In Newark, working together is about to take on a whole new meaning.
The dozen or so folks who will soon inhabit CoWo Newark, Tom Fruehstorfer’s new co-working venture on Elkton Road, will each be independent entrepreneurs taking advantage of a shared space.
The coworking concept, a group of entrepreneurs or freelancers working independently in a communal location, was born several years ago in San Francisco and arrived in Delaware when the coIN Loft was established in downtown Wilmington a few months ago.
“I’ve been working out of my basement for a dozen years,” said Fruehstorfer, who works as a safety and environmental engineer. “I’m bored with sitting in my basement alone, and I’m hoping there are other people out there like me.”
Part of what Fruehstorfer, 44, of Newark, wants to do with his smaller, suburban coworking venture – housed on the second floor of a paint store -- is to give budding entrepreneurs the opportunity to launch their businesses without the burdensome startup costs associated with long-term leases.
Though he hasn’t finalized prices yet, it’s likely an entrepreneur will be able to get daily access to a desk, wifi, printer and conference room for about $250 a month. Part-timers who want to rent a desk for a few days a month would likely be charged about $35, Fruehstorfer said. He’s hoping to open his doors to coworkers within the next month.
He expects a decent market for a coworking space in Newark, particularly given the steady stream of business-savvy students graduating from the University of Delaware who are long on ideas, but short on cash.
“Here, you get a Main Street address without all the Main Street hassles,” he said.
Plus, there will be a built-in support structure of entrepreneurs who can lend advice or provide services, he said, whether its a word of encouragement or a website design.
Fruehstorfer envisions a buzzing space, someday including at least a dozen desks and occupying both floors of the building, and entrepreneurs who put as much emphasis on social networking as they do on business.
“I see CoWo Newark as something to make working more enjoyable and to make starting a business easier,” he said.
By Adam Zewe
