(Busy) Coworking Coming to Iowa City this Month

Sheila Samuelson and Jordan Running say they decided to start Busy Coworking Iowa City to fill a void for independent Iowa City professionals.

The pair said they noticed the lack of a coworking spot in Iowa City at first during a casual conversation in early 2011. Samuelson, a , having just returned from San Francisco, missed the coworking spots she had enjoyed working in there; Running, an independent web developer, felt nostalgic for the creative exchanges that come from working in an office.

And out of this need, the idea for Busy Coworking was born.

"It turned out that we had a lot of the same ideas, and we had a really strong desire to be a part of a coworking space again," Samuelson said, sitting in the not yet totally furnished Busy IC space last Friday afternoon. "It immediately occurred to me that Iowa City didn't have a coworking space and could probably support one."

Coworking is a relatively new concept that has been gaining steam primarily in urban areas across the world. As work migrates from a homogenous office space culture to more and more independent telecommuters, there is still a desire for a place for professionals to go to work together on their separate projects, to share ideas, and to avoid working alone all the time.

Members can register for co-working spots much like a 24-hour gym, and have constant, daily access to the space for their working needs.

"In a coworking space, just by nature of being around other people and knowing what they are working on, there is a greater sense of community," Running said. "Working at home has its perks, but it's not ideal in a lot of ways."

Samuelson agreed.

"I can go into a coffee shop and work next to the same people every day and never strike up a conversation with someone," Samuelson said. "In a co-working space, talking to the other people there is encouraged."

Samuelson added that the idea is still for the coworking space to be a productive area where work can get done.

For there to be a coworking space, however, Samuelson and Running first needed to find an affordable space. Doing so downtown proved challenging, and they spent the majority of the next year searching for a spot.

In came Benjamin Chait, owner of the building and of , who told Samuelson and Running that he liked their idea, and had a space (formerly studio apartments, formerly office space) that they could use upstairs. The space had bathrooms, security for 24-hour access, and also room for a kitchenette, microwave, coffee maker and future expansion. The two tall-ceilinged rooms also feature some of the artwork that is part of the Chait inventory.

Samuelson and Running leapt at the chance.

"These were all on our nice to have list," Samuelson said "We didn't expect to find all of this in one space."

Now Samuelson and Running hope to open for business and start accepting members by the end of March. This was also with the help of a three year, $15,000 forgiveable loan approved by the city of Iowa City, that will allow them to buy furniture and pay for operating expenses.

Samuelson said she and Running are grateful to the city of Iowa City and Chait for all of their assistance.

"We're very thankful we're in a city that understands the need for encouraging entrepreneurs," Samuelson said.

Samuelson and Running said the Busy Coworking Iowa City space will compliment the larger more comprehensive space being worked on by the Iowa City Area Development Group (ICAD). ICAD's space is intended more as a business incubator, offering a small business what it needs to get started, whereas Busy Coworking will be a space where people can work together, and potentially some of those ideas can begin.

"We consider ourselves part of a community of services in the area for entrepreneurs," Samuelson said.

For more information on membership at Busy Coworking you can visit their website here. You can also follow them on Twitter: @BusyIC.