Once they know they have a great idea, entrepreneurs focus on questions that begin with “how” — how to develop their plan, how to find and attract customers, how to locate the resources and support they need.
Soon, “where” questions also arise — where to set up the business, where to go for help and advice, where to meet and connect with others.
SparkHaus, Northern Kentucky’s entrepreneurial hub, offers answers for both the how and the where. The hub provides individual and shared spaces located in the vibrant heart of Covington, the region’s largest city.
In addition to ample coworking space, SparkHaus features 36 individual dedicated desks and 35 private offices designed to accommodate 2 to 12 people. Members have access to large and intimate meeting spaces and a host of amenities. Beyond the comfortable and modern work spaces, joining SparkHaus brings access to a community, an entrepreneurial ecosystem where creativity flourishes and connections are made.
Benefits of working in community
The space is beautiful and provides a professional atmosphere in which to work and meet with clients and team members. Yet, it’s the intangible benefits of working in this collaborative environment that can provide the answers to questions about growth, direction, next steps.
Flexibility is key. From coworking spaces to dedicated desks to private offices, different levels of membership offer options to scale up or down, to adapt the time and space needed as team sizes and work patterns change.
Spark creativity. Working in an environment with other startups and entrepreneurs, brings members into contact with a diversity of ideas and approaches. Entrepreneurs can meet and connect with others taking similar paths and share fresh ideas. They also can find new perspectives when meeting with those in different industries or whose paths are very different from their own.
Learn and grow with SparkHaus. The hub offers a multitude of educational and networking events, including curated live and on-demand programming. Activities are hosted by Blue North, Northern Kentucky’s designated Kentucky Innovation Hub, as well as a network of expert partners from throughout the community.
Gain access to a network of support. Working in the SparkHaus environment offers access to the support, advice and knowledge of those with first-hand experience in what it takes to build a high-growth company. The space provides a gathering place to network with peers and share experiences. Investors and others who provide support directly to new businesses are right there in the building. Members also have access to a network of mentors and coaches, curated by Blue North, who can work one-on-one with startups, taking time to understand the challenges and make connections to networks of support.
Meet a new SparkHaus member
SparkHaus is set to open this summer. Partners and members are signing on, and the community is growing even before the building work is completed. One early member is Sunflower Fuels, a renewable energy company devoted to employing Kentucky’s natural resources to produce sustainable biomass and fuel options for a wide variety of industries.
Gabrielle Blocher is the chief executive director of the company. Headquartered in Lexington, her team found locating in Northern Kentucky gave them access to people and resources they needed. They started in Covington’s Aviatra Accelerators business incubator. As Blocher added to her team, it became clear they needed more space, she said.
“It’s been wonderful for us, but we’re kind of bursting at the seams there. We’ve got one office with one desk in it. My team has grown. We have two team members and an intern…and we are always out in the common area…It’s time for us to move on to new space,” Bocher said.
Bocher said she has known about SparkHaus and feels it would be a great place for all of the team to learn and grow. She’s been involved in other startups and has been engaged in the community for awhile, but for those newer to this world, working around others on the same journey offers invaluable insights.
“I’ve hired new team members who are totally awesome and absolutely there. This is their first startup…All three are learning a great deal, and this will be a great opportunity for them to be around all the members of the ecosystem, including other startups, funders, investors, service providers to startups. It’s just a great way to really learn and get the hang of the whole space,” she said.
For Sunflower Fuels, moving to SparkHaus provides immediate and direct access to a support system they’ve developed.
“On a practical level for us…our major funder, Keyhorse Capital, is going to be housed right there in the space with us. So we’re just really excited to be able to have as close of access to them as we need to keep them up to date about what we’re doing and potentially engage them to get advice…Chatting and talking, just keeping them apprised.”
Bocher said she and her team are excited to move into the new space as soon as it’s ready, not only for the extra room, but also for the affordable access to a host of amenities.
“We need that extra space. I’m excited for my team members to literally have their own desks…We can afford what we’re paying for this larger office space, and then there are all kinds of amenities. There’s a gym there. There’s a coffee shop. There’s all kinds of common spaces, event spaces.”
SparkHaus offers the best of both worlds, she said. The common areas offer opportunities to meet, network and just be together with others, while having office space dedicated to their team gives them a productive place to work.
“And, even though we are going to have a private area and everybody will have their own dedicated desk, there also will be places, little nooks and crannies, to go escape and be on your own and have quiet time. And sometimes you need to be away from even your own team when you have to be head down doing work, and there will be plenty of opportunities to do that,” she added.
Another bonus, she said, is being located in the center of all that Covington offers.
“It’s such a walkable part of our region, downtown Covington, and there are delicious, fancy restaurants around Covington…There are all these little, quick, super delicious places….that are easy to grab a quick bite to eat or even have a meeting if you want to…We’re just so excited.”
Memberships
SparkHaus offers a variety of memberships and opportunities. All memberships provide access to comfortable spaces, free coffee and high-speed internet. Only in town for a day or two but need a place to meet? Want to try out the space and see what’s available? A $25 day pass may be a first step.
For those ready to take the step, a host of membership options can meet the need.
Memberships start at a low monthly fee of $150 for coworking space during regular office hours. Included in the fee is four hours monthly conference room access. For a small fee, add a mailbox or a 6 x 9 foot storage unit.
For those ready for a dedicated desk to call home, membership is $350 a month and includes 24-7 access, lockable desk storage, four hours conference room access, and a mailbox. Storage is available for a small fee.
Fully furnished lockable private offices are available for teams of two or more. A two-desk memberships starts at $700 for two desks and the price for all offices is $350 for each desk ($350 x # desks). For example, a four-desk membership is $1400 per month. All of the private office memberships include conference room hours (from eight to 16 hours per month) and all the amenities offered. Storage is also available for a small fee.
SparkHaus has built in some special memberships as well. For those teams who don’t need dedicated office space but want coworking space together, a Team Coworking Membership ($600) includes five coworking memberships for the cost of four. Each additional coworking membership is available for a 20% discount ($120 per month). Monthly conference room hours, mailbox and discounts on room rentals are included.
SparkHaus will offer a special student price for those enrolled in a local college or university.
Members of LifeSciKY are eligible for a free scholarship thanks to the generous support of St. Elizabeth.
In addition to coworking spaces SparkHaus also provides access to event and reception spaces, classrooms, meeting rooms and fully equipped content creation facilities. Interested? To book a tour of the facility or learn more about the SparkHaus community, go to sparkhaus.co.
