“Our goal is to connect dreamers and doers, thinkers and tinkerers,” said Adam Porter, co-founder of St@rtup, a recently opened communal workspace at 1519 N. 3rd Street in Midtown Harrisburg.
St@rtup is the joint creation of Porter, a veteran of the non-profit sector, and Adam Brackbill, founder of Harrisburg-based Web development company Render Innovations. Operating under the philosophy “We > Me,” the company pools resources to offer businesses and individuals a full complement of professional services at a fraction of the cost of traditional office space.
“St@rtup is Harrisburg’s first co-working space,” explained Porter. “Co-working is a movement for entrepreneurs, tech folk and other creative professionals who would otherwise be working on their own or out of home offices.”
Brackbill and Porter began collaborating during a Harrisburg Young Professionals event in the summer of 2012. “I had seen other incubator spaces,” said Brackbill, “and Adam came to me with the concept of setting up a co-working space.”
The idea of a workspace for non-traditional businesses resonated with the Web designer, who had experienced the challenges of working alone firsthand.
“I thought it would be great having my own space for Render Innovations,” recalled Brackbill, “but it just starts to get a little too quiet. You don’t get to engage with people, and you get home and ask yourself what you just did for eight to 10 hours. I just enjoyed working around people, and not feeling so isolated.”
The pair immediately set to developing a business plan and moving forward with St@rtup. “From the day we’ve met until now, we’ve been researching this,” said Porter. “We started looking at spaces, registered as a Harrisburg LLC and have been really blessed to have Andy Enders as our insurance agent and counsel.”
After evaluating numerous properties, St@rtup found the N. 3rd Street location—the former home of the Midtown Scholar Bookstore and Absolute Wellness—through Harrisburg renewal company GreenWorks Development. “GreenWorks has been immensely helpful; whenever we had a question they’ve been very responsive,” said Porter.
After weeks of renovations, the building’s new layout is a hybrid between incubator and coffeeshop, reflecting the founders’ vision of collaborative productivity. Upon entering St@rtup, visitors will find the lounge area, which is partitioned from the rest of the building by the works of local artists. “It’s all about networking; one member can help the others and vice-versa,” explained Brackbill.
With café-style seating, an abundance of outlets and coffee and snacks from St@rtup’s kitchen, the lounge promotes a relaxed, conversational atmosphere. “You can see a big difference between working at home and working with other people. For example, one person may be a designer, the other may be an author or a copywriter, and they’re able to work together,” said Brackbill. “That can work with members from multiple industries.”
Further on is the main office space: an open-air arrangement of workspaces, each with the functionality of a traditional cubicle, and a conference room available for companies’ private meetings and appointments. The space’s versatility is one of St@rtup’s biggest selling points to the city’s wide range of small businesses.
“St@rtup can be ideal for a variety of companies, such as political teams working in the city for six months at a shot who don’t want to sign a year-long lease.” said Porter. “If a handful of photographers don’t have the individual space or equipment, we could set up a studio. If a therapist or counselor needs the privacy, but can’t afford an office, that could work too.”
St@rtup eliminates many of the entry barriers for local entrepreneurs looking to launch their own small businesses. Amenities for members include high-speed Internet access, the latest in teleconferencing equipment and, perhaps most importantly, a physical address for mailing, incorporation and tax purposes. “It’s very important that this can be your business address,” said Porter. “Soon, hopefully 30 or 40 businesses will have 1519 N. 3rd St. on their business cards.”
Both part-time and full-time memberships are available to suit the needs and budgets of prospective businesses. “If you’re a part-time member,” explained Porter, “you get a spot at the community table, use of our conference room, superfast Internet, break room, all that good stuff for up to three days a week. Full-time members get 24/7 access, along with a locker and their own desk and chair that’s exclusively theirs.”
St@rtup’s rates begin at $175 per month for part-time memberships and $275 per month for full-time, with discounts available for members who prepay for a three-month period.
Individuals interested in joining St@rtup are encouraged to schedule a tour of the location through StartupHBG.com. “We’ll show them the space, and get to know a little bit about them,” said Porter. “Once we each get to know one another, we’ll bring them back to sign up.”
The 3rd Street location can currently house “…anywhere between 25 to 40 businesses,” said Porter, “depending on if we have more interest in the full-time side of things, or more part-timers.” Brackbill and Porter are already exploring potential expansions to St@rtup’s flagship location and additional co-working spaces in the region if demand is sufficient. Future events also include mixers, networking events and a member newsletter
While Brackbill and Porter have planned ahead, the nature of St@rtup’s future will be dictated by the interactions of its members. “Co-working spaces organically coalesce,” said Porter. “It’s very open and flexible.”
