New Year New Hustle: Great Workspaces around Calgary
Written by: Kelsey Woods
Well Calgarians, another year has begun and I think we’ve all finally come out of the turkey coma from the holidays. Back to the office and back to everyday work. However, not everyone goes back to an office job. For all of you entrepreneurs, small business owners or online gurus, it can be tough to get back into the groove of things when you don’t have an office to go back to. When you work from home, it is easy to get distracted and start doing absolutely anything except work – even laundry starts to look appealing when you have a 40 page report in the works. As a small business ourselves, we sympathize with you in the fact that we too get sidetracked and need a quiet place to work without distractions. But it’s a new year and there’s room for some productive changes. Below we’ve shared with you some of our favourite spots to put our head down and get the bulk of the work done in silence.
The Commons
If you are a work-out-of-the-office type of person but still need to get stuff done, The Commons could be just the place for you. It is a private lifestyle work collective, offering single offices for rent, group work spaces or even private meeting rooms. Whether you are a company looking for a small place to settle down or an individual looking to get a few hours of work done, The Commons has different memberships available to use their trendy, versatile building. This space not only offers quiet work space but also the opportunity to meet and connect with other small business owners, entrepreneurs, and independent workers. When you join the Commons, you are getting work accomplished, connecting with a community of new ideas, and growing your professional network all at the same time.
Rosso Coffee Roasters
Now we all know that the difference between thinking about work and actually doing work is usually quite simple: coffee. Everyone loves a good cup of joe in the am before opening the laptop and checking email after email. That’s why Rosso prides itself in its flavourful coffee and quiet cafes. With seven locations around the city, we’ve picked the two below as our personal favourites to work away at, with friendly staff and relaxing music. But make sure you get there before lunch time, this place is a hotspot for go-getters, blog writers and book readers.
Quiet Locations:
National Music Centre
17th Avenue
Work Nicer
This co-working environment promotes working for yourself not by yourself. Work Nicer is a downtown space dedicated to helping small businesses, entrepreneurs, and independent workers find a space to call their own while surrounded by like-minded people. Better yet, they care about your personal wellness and have a gym on-site. This workspace includes caffeine, office supplies, board rooms - everything you might need as a working professional looking to get more serious in the business world.
The University of Calgary TFDL Library
If you haven’t been to U of C’s newest library, you’ve got to check it out. Six floors of varying quietness, this library is stocked with books, computers and work stations. The main floor has a quiet buzz, with lots of place to sit, spread out and grab a coffee at Good Earth. We can personally say that we’ve got plenty of work accomplished here – from casual coffee meetings on the first floor to serious writing on the sixth floor.
Resource YYC
This collaborative work space is a great way to solidify your working hours. Resource YYC is geared towards young professionals and entrepreneurs looking to seriously get started and work towards their goals. Starting in 2016, memberships for this new space range from casual drop in rates to private office rentals and corporate options. This flexible, affordable workspace offers professionals the opportunity to work hard in a new environment but also gain access Resource YYC’s unique software, ResourceNET, to aid in starting or maintaining a business. Check out their website to learn more about their versatile space.
Kelsey Woods is a Content Writer for Best of Calgary