January 2017 | Business View Magazine

30 31 C oworking has become an increasingly attrac- tive option for work-at-home professionals, independent contractors and entrepreneurs, small business owners, and people who travel frequently and generally end up work- ing in relative isolation. Mark Hemmeter, founder and CEO of Office Evolution, a national operator of executive suite, virtual office, and co-working business centers, describes a typical customer of his company: “The local small business owner, who, primarily, used to work out of his house; who needs a professional, private, quiet place to work, but still wants to network with friends and other compatriots. They can’t work in their living room anymore or at a Starbucks. They need a professional place to execute their business.” Hemmeter started Office Evolution in Boulder, Colora- do in 2003. Within ten years, the company had opened eight profitable business centers in the greater Denver area, and in order to grow further, he and his team de- cided to franchise its proven turnkey business model in 2013. “We expect to have awarded 75- plus franchise locations by the end of 2016 with 26 currently open from Boston to Los Angeles and everywhere in between,” he reports.” Specifically, Office Evolution has centers in OFFICE EVOLUTION The evolution of office work Coworking - “ The use of an office or other working envi- ronment by people who are self-employed or working for different employers, typically so as to share equipment, ideas, and knowledge.” -- Oxford Dictionary -- Office Evolution