Work together, grow together: Coworking spaces offer member perks well beyond desks

Maine is home to more than 20 coworking spaces across cities and small towns offering a range of services that go beyond a flexible work space and internet connection. Member perks range from networking and support groups to gyms and, in at least one case, even beer on tap. Seven new locations have opened just since 2023, and the Greater Portland region alone is home to eight spaces — all providing flexible options for entrepreneurs and small businesses operating in a broad range of industries. (See our list in the Mainebiz Data Center.) Spaces range widely in size, scope of services and aesthetics. Most offer a choice of membership levels — from day passes to weekly, monthly and annual arrangements — and include broadband access, office supplies, 24/7 availability and a dedicated business mailing address. Some offer more private offices or larger meeting rooms. Many have soundproof phone booths, and some boast fitness spaces, showers and kitchens equipped with espresso machines. Regardless of the business model, they all afford entrepreneurs the opportunity to connect with peers. That is, in fact, one of the main draws for joining. Building community and businesses “The point of coworking is the community development piece,” notes Sean Ireland, founder and co-owner of Union + Co., which occupies 15,000 square feet across two buildings in downtown Bath. “That’s central to our programming, which is focused on supporting the arts and economic development.” Ireland has redeveloped a number of downtown Bath buildings, including Union + Co.’s two hubs at 48 Front St. and 31 Centre St., with 95 total members. Ireland says he and partner Mandy Reynolds, who co-owns and manages Union + Co., joke that they’re one of the largest employers in town, alongside Bath Iron Works and Bath Savings Bank. “Ninety-five members have an enormously outsized impact on the downtown economy, because our members support Bath’s brick and mortar businesses,” Ireland says. At coworkHERS in downtown Portland, founder and owner Heather Ashby says community building is integral to her operations. When Mainebiz had a recent tour, we were struck by the variety and abundance of spaces to work and collaborate. There are offices for private lease as well as meeting rooms, lounges, four kitchens, a mini gym, rooms for therapists and nursing mothers, treadmill desks and four phone booths. In addition to the physical amenities, members can join monthly member lunches and several support groups, including one called hotflasHERS (for women of a certain age). “Starting a business is a lonely road, often with no cheerleading,” Ashby notes, “so we provide business and life coaching, work sprints and speed coaching for our support groups on a monthly basis. “We also provide lots of complimentary beverages, snacks … and of course, what we call ‘working chocolate.’” ‘There’s no typical member’ Ashby founded CoworkHERS in 2017 to create a working environment where people identifying as female could feel welcomed and supported. She has since expanded the space significantly, along with membership, which hovers around 140, to include some men. Organizations include Maine Boys to Men are members, as is DraftKings, Maine Votes/Maine Voices, Maine Conservation Voters and a host of other professionals of all genders: lawyers, writers, engineers, an insurance agent, a matchmaker, IT/tech specialists, therapists, marketers, consultants, artists and a fitness instructor who hosts clients in the gym. The membership mix plays out at all the coworking spaces we surveyed. In Bath, Union + Co. members include creatives as well as people who work for large corporations and in finance, bioscience, insurance and education. “There’s no typical member,” Ireland says. Peer support Private offices are the most in demand at all facilities, but many members choose to work in collaborative spaces and often help each other to grow their businesses. Tess Dunlap, a florist who leases space at coworkHERS, has expanded her work, thanks to another member who plans weddings. Dunlap has a private studio in Yarmouth for the physical floral work, and chose to lease at coworkHERS to support the administrative side of her business — client consultations, proposals and marketing. “I’ve met a wonderful group of women entrepreneurs here,” she says. “We meet once a month in our support group. We bring our current challenges to the group and help each other network and grow as entrepreneurs.” Dunlap also benefited from the support in getting a second business of the ground, specialized in color analysis. “The entrepreneurs’ support group has been instrumental in my confidence, launching this second business,” she says. “They’ve given me a loving kick in the butt to go for it.” Union + Co. hosts an informal group, called Wind Tunnel, of small business owners who meet monthly to share experiences and news. Raynor Large, director of business advising at Coastal Maine Enterprises, joins in as a resource. The Centre Street building is also available for events and can accommodate up to 200 guests, though Ireland finds the 20-to-60 range to be ideal for meaningful conversations and interactions. “We see ourselves as a vertically integrated space that can help you with all of your workspace needs,” he says. “Here in Maine, most of us are entrepreneurs and startups in some capacity.” An entrepreneur for others Patrick Roche has been an entrepreneur himself, developing coworking spaces in Maine since 2010. He opened three locations — in Portland, Yarmouth and Biddeford — and has since sold all but the Portland spot. It’s located at 533 Congress St. in the city’s Arts District. That location was one of the first in the state and is now one of the larger facilities at 9,000 square feet, and with close to 150 members. Over the years, Think Tank Coworking Portland served as a launch site for a number of now established businesses, including boutique law firm Opticliff Law and Defendify, a cybersecurity firm. “It’s a bit of a sanctuary here,” Roche says. “The lights are always on and it’s a clean and creative work environment. Many of us are more productive in context. I see members coming in evenings to work on a hobby or passion projects; gaming, meeting with colleagues and friends before dinner, screenwriting meetups, you name it. “We even have board games and allow parents to bring their kids and dogs, as a lifestyle buffer,” he continues. “For me, coworking is a necessary third space, not to mention a great way to activate a downtown that is woefully absent a traditional office culture.” Roche was also involved with initiating legislation in Maine to support coworking spaces, collaborating with then-state Sen. Justin Alfond, D-Portland. The law took effect in 2015, and Roche received a $10,000 matching grant within a year to offset his expenses. Pandemic shift Having an office outside of the home became especially important during the pandemic, when remote work was challenging for people with children or with partners or roommates also working from home. “We joke that Think Tank has been saving marriages since 2010,” Roche quips. The need for safe office space during the pandemic jump started a significant expansion at coworkHERS, where Ashby says she quickly filled her then-empty third floor. “The space was formerly occupied by the Maine attorney general’s office, so it already had a perfect floor plan,” she recalls. “We just swapped out the old wooden doors with glass doors, and the cubicle walls became glass walls so we could let in light, see each other and feel less isolated, but not breathe the same air. “Twenty-two offices filled up in two weeks,” she notes. “So we did the same thing to the vacant fourth floor, adding 33 more offices, more meeting rooms and amenities.” Growing segment As coworking gains momentum in Maine, the spaces are drawing a broader mix of users beyond entrepreneurs and remote workers, including newcomers looking to make connections and visitors seeking a place to work for a few hours. “Quite often, people who just moved to Portland join to meet people,” Ashby says. Along similar lines, Roche says that “even tourists in town for a few days find us for work sessions and day passes.”