Chamber of Commerce offers workspace hub
“It’s a bit of a leap of faith, a bit of a risk I suppose … But as a chamber we need to step up and we need to take a few risks and do what we can to support our local economy.” Jack Kyte, executive director, Pictou County Chamber of Commerce
The Pictou County Chamber of Commerce wants people to work with them. The Chamber has opened a community workspace called ChamberHub. The initiative, which is receiving some financial support from Sobeys and Michelin, is to create a space where people can either rent office space for short periods of time or drop in to work with other people. The Chamber moved into office space at Bridgeview Square in June, but have more space available than they need. Shared work spaces like this have been used successfully in other areas of the province including Halifax and the south shore and Jack Kyte, executive director of the Chamber, believes it has real possibilities for people in Pictou County. “We know that there are a number of entrepreneurs in Pictou County who may not have an office space from which to work or who are working from home to start a business,” he said. “We wanted to provide something as an option to them to have an office space to come to and to work and to meet other people.” The shared workspace with numerous work stations is currently being made available at no cost. Then there are also some private offices available on a rental basis for either a couple of hours a day or for a week or more to do a project. Someone could also book the space if they needed somewhere to meet a client. Kyte says they don’t view this as a money-making venture, but something that will hopefully be a benefit to local businesses. “It’s the first in Pictou County and we’re very optimistic it will be successful and will help people who are looking to have a space to use outside the home and the other things.” In addition to those who are self employed, a growing number of people in Pictou County work remotely for companies based in more populous areas of the country. “Often it’s nice for these individuals to have more of a traditional office space to work in from time to time,” Kyte said. The space is also equipped with a large smart TV, which is available if an individual or company wanted to hold training at the site. With windows overlooking the East River, Kyte believes it’s an attractive option for work. Whether the community embraces it or not remains to be seen. “It’s a bit of a leap of faith, a bit of a risk I suppose,” he said. “But as a chamber we need to step up and we need to take a few risks and do what we can to support our local economy.”