47 324766
Well… My team at Katberg Tech & Digital and I are officially one week shy of our 3 month anniversary of working out of The Creative Fringe in Penrith. I know a lot of people and businesses have been doing it tough during the Global Pandemic but somehow Katberg Tech & Digital managed to survive and thrive during this time. A big part of our success during this time is thanks to The Creative Fringe (a co-working space in Penrith where Katberg hires a private office).
Reason number 1
Personally speaking, I think the biggest advantage of working out of The Creative Fringe is the opportunity for new business. Let me elaborate on this.
The Creative Fringe has Branding Specialists, Web Developers, Mobile App Developers, Graphic Designers, Photographers, Videographers, Copywriters, Digital Marketing Specialists and BookKeepers to name a few. Now – Let’s say the branding agency acquires a new client who is doing a rebrand. Guess what else the client might need after their rebrand: You guessed it – a website, mobile app, graphic design, photography, videography, digital marketing, copywriting. Hey, maybe even some BookKeeping (I see you Stacey Fulton from Save My Books).
It happens so often: One co-worker acquires a client and gradually that same client uses services from other businesses within the co-working space. We all get a piece of the pie, and the more coworkers we get into the office space the more pie’s we can have! Who doesn’t love a good pie or 10?
But you can’t just come work at The Creative Fringe once and expect other co-workers to start recommending their clients to you. You have to show up regularly so we can get to know you and so that you’re front of mind.
Hot tip! I’d recommend coming in and hiring a desk at least once a week on a Tuesday when we have Talk and Tea. Talk and Tea is basically a good excuse to have tasty treats while socialising and meeting fellow co-workers.
Reason number 2
Get your own business up to scratch. Before moving into The Creative Fringe we tried to do everything ourselves. But ladies and gentlemen, just because you can do everything doesn’t mean you should… It just means you can’t do anything properly. Instead we have now hired White River Design to do our branding and all our graphic design work, and then we will hire 7chairs to do our photos and filming, and Save My Books to do our BookKeeping. This means we can focus on areas of our business we actually enjoy and are experts. And… the parts we tried to do before but weren’t experts in? Guess what! That’s amazing too now (being released soon), because we let go and hired people who work in The Creative Fringe who love doing those parts.
In return other coworkers in our space have now engaged us to develop their website or get their digital marketing up to scratch. (Did someone say even more new business?).
Reason number 3
We’re not exclusive. Just because we at Katberg Tech & Digital are Web Developers and Digital Marketing Specialists doesn’t mean we can’t have more. I’d personally LOVE to see more developers and digital marketing specialists in the space….
You know how some months are so busy where practically everyone wants you services and then other months you are dead quiet? I’d love to be able to engage some extra help in our busy months to someone in the office next door. And likewise, when we are not so busy we’d be happy to lend a hand with your clients. Phew! Doesn’t this just sound like a cure for everyone’s anxiety?
More than that, the world of Digital Marketing and Development is so big. We’re all specialists in different areas and have different price points which will work for different clients. Plus I always love learning from other people in my field and happy to share what I have learnt. The Creative Fringe is big enough for all of us – until all the desks fill up. Haha!).
I can’t speak on behalf of the other co-workers in the space with their industries, but I’m sure they would feel the same way.
Reason Number 4
Separate work and home. When I first worked from home I thought it was the most amazing thing! And then the novelty wore off. I started living in the grey zone where I was never fully productive and never fully relaxed. It started becoming an annoying state of limbo.
Now I get into The Creative Fringe at 9am and power through till 5:30pm. Then when I get home, I’m home and I don’t feel guilty for not doing work. This means I can completely relax. And you know what else, I’m still my own boss, so If I’m having a shitty day and want to leave the office at 1pm that’s cool too. No one at The Creative Fringe is going to police my hours. Likewise if I have a crazy deadline and need to stay late to finish what I need, I can stay and pull an all nighter if I really have to. (Not that I recommended all nighters btw!).
If you are like me, another benefit of coming into The Creative Fringe is my daily fix of human interaction and socialisation. ????. I love escaping my desk a couple of times a day for a quick cuppa and chat with some fellow co-workers.
That said, If you’re like Lundi Fourie and can only deal with so much human interaction before you are drained. That’s cool. Just put your headphones on (or wear a F off hat) and we’ll leave you alone. But you can be at The Creative Fringe and get shit done. We know you are there when we need something that requires your services.
Reason Number 5
Better impression with clients. When we were working out of our own home offices it was always awkward when a client had to come for a face to face meeting. Now on the other hand we are so excited to invite our clients to our new office. The office space is beautiful and has many breakout areas for meetings. My personal fave spot for meetings are the sofa’s upstairs with a gazillion cushions. I promised I don’t have naps up there…. Or do I? ????
Reason number 6
Pet/kid friendly work place. Yes! You can bring your puppy/pet to work. We all love a cuddle.
Reason number 7
Forced exercise. I walk from Penrith Station to the office. It’s about a 2km walk and I personally find it a great way to start and finish my working day.
I mean, you could also be lazy and drive, but why not join me for a walk ????
Reason number 8
Better relationships with family you work with.
I work in the business with my mum Lundi. She does the tech side and I do the digital side. My mum and I are both very agreeable when it comes to something we don’t have much of an opinion on, but as soon as we are passionate about something we are the opposite and will stand our ground. We are both very passionate about Katberg and sometimes have very different opinions. This is not a bad thing. However before working in The Creative Fringe our arguments were very unproductive to say the least and it would often turn personal.
Now that we are in an office space at The Creative Fringe the dynamics have completely changed for the better and I cannot quite put my finger on why… Maybe it’s not the blurred line between work and personal and we keep our disagreements related to work very professional and productive.
Reason number 9
You cannot help but think creatively in such a creative space. Additionally, it’s a place filled with creative people so it’s a perfect place to get feedback bounce and brainstorm some ideas with other creative people
Reason number 10
The Creative Fringe is a Covid Safe Workspace.
*Bonus Reason*
JayBelle’s Wicked Indulgence often brings in unexpected treats…. The best!
Personally I’d love to see more creatives in this space. It really is a self sustaining ecosystem. And if you are worried about the extra expense just see it as a marketing avenue with a really good return on investment.
Come join us for some fringe benefits at The Creative Fringe. It’s not just simply a space to work for the day. It’s a space to bring in more business, be social and most importantly – get shit done!
PS. If you’re not in a creative industry you can join us too.