Adam

Having grown up near Harrisburg, I’ve seen our capital city change and grow. Prior to opening st@rtup with my partner, also named Adam, I operated my own web development firm, Render Innovations. Concurrently to co-owning st@rtup, I’ve also owned a micro-creamery, Urban Churn, in Midtown, the same neighborhood as st@rtup, for the last 2 years which has reinforced my belief in the potential of my home town. There are finally a critical mass of determined individuals, small businesses and organizations who want to see our city thrive–and it’s empowering and gratifying to be a part of. I can see a time, not too long from now, when Harrisburg is not a last resort, but a first choice.

St@rtup is Harrisburgs first coworking space. Our goal is to connect dreamers and doers, thinkers and tinkerers. Away from the distractions of home, noise of a coffee shop or expense of old world offices, our members, initially just a handful, but now almost 30, have the opportunity to innovate and thrive.
Since March of 2013, with the help of our first Kiva Zip loan of $5,000, we’ve been located Midtown Harrisburg in a space that was most recently a fitness studio preceded by a bookstore and even a US Post Office. Our current home has allowed us to prove the concept and grow the brand, but we need more space for more members. We initially thought we’d cater to tech-types: web developers, designers and the like, which we have. But we’ve had an even wider appeal than expected: lawyers, nonprofits, bloggers, remote employees for larger companies, even builders.

We’ve been located in our current home, 1519 N. 3rd St., for 3 years. Our new home, just 5 blocks away at 922 N. 3rd St., which offers twice the space of our present location, will allow us to both dramatically improve the quality of service and resources we offer our members while expanding our presence in, and value to, Harrisbug’s entrepreneurial community. This Kiva Zip loan of $10,000 will help us achieve these goals in 3 ways:

–Hire a part time Community Manager ($5,000 for 1st 5 months of their wages): This new member of our team will be critical to both providing a high quality of service to our members and growing the space by attracting and enrolling new members. Current members will look to this individual for organization of events, workshops and networking opportunities as well as day-to-day operations and maintenance of the facility. Prospective members will find this person to be their friendly, dependable point of contact to learn about the benefits of becoming a member and to make the process of joining as effortless as possible.
–Execute 5 month Marketing Plan ($3,000): 3 months prior to opening and 2 months after, this mix of local print, online and social media marketing paired with targeted press outreach will ensure enough members to be cash flow positive on Day 1.
–Purchase Equipment and Supplies ($2,000): While an allowance for Furniture & Fixtures are a negotiated part of our lease, certain pieces of equipment (WiFi hardware, copier, video conferencing, etc.) will need to be purchased. We’ll also need to stock up on consumable supplies to meet the needs of 50+ coworkers (cleaning and paper products, coffee–LOTS of coffee).

Having fully repaid a $5,000 Kiva Zip loan in the past, we’ve seen firsthand what a catalyst for growth this program can be. To be able to leverage such a tool again will enable us to help Harrisburg’s creative class and independent workforce to continue to grow for years to come.