There are many benefits of working together: sharing costs, supporting each other, having a place to go for advice, or having a base to meet clients.
It’s about being part of something bigger, but maintaining your own individuality, goals and objectives.
Central Business Associates has always been about creating the environment of a supportive large company – with shared values, access to different services, and support for micro, small and start-up businesses.
Our community has grown and developed over the years, supporting other local businesses by looking for gaps in the market. Most recently, with so many people working from home, we made the decision to move to a larger shared flexible office, where we can collaborate and support many more small businesses, individually or as a team.
Immediately loved the community spirit in the area.
Having previously chaired two community groups, I wanted to become involved locally and meet some local business contacts and people with similar or shared values, so I joined a local networking group.
Finding it difficult to get to breakfast and evening networking events, as a mum with young kids, I requested to start up a monthly morning coffee event for the group I’d connected with, which complimented their evening events. The attendance figures clearly indicated I wasn’t the only one looking for this option, and the group continues to be a huge support to many local business women, and has continued to grow.
With a strong background in Customer Service Management, I was considering my next career move, and began to get a strong feeling that there was a need locally for a place to network AND work at the same time, and the idea for the business centre began to take shape.
Central Business Associates was launched.
Recognising two growth markets within Australia – Customer Service and Flexible Working, and having significant experience in both areas, my subsequent research led me to identify my point of difference in the community.
2018 saw us move to another floor in the same building. The new space provided a much bigger coworking area, and a fantastic kitchen area to meet and chat with coworkers over lunch, and you could help yourself throughout the day to the complimentary tea, coffee and filtered water. We had a much larger boardroom, with panoramic views out over the ocean, and more potential for events and workshops .
Moving to the new space, with it’s community-centric environment, I wanted to offer more value to our Members.
In collaboration with another local business, I created a new Leadership Masterclass program, offering tailored workshops to enhance our business community’s Leadership skills, including monthly small group accountability sessions to help each other have a more rounded knowledge of how to grow our businesses.
I continue to look for areas where I can facilitate collaboration, and encourage local businesses to work together to create economic growth and community support in our area.
Celebrating five years open, 2020 was shaping up to be a year of stability. More people taking up permanent services in the flexible workspaces, and continued Leadership and Development support.
With the huge world crisis caused by COVID 19, being an already adaptable business, and with a background in change management, I looked at what services and support I could offer to our local business community. I made the decision to move to another flexible workspace location within our community from the end of September of 2020, with a number of our collaborative members. I focused more attention towards supporting the ongoing growth of local businesses, through offering a variety of specialised consultancy and contractor services.
Being able to focus my time on utilising the skills and strengths I have, rather than purely hosting workspaces, has opened up a new growth phase – for me and for my clients.
It’s lucky I’ve had the opportunity to study Change Management. If this last year has shown us anything, it’s that ‘Change is the new Normal’…
After a short period in the new workspace, a group of us were able to find a fantastic building to move to a long-term lease, allowing us to settle into a collaborative haven! We are just along the road, in the beautiful Manly Harbour Village, with yet another stunning view!
My clients are finally getting me all to themselves, as I no longer manage flexible workspaces, and my core values, strengths and service offerings allow me to help small businesses even more with the challenges they face.
A positive impact of the last few years was the worldwide acceptance of flexible work.
After feeling fairly unheard, shouting out into the blustering winds for the past 10 years about it, I was absolutely delighted when it became a topic to finally be talked about in a big way, globally. I actively encourage my clients and connections to think very clearly about whether there are any ways they can choose to work more flexibly, in a way that enhances their experience of their life, and career.
I redefined the work I was doing, and am now being engaged as a General Manager for small businesses. I am much more able to utilise my strengths, capabilities, experience and qualifications, by helping my clients with strategy and operations, and creating sustainable growth.
As for the group of collaborative co-workers who have come on this journey with me – we have become ever more connected as the years go by, and we are now delighted to have created a co-operative organisation.
Sage Room Ltd Co-operative has quietly launched, offering a variety of services, including collaborative contract work, online personal development courses, workshops and mentoring opportunities. We share many values and realise that we thrive working together as a group, as well as supporting one another in our continuing independent entities.
Watch this space!