The Creative Space Collective
The Planting of Spaces around the Province
The Steps
Mentorship, consultation for starting a space
1. Community
2. Commitment
3. Care
Find a person/company or group ready to start the process to building a coworking community to run a space and willing to buy, lease, rent a space (suggested size TBD, but I’d start with 4000 s/f at least) and work with the planting parters (see below) to access space needs.
We would train the managers in the ethos of TCS, featuring elements like local community focus, re-claimed spaces, shared resources, holistic care and social and environmental responsibility. The space and support we provide is the environment for revenue growth. All along striving for professional looking/ inspirational space.
TCS BLUEPRINT (The Manual)
– needs to be compiled
Brand Resources
– brand, website, social media setup, intake process, admin docs, videos, space management tools and tips, etc…
Ongoing mentorship (monthly checkins, virtual or in person if possible)
The Space (Building)
Preferably,after a base community is established and commitments are made to cover lease/rent/purchase – find a home. Preferably in the downtown core. (re-claimed older space) We are a collaborative workspace and a community center. Our open workspaces are free of physical or cultural barriers to promote sharing ideas, questions, and passions. We strive to be innovative in our creative reuse of older buildings in redevelopment areas. Our facilities are designed to be flexible. The same facility can be rearranged for a variety of events to accommodate the community. The Creative Space facilities initiative members assist with security, wifi, scheduling, and maintenance.
Infrastructure
– through leveraging our collective we’d aim for partnership/sponsorship for space design, furniture, and technical needs
Partners/Stakeholders
1. Local Owners and Members of the space
– startups and serviced based members
2. Accelerator/Incubation Centre/Mars/etc.
– consulting,mentorship, incubation,innovation hub programs
-locally or virtually offered
3. Local Academic Institutions (Jr/Sr High Schools, College and Universities)
– to start a digital media zone type centre along side/within the Space
– Young Entrepreneur programs
4. Local Mentor Network/Chamber/Local Enterprise Services Centre
– mentorship/resources for local businesses. (service based/startups)
– locally operated
5. Local startup community enablers
– lawyers, accountants, VCs, AIs, etc
Other Key Elements to a vibrant Space
Events
– Ignite: mini-ted talk type events (biannually)
– SPARK: alternative ed program for jr/sr high
– Open Coffee Club: entrepreneurs club every other Tuesday
– SMoffice (TM) competition (draw startups from around the globe to work/live in the town/city
Misc elements
– Art Gallery – local artists install 3-4 times a year keeping the space fresh
– Living Walls
– Health Zones (exercise, resting areas)
– Breakfast/lunch clubs to encourage healthy eating
– Startup Genome
We’re still figuring out what being part of the collective will mean, but we see major benefits to joining forces.
The Launch kit:
- The Brand
- Marketing materials- brochures, cards, signage, etc
- Website, email, admin tools
- Social Media setup
- Membership Agreement/TOU
- Application (online)
- Rules of the Space
- Tour document (for people walking in for the first time)
- Our Manifesto
- Training/consulting
- Advertising templates
The Ongoing stuff:
- Ongoing mentorship (face to face, group, online chats)
- Bi-annual conferences
- Co-events
- Coworking Visa
- Brand/network leveraging around space improvements
- Academic and Public partnerships
What we do NOT want to do
- Manage your Property – you rent, lease or buy your own space. It’s important that the space is locally owned and operated.
- Manage your membership – you collect rent/fees etc. We may develop or adopt an online tool to make this easier.
- Manage your space – you design it how you like, but we recommend some consistency in furniture and colours and showing local art.
Fee: TBD.
Our real goal is to birth more spaces around Ontario and Canada knowing that with more in the Collective the better we can care for one another and position ourselves for funding, sponsorships and strategic partnership! This by no means takes away from an organic, locally owned and locally celebrated space. We do not want this to be a franchise. It should be a movement.