexible, low-cost access to room and equipment. That, in turn, makes it easier to start a venture with relatively little capital. The upshot? More people can afford to be entrepreneurs: to experiment with ideas, build upon ones that work, and then continue on to more advanced stages of business, such as moving out of shared spaces and into more traditional commercial real estate. Below, a sampling of such entrepreneurs and the shared work spaces they inhabit — for now. READ MORE