Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Edge Co-working co-founder Jessica Johnson works on a clinical research report for Wright Medical Group. Edge Co-working provides a collaborative working space for individuals who work from home, including military spouses.
CLOVIS — Those involved in the business realm now have the chance to work on the "edge."
A new co-working space called Edge Co-working opened its doors last week.
The organization was founded by Communications Consultant Brooke Barnes and Medical Device Consultant Jessica Johnson.
The company's name stands for "empowering, doing, growing, everywhere," Johnson said, adding that they wanted to represent a concept of "co-working" that intrigued both Johnson and Barnes.
"We started seeing it pop up in larger cities," said Barnes. "They've created these spaces. You don't have to pay for your own office, and you have a community that people can work alongside."
Barnes and Johnson said the company is geared toward individuals working remotely and from home - memberships are available to those wishing to find a separate space to work.
Three memberships are available: A $50 per month "nomad" membership, an $85 per month "explorer" membership and a $150 per month "jetsetter" membership.
Barnes said the "nomad" membership allows for one member credit and five days at the office per month, the "explorer" plan 10 office days and two member credits and the "jetsetter" plan three member credits and no office limit.
Individuals interested can also purchase member credits at $10 each and rent a conference room for $10 an hour.
Members can use credits to attend business seminars, Barnes said, while non-members can pay a fee, which varies depending on the cost of the speaker, to attend as well.
A fee of $45 is also available to those wishing to host their own seminars, Barnes added. She added individuals can spend one day working at the office for $15.
Barnes said workshops may cover topics such as branding, marketing, resume writing and other topics.
Johnson said individuals either working in businesses or starting up their own business come to the space and can also collaborate.
Johnson said she and Barnes, both military spouses, wanted to reach out to military spouses in particular "because they take their jobs with them" as well as others working from home.
"This kind of gives those people the chance to get away from the distractions from home," said Johnson. "Another market is graduate students working on their thesis. Different things to accommodate different stages of life."
"We want it to be a place for anyone," said Barnes.
Barnes said skepticism arose regarding how a co-working space would succeed in Clovis, since it is easier to connect with others in larger settings, but it has seen plenty of interest since opening last week.
"We're real excited about this," said Barnes. "So far, everyone we've met has been supportive."
It's not just merely expressing support, but the fact that people asked how they can help that is all the more encouraging, Barnes said.
"It kind of opens up the door for you to network. There is a place to support your career. This is something that a lot of small towns don't have," Johnson said. "In towns where people feel a little remote and isolated, we do see it as being a successful thing."
