Two months ago, Christina and I launched Catch with a plan for success, a passion for talent, and dreams of ruling the world, natch. We knew Thomas and Ashley would be joining us shortly, but when and where were still up in the air. And with a team of four, the “where” was something we had to figure out – and fast.

We needed an office, but not the expense. We needed a flexible place to work, but not one with baristas. We needed the perfect place to launch Catch.

Enter The Coworking Concept

I walked into this thinking that I understood coworking. After all, I was a SPARC vet, one of the most unique work environments on the planet. Plus, I had spent more than a few afternoons working at the Charleston Digital Corridor and written an entire book at my favorite local Starbucks. What’s not to understand about coworking?

What I didn’t understand was nearly everything. Coworking is about professionals building their dreams and solving their client’s problems. It’s about concentration, collaboration, and camaraderie. It’s about startups, starting things, and starting movements that change industries.

It was about everything we were about. And once we found Holy City Collective, we knew we had found our home.

Holy City Collective Is Amazing

Yes, amazing. I believe that, but I wanted to put it in a big subheading – because Holy City Collective rocks! Their game is tight! They are welcoming, open, friendly, and professional. They are local, progressive, focused, and prepared. They are everything you want in a business partner, a teammate, and a nest.

Paul and his team did their homework, found their niche, and created a place for professionals, teams, startups, and companies to thrive. If you work from home and need to escape your kids in the afternoon, it’s perfect. If you need to land somewhere those six days you’re actually in town each month, come by. If you’re sick of your corporate headquarters and want a change of scenery, they offer day passes. And if you have a startup like us that needs to keep longterm office expenses at a minimum, Holy City Collective has your back.

The Side Effects of Coworking

Logistics aside, there are lots of other benefits of coworking – most of which I never would have expected. Here are a few that have stood out to me these last few weeks:

Business Needs a Professional Environment – A startup needs every advantage it can get, and taking calls, meetings, and strategy sessions surrounded by lattes and hyperactive toddlers doesn’t cut it. We opted out of the coffee shop home base for a stunning, gorgeous workplace our clients, candidates, and partners respect.

Consistency Pays Off – People work in offices for a reason… they are our labs, our playgrounds, our workshops. We go there every day with intent, and expect the same effort in return – an office needs to be there for us everyday. Predictable outcomes are important to forecasting your business, so giving your startup some regularity, even if it’s just an office, is worth it.

Unexpected Connections Are Healthy – Sitting with other companies all day, ones you aren’t pitching, selling, or supporting, creates positive influences you’d never expect. We mingle with brands like The New Primal, Alesya Bags, Geekin Radio, and Salesforce, and they expose us to new ideas, contacts, and energy we never would have found otherwise.

Work Is A Necessary Distraction – We weren’t going to work from home. Period. We have six kids between all of us, and while we love them dearly, it’s hard to do business with them bouncing around. Thankfully I love what I do, so this welcome distraction fulfills me AND pays the bills. Bottom line: I need somewhere to be distracted or the rest doesn’t happen.

Coworking is Everywhere in Charleston

We are going into our third month as members of HCC, and we couldn’t be happier. I highly recommend Holy City Collective, but also understand that every business has its own needs.

Another great option is The Harbor Entrepreneur Center, who have locations all around the Charleston-area. John and his team also have an array of programs for startups and entrepreneurs, so they bring a lot more to the table than your typical coworking space. Their Business Accelerator is taking applications for Cohort 5 until January 25, so it’s a perfect time to give them a look.

There’s also Charleston Digital Corridor, Local Works Charleston, Launch Pad, vāga or InnoLabs – all unique, and all here to support Charleston’s amazing startup scene. But sure to check everyone out to find out what’s right for you and your business.

Have some thoughts on coworking? Let me know in the comments!