Creative Workspace offers low-cost office room

Published 2:05 pm Friday, August 1, 2008

Developer Glenn Davis was in the business of building and operating storage units when he noticed something happening that piqued his interest: small businesses on the move.

An expert in his field, Davis, along with partner Jeff Silesky, realized that with the evolution of electronics and his own storage space background the two men could create a building designed to provide many small businesses the comfort of a private office without long-term leases.

After successfully opening his first Creative Workspace building in Renton three years ago, he opened his second one in Lynnwood last March, bringing many Snohomish County businesses their first opportunity to have office, file, storage and business space on a month-to-month basis.

In Lynnwood, property manager Lisa Benedict gives tours to entrepreneurs, small businesses, and large companies looking for a space they can afford to grow their business. Creative Workspace provides small rooms for reps, large offices to receive clients, or storage where renters can hook up to the internet.

“Lisa gets calls daily,” Davis said. “She’s inundated with tours.”

Businesses such as barbers, insurance agents, massage practitioners, counselors, retailers, and artists are just a few that occupy the Lynnwood building, leasing space from 120 to 420 square feet.

The Creative Workspace building also has a conference room tenants can book online at no extra cost. It seats up to 12 people and is available for presentations and meetings.

A key card entry system keeps the building secure and office space is under lock and key within the building. The luxury of being able to access work 24/7 is something that small business owners like about Creative Workspace, as well as the fact that the property is under camera surveillance.

“We take security very seriously,” said Mark Rogers, general manager.

Tenant Steve Johann lives only a 10-minute bike ride from his office at Creative Workspace, where a 9 by 15 foot unit serves as a workplace for his business. He worked at home for 10 years but as his three sons got older he found they wanted to be on the computer more and more. His move to Creative Workspace solved that problem and gave his oldest son his own bedroom.

Johann had spent a couple of years looking for a place. When he saw an ad in the newspaper he thought Creative Workspace might work well for him. And it does.

His space, donned with movie posters and a tidy work area, costs $275 per month. Electricity and a mail box are included in the price. Each unit comes pre-wired for phone and computer services through Comcast, which customizes service packages for each tenant.

If Johann was in a traditional office space the monthly cost for rent would likely be higher and if his business expanded he might be trapped there by an annual lease. He moved in last May, glad to find space for preparing his radio show without having to rent time in an expensive recording studio.

“It worked out really, really well,” Johann said. “The idea of having your own office at a reasonable price sets you free to chase your dreams.”

Accountant Brendan Crain, owner of BCFS Inc. Accounting and Tax Solutions, was the first tenant at Creative Workspace in Lynnwood. He, too, had been discouraged when he went looking for office space to rent in the area. When his friend told him about Creative Workspace he could see how it would benefit his business.

Crain rents a 180-square-foot office at Creative Workspace for $420 per month. His business has grown and he has just hired his first employee. To gain more space, he simply rented the office across the hall and added it to his monthly bill.

“Prior to this I was working out of the house,” Crain said. Yet he needed space to meet with clients in an environment outside of home that would keep him more focused on his work.

Davis says that it takes the right location to be successful in this kind of venture, to be able to offer attractive rents for small businesses that help owners to grow and expand at lower cost.

For more information, visit www.creative-workspace.com.