Wireless Makes New Business Space Possible
Marcus Nelson has another idea. Perhaps best known for co-founding the all-ages RockWater CyberCafé in downtown (space that’s now a parking ramp), Nelson’s latest has more of a commerce flair about it, but still revolves around the internet — wireless, this time.
It’s an office space concept for independents, a shared community of creative types and a spot where people can drop in, log on and bug out. Occasional users of his CitizenDesk space on the breezy fourth floor of Washington Square downtown won’t need to pay, but those who want a permanent desk can have one with attendant storage space for $175 per month.
Washington Square has wireless access, so there’s no hassle or expense of hooking up. Ditto for phone service: no wiring concerns because Nelson expects everyone to have their own cell phone.
The 36-year-old Kronenwetter resident who still has a soft spot for downtown says that desk rental fee would be on a month-to-month basis and is a fraction of what rent would cost in a small office. A conventional offi ce with enough room for a desk or two would be $400 to $600 a month, he says. Nelson would add that the renter of that office would still be isolated, even with the higher cost, and would have
to pay for amenities such as internet and a stocked refrigerator in the break room.
“Nobody is saying this is a dumb idea,” says Nelson, who has been talking up the idea with anyone who is stationary. “Everybody is intrigued.”
He spotted one prospective user of CitizenDesk in a coffee shop. Tracey Traut was identifi able because of her laptop computer and three chairs around the table loaded with fi les. Traut is a purchasing consultant, meaning she helps companies buy things wisely, and she is on the road about half the time. Working at home, which she fi nds herself doing the other half of the week, is not entirely a good thing, she has found. She lives in Birnamwood and finds herself driving to Wausau to be among people.
“It sounds great, but if you’re a social person, you have something missing,” she says about trying to work from home. Nelson knows what Traut is talking about. He is trying to get a company of his own started, Superstarch.com, dealing with marketing, branding and web technology, and he’s mostly working at home.
“You’re hungry, so you go make yourself a sandwich, then you put your plate in the sink and think you should do a load of dishes and to do the dishes you need to empty the dishwasher.” Add to that, he has two small children home for the summer. “As a parent, I never want to say no.” Then he looks outside and sees that the lawn needs mowing.
Depending on interest, when he opens CitizenDesk he plans to have six desks available for monthly rentals and “hot desks” available to whoever shows up. Of the $175 monthly desk rental, $125 of it will pass on to building owner Compass Properties and $50 of it stays with Citizen Desk to stock bottled water, pay for
cleaning and other costs.
Having an office can elevate an online business, he says, and CitizenDesk will have room to meet with clients, teach a class and even have small wine and cheese receptions. Some of the renters of desks might be traveling pharmaceutical company representatives, he says, or artists who need to be out of their homes or apartments to be most efficient. Renters of desks would have key access and could set their own hours.
“My selfish ambition is to create a community within Wausau,” Nelson says. “There are people who feel a little disconnected and this would serve their interest. Guess what? We all have an innate desire to be among people. This is one little way to unify and bring people back together.”
Traut likes Nelson’s idea for “a place of collaboration.” She says she is excited for the time when she can come in, spread out her papers, get some work done and chat a bit with fellow users of the space. At home,
“It’s tough to stay on task sometimes.” Nelson’s toughest task, she predicts, is getting the word out that CitizenDesk exists.
There could be similar places in Green Bay and Appleton, where she now works in coffee shops, and she would not know it. Libraries are another spot that traveling business people sometimes use for quiet,
short-term work space, according to Phyllis Christensen. She is the support services director at the Marathon County Public Library and was named last week to serve as interim director after the August retirement of Director Mary Bethke. Nelson has a different target audience, Christensen says, but she predicts it could be quite viable.
Mark Craig, Compass’s general manager, says he has gotten a few inquiries from potential renters. It’s worth trying, he says. The idea of sharing offi ce space is not new, he says, but Nelson has put more of a creative spin on it. Compass is ready to provide more space if this takes off, he says.