Cowork Brighton opens for people sick of working from home, entrepreneurs

A new family-owned business in downtown Brighton is providing people with space to work, whether they need it for just an hour or every workday.

Cowork Brighton, which opened in December, is a new co-working space — where multiple people or businesses can use office amenities while working independently — on the second floor of 324 W. Main St. above downtown shops.

The site features six private offices, two rooms where people can claim their own desk, two conference meeting rooms and other open spaces were individuals or teams of people can work alongside each another.

Co-owner Clark Bradley said the idea took hold when he realized working from home was not for him.

"We realized we were feeling that crunch, that pinch from the lockdown from the pandemic. Me working from home wasn't working," Bradley said.

He, his wife Jennifer Bradley and her sister Marianne Grima, leased a different office space where the three could work together, but they missed being around other people.

"It was still just us, and I think there are a lot of people who feel the same. They miss the sense of community," Clark Bradley said.

The three then decided to create a co-working space where they could work in the same building as others and offer opportunities for business professionals in the community.

"We're really targeting local entrepreneurs," Grima said. "It's for anyone who needs an office away from home."

They renovated a second-story office that had been vacant for several years. They spent months renovating: redoing the floors and ceilings, exposing a skylight that had been covered, giving the building a fresh paint job and building a few new walls to create more office spaces.

All of the offices and conference rooms are named after notable inventors and entrepreneurs. Each room features a photograph of an inventor and their invention with a biography explaining who they are and what they did.

For instance, one of the offices is named in honor of Elizabeth Magie, who created the 1904 board game, The Landlord's Game, which inspired Monopoly.

"We've had a decent amount of meetings and we've had a member already," Jennifer Bradley said. "We know there is a need for it with people going virtual or remote. I think it was going to happen anyway, but the pandemic sped it up a lot."

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Grima said a meet-up event for local entrepreneurs and business professionals attracted more than 30 people and they plan to host more, including one already scheduled for 6-8 p.m. Feb. 16.

"We can offer networking, development and training, lunch-and-learns," she said.

How to work there

There are a few options for how people can use the co-working space.

People can make one-time reservations or sign up for memberships.

"There are different levels of membership depending on what you need," Jennifer Bradley said.

A basic membership allows people to use areas with open seating and tables. They also get access to meeting rooms and smaller "phone booth" rooms where they can make private calls. They also can use the kitchen, a coffee bar and a print station.

The space is accessible to members 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

For more amenities, people can sign up for a membership that gives them a dedicated desk in one of two office spaces.

Jennifer Bradley said those rooms could be a good option for a small team of people who want to work together in the same space.

Cowork Brighton also offers private offices, which people can book by the hour, by the day or on a month-to-month basis.

The co-working space features two conference rooms for team meetings and small events, which people can book by the hour or by the day.

Another option is to use Cowork Brighton as a "virtual office," Grima said.

People who own their own business can use the co-working space as an address for mail and package receiving services, even if they do not need to work there in person.

"We're seeing a real interest in that. It's for someone who is maybe setting up a business from home and doesn't want to use their home address. And the Main Street address also seems more professional," Grima said.

They are also offering "Free Day Fridays" once a month, when anyone can work in the office for free without a membership.

Contact Livingston Daily reporter Jennifer Timar at jtimar@livingstondaily.com. Follow her on Twitter @jennifer_timar.

This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: Cowork Brighton offers office space for homeworkers, entrepreneurs