Do you work at home remotely? Are you working on a contract basis, currently making a desk on your kitchen table across from your kids cereal bowl? Are you an entrepreneur who is working on building a business, or working away on an established one…at home…alone? A lot of people think working from home is the dream…until they discover…maybe it isn’t? This is where CO3 comes in.

Co-working can be described as a style of work that involves a shared working environment. Usually appealing to work at home individuals, independent contractors and those who travel a lot and end up working in isolation. You come to a space, pick a desk or chair and get to it. There’s another side to co-working though, in which there are people working independently but benefiting from the synergy that can happen from being with people who value working in the same place alongside each other. That’s the piece that’s so hard to explain, but carries so much value. I know, because I have witnessed it and have been a part of it. It’s amazing and cool!

Andrew Button, a social entrepreneur and founder of Mash-up Lab, started CO3 after being a member of The Hub in Mahone Bay. Recognizing a need for a similar co-working space here on this end of the South Shore, and after supportive conversations with others, things began to happen and in February 2016, CO3 opened on King St. in Bridgewater.

A modern space, with flexible seating and work space, CO3 offers the opportunity to work in a beautiful space, with all the benefits of an office…fast internet, boardroom space, coffee, etc, with the flexibility and convenience that today’s independent contractors, freelancers, entrepreneurs and more, may need.

As a blogger I spend most of my days working at my kitchen table. I enjoy what I do, but there is no replacement for the social part that comes with working with a team. I wrote about my Corporate Christmas Party for One back in December, with a string other bloggers, showing how to celebrate, even when you work alone. A co-working space, available as a full-time, part-time, or community membership is the perfect fit for those kind of people who may also be looking as a way to connect.

I started going to CO3 first by attending their monthly Coffee Clubs. Coffee Club is an “un-meeting”, open to anyone, which means it is informal with no real rules, format, or constraints of a formal meeting. They kick things off with a quick intro and update of interesting things happening in our community, then the floor is open for anyone to share their story, get feedback and input on an idea they’re working on or ask for help with something they’re struggling with. You can bring your own coffee, but there is always a pot on in the shared kitchen.

I also began joining in on their Brown Bag Lunch Chat, which is a bi-weekly chat discussing specific topics of interest. Recent ones have been Tools and Hacks Show n’ Tell and LinkedIn questions and answers. These events completely sold me on the value of a co-working space. I wouldn’t have even known I would benefit from this sort of situation, unless I had gone and seen for myself what happens there. What is “IT” exactly? It’s hard to describe, but when I’m at CO3 I often leave with a ton of knowledge, but even more than that, I feel inspired, motivated and connected. I feel like I am part of a community. A community of some incredible people, doing some amazing things! One of things I have enjoyed the most has been meeting people in our community who do some great work, that I otherwise may have never heard of. It is that sense of community that comes out of these meetings that bring a lot of value and that I enjoy the most.

Brown Bag Lunch Chats remain complimentary for the months of January and February and then will be included in a Community Membership. A Community Membership gives you free access to all the CO3 events and meet-ups as well as 4 hours a month to work from the space. The value this provides is worth much more than the price. There are various membership and drop in options that you can check out on their “Work Here” page.

Curious about the space and want to see it for yourself? You can stop in anytime, or why not make plans to attend their “After Holiday Party” on January 26? December is so busy with parties and events, things get pretty quiet in January…a perfect time for an After Holiday event! From 5:30pm-9:30pm on Thursday, January 26th you can drop in and check out this beautiful modern space, meet some of the members and people who you could be working alongside. Come out and have some tasty food, sample some local beverages, and connect with the community of Freelancers, Entrepreneurs, and Independents that CO3 is building here on the South Shore! If you are planning to attend you can RSVP right from here so they can plan for numbers. I will be there and am happy to chat with anyone about the value I see in having a co-working space here.

In a town like Bridgewater, Nova Scotia, surrounded by rural communities, many of whom struggle with reliable internet, having a co-working space like CO3 is invaluable. For freelancers, entrepreneurs, real estate agents, bookkeepers, direct sales rep, graphic artists, photographers, tutors, trainers, and more this provides access to all the benefits from living and working in rural Nova Scotia. What could be better?