By Marcia Pledger, The Plain Dealer | Posted August 05, 2018 at 06:00 AM | Updated August 05, 2018 at 09:55 AM
Limelight coworking space in Ohio City is among the newest shared office spaces in the area
Caitlin Antje
Limelight coworking space in Ohio City is among the newest shared office spaces in the area
Exposed brick walls. A coffee bar. Cool artwork. Trendy lighting and large comfy seating areas. These all sound like things found in a modern home, not in a place of employment.
But a growing number of traditional office buildings in Cleveland are being transformed into chic collaborative workplaces, called coworking spaces. They are joining the global trend of catering to individuals and companies that want relaxed work environments in a shared space, which sometimes means shared costs.
The popularity of the coworking space concept has risen steadily over the past decade, and by 2020 more than 26,000 spaces will be in use globally, according to Small Business Labs, which tracks trends in small businesses.
In the past three months alone, two new coworking spaces opened in Ohio City, joining the ranks of a handful of others dotting Cleveland’s professional landscape.
Rabih Helou, co-founder and chief operating officer of Beauty Shoppe in Ohio City
Marcia Pledger
Rabih Helou, co-founder and chief operating officer of Beauty Shoppe in Ohio City
Rabih Helou, co-founder and chief operating officer of Beauty Shoppe coworking space in Ohio City is among the newest spaces in Northeast Ohio. After getting its start in Pittsburgh’s East Liberty neighborhood in 2010, the company now operates several others.
“When we first got started on the second floor of an abandoned building, there was gold lettering on the window that said Beauty Shoppe. It was a former beauty shoppe. Who knows how long ago it was a beauty shoppe. We took over that space and we just kept the name.”
Renee Singleton, president and founder of Singleton & Partners marketing firm is adding a co-working space to future new offices at 21st St. Clair
Marcia Pledger
Renee Singleton, president and founder of Singleton & Partners marketing firm is adding a co-working space to future new offices at 21st St. Clair
Renee Singleton, founder and president of Singleton and Partners in downtown Cleveland, plans to include a coworking space in the building she just purchased at 2121 St. Clair Ave that is scheduled to open in November.
When she decided to go from renting to buying a large space for her own multi-cultural marketing firm’s needs, she said it just made sense to acquire a building with nearly 7,000 square feet.
“I’m looking to expand our portfolio services, and transforming this building is an opportunity to include a coworking space that will be attractive to people in the video and production world,” Singleton said.
Lillia Lipps, of Clever Girl marketing is among the first members at Limelight in Ohio City
Marcia Pledger
Lillia Lipps, of Clever Girl marketing is among the first members at Limelight in Ohio City
The atmosphere – and a marketing promotion for two weeks free in April during the soft opening – is what attracted Lilia Lipse of Clever Girl Marketing to the space.
“We’d been working remotely primarily at home for the last three years, but when we met with clients it was always at coffee shops, or places like Panera’s or Bob Evans. And we found that people didn’t necessarily take us quite as seriously,” she said. “I think that some of them saw us as two moms with a little side gig, but this is our business that we run full-time and we have a serious agency.”
“Once we started working here, we discovered that people looked at us more seriously. When clients come and meet with us we’re meeting in the conference room, and we’re putting our presentations on the big projection screen. And suddenly when they’re presented with a proposal they’re not looking at it like why would we pay two moms this amount of money. It’s more about this is a business and they’re legitimate. Now we’re getting a lot more signed contracts.”
Matthew Ciccone, co-founder of Beauty Shoppe coworking space in Ohio City
Marcia Pledger
Matthew Ciccone, co-founder of Beauty Shoppe coworking space in Ohio City
Matthew Ciccone,co-founder of Pittsburgh-based Beauty Shoppe, just opened a co-working space in Ohio City in the Seymour Building. His company owns several co-working spaces in Pittsburgh and plans to expand in Cleveland.
The company used Cleveland artists to help personalize the space including creating this conference table.
