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V O L . X X I V N O. I I I F E B R UA R Y 5 , 2 0 1 8 14 G R E AT E R P O R T L A N D F O C U S "I've had members who started float- ing, then got a dedicated desk, then a small office, then a bigger one, then we part," Roche says. "It's been great, but they have to move on." Some 25 to 30 successful startups began at ink Tank, he says. Part of the appeal of a coworking space is the connectivity to others. Roche says in all the years he's run the business, he can't recall a big con- flict, raised voices or problems between members. "Morale is easy to keep high," he says. e fact the offices are open 24 hours, 365 days a year, they're dog-friendly and there generally aren't bosses hovering around, make it easier for those working there to be more comfortable than they may be in a traditional office. Roche welcomes the competition in the greater Portland area, and says it hasn't hurt his membership numbers. "As coworking goes mainstream, more will emerge," he says. "As the mar- ket continues to grow and mature, it will find new niches." Despite their growth, coworking businesses run on tight margins. LaPlante, in South Portland, is doing as much work himself as he can. "A lot of it is DIY," he says. One reason he's offering a no-frills space is to keep costs down, for both himself and members. Roche, who's been where LaPlante was, says he walks a tight line. "I think people see the big space and the quality of experience here at ink Tank and assume it's a huge money maker or that I personally funded it as a hobby or something," he says. "Frankly, it's all sweat equity. I have one incredible employee. We work very hard to create a quality experience for our members." While he's looking at other markets, including Augusta, it's tough to find the balance between the cost of running the business and what members can pay. "Coworking isn't a get rich quick scheme," Roche says. Economic catalyst One hurdle LaPlante found was he had trouble explaining what cowork- ing was to banks when he was looking for financing. A fellow coworking owner connected him with a bank that understood the business. Even though he had financing, he entered South Portland's startup pitch contest last fall, where he made it to the final round, largely to get the word out about coworking. "I wanted people to get what I'm doing," he says. Roche says that lack of under- standing about the industry and its possibilities makes for a missed eco- nomic opportunity for Maine. "[It's] an invaluable catalyst for local economic revitalization and small busi- ness incubation," he says. In 2105, the Maine Coworking Development Fund, administered by the Maine Economic & Community Development Department, issued grants to Fork Food Lab in Portland, Our Katahdin Properties in Millinocket and ink Tank, each of which received $25,000. Open Bench Project in Portland and e Gem in Bethel each received $12,500. Roche has supported other such efforts by the state. "Smart cities and states are figuring out how to fund this," Roche says. "[We should be saying] 'Here's legit startup capital. Go open a coworking space in Waterville, in Augusta, in Sanford.' at's what we should be doing." "It's a real opportunity, make Maine a place to remote work," he adds. "We can tell people, 'Why not take that six-figure corporate job in Boston or Washington, D.C., and come to Portland, Maine, where we have the coworking space to support you?'" M a u r e e n M i l l i k e n , M a i n e b i z s t a f f w r i t e r , c a n b e r e a c h e d a t M M i l l i k e n @ M a i n e B i z . B i z » C O N T I N U E D F RO M P R E V I O U S PA G E Every smile tells a story. And each one can say something powerful. As the nation's leading dental benefits provider, Delta Dental makes it easy to protect your smile and keep it healthy with the largest network of dentists nationwide, quick answers and personalized service. Learn more at NortheastDeltaDental.com. I GUESS THEY LIKE ME YOU LOOK AWFULLY FAMILIAR I CAN'T REPEAT IT BUT IT'S GOOD MY EMPLOYEES ARE WELL TAKEN CARE OF IT'S TOO GOOD TO PUT DOWN THIS IS FUN, I THINK CO-WORKING SPACES IN GREATER PORTLAND SoPoCo.Works Est. 2018 / 1486 Broadway, South Portland / sopoco.works Owner: James LaPlante What it's about: Greater Portland's newest coworking space, and South Portland's first, is a place for animators, like LaPlante, or other creatives. "It won't have a lot of bells and whistles, it's for people who want to collaborate and get to work." Rates: TBD

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