From studio space to networking hubs, here’s a guide to Columbia’s coworking spaces

Columbia has a growing number of coworking or flexible work spaces for those who work from home, prefer an alternative workspace, own a business or are out of the office due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Before the pandemic, the flexible office market had grown by an average of 25% globally since 2014, according to reports from JLL Research. The COVID-19 pandemic caused 52% of office workers in Columbia to work from home by the end of 2020, according to a fourth-quarter office market report from Colliers International.

Both studies predict a return to offices or “redefined work environments” as people transition out of the pandemic. JLL Research predicts that “flexible space should emerge stronger than ever and growth could quickly return to its impressive pre-COVID rates” due to companies focusing on flexibility and office collaboration moving forward.

If you’re looking for a way to return to “work,” here’s a guide to coworking spaces in Columbia:

NoMa Warehouse

The newest coworking space to hit the Columbia scene is a warehouse for artists in Cottontown, off of North Main Street.

At the warehouse, creators, collectors and artists can have space to work or sell their art in the developing North Main district neardowntown Columbia. NoMa Warehouse held a soft opening during the Cottontown Art Crawl on March 13.

Founders Mazie Cook and Beth Lawson hope to open the studio in April but do not have a grand opening date yet. The building at 2222 Sumter St. was formerly A Taste of the South gift shop.

Cook said she used Andy Warhol’s Factory, “a funky and exciting space where artists can come together to create and experiment artistically,” as the inspiration for NoMa Warehouse. Up to 20 artists at a time can work at the warehouse with current coronavirus restrictions, but there are memberships available for 100 artists to work there during different times.

Artists will be able to rent a spot and sell their work out of the warehouse at Friday night events called the NoMa Flea. Additionally, you will be able to find artists’ work regularly at the NoMa Warehouse Shop at the front of the building, according to Cook.

After living in the Cottontown neighborhood for two years, Cook said her vision for the warehouse is “that the space allows for collaboration, opportunity and creative support for not only artists, but the community as well.”

Memberships will range from $100 to $400 per month, with student discounts and day passes available for a cheaper price, according to Lawson. Some membership amenities will include WiFi, art storage, easels, office space for meetings, kitchen access, mess sinks with oil traps and mail services.

Common 1501

Formerly known as femme x COLUMBIA, this coworking space in the historic Robert Mills District of downtown Columbia offers four floors of shared working space in a remodeled historic home built in the 1800s at 1501 Richland St.

Femme x COLUMBIA was created as a female-focused coworking space and social club to be an inclusive work environment for women. Now, the name femme x COLUMBIA is strictly the social club aspect of the business, while Common 1501 is a coworking building for all.

“In order to focus more on the good stuff without being tied to a physical space, it will allow femme x to grow beyond just Columbia. We also wanted to make the physical space more inclusive and approachable. The brand Common speaks more to a collective shared space,” said Nell Fuller, who co-owns the business with Stephanie Isaacs.

Private offices, flexible cowork space, standing desks, conference rooms, free coffee and discounted event tickets are available to Common 1501 members. Prices for flexible workspace memberships range from $55 to $300 monthly.

Memberships for femme X programs are still available separate from the coworking space for $150 annually and include events such as business plan workshops and wellness cooking classes. A portion of every membership is also donated to the femmeCAPITAL fund that Fuller and Isaacs operate to support majority women-owned businesses.

Novel Coworking

At 1122 Lady St. in downtown Columbia, Novel offers 12 floors of private offices, office suites and coworking spaces for businesses.

The company was founded in Chicago, Illinois, and has 39 locations across the country, according to the company’s website.

Novel Coworking memberships include fully furnished offices with modern furniture, direct fiber internet and WiFi, 24/7 secure access, mail service, your company logo on your office door, an espresso bar, cleaning services, socially distanced workstations, community events and happy hours and communal lounges.

Monthly memberships range from $249 to $2,750 for an office suite to fit 8 people. All taxes and utilities are included in the membership costs.

The company also offers a “virtual office” for $59 a month to member who want to use the building’s address for mailing services.

Regus

Located in the Meridian Building, a 17-story high-rise at 1320 Main St. in Columbia, Regus is another national co-working chain with a Columbia location.

Regus offers 54 private offices and three meeting spaces with 24/7 access to its members.

Prices start at $390 per person per month for office space, $112 per month for virtual offices and $39 per hour for a meeting room.

SOCO

SOCO is a Columbia coworking community with two locations, 808 Lady St., Suite D and 1721 Saunders St. in the BullStreet district.Both locations offer memberships for office, coworking or team spaces.

Most of the packages at SOCO include unlimited coffee, tea or beer on tap for members, and all packages allow 24/7 access to either of the two buildings.

Flexed and fixed coworking spaces allow members to choose whether they want to work at a dedicated desk or a common space. Prices range from $100 per month to $800 per month for various memberships.

SOCO also hosts a variety of events and offers exclusive content for its members, including a digital network guide to help SOCO members network with one another.

Other amenities include free office supplies, printing services, gigabit internet, cleaning services, kitchen access, event space usage and onsite community managers.

The motto at SOCO is to create “inspiring spaces where you can work and work together; incredible events and activities to help you connect with your ‘tribe’; and a range of learning opportunities to hone your skills and grow your craft,” according to the company’s website.

This story was originally published March 16, 2021 at 5:00 AM.