Could you squeeze in an extra desk or two in your business? It could be an extra line of income for you. Photo via Pexels.

With more people working remotely, more people are working from places that are neither their offices or their homes. Cue the rise of the Third Workplace.

You may remember “third places” as places you hangout that aren’t home and aren’t work. Coffee shops, bars and places like that. “Third workplaces” are places you work that aren’t home and aren’t the office.

Since rural places host a lot of professionals working from the field, we’ve long had people who wanted temporary and flexible places to work. What we haven’t had was much supply. Now with more remote work and more entrepreneurship, we expect to see more people looking for places to work. That’s a business opportunity.

Any small town or rural business could potentially create a new line of income from any  space that could be adapted for a third workspace to rent out. 

Adding additional lines of income is one of the Small Town Rules: always have more than one line of income.

All kinds of small town businesses have extra workspace, including the tire store. Photo by Jon Swanson

The larger trend

Of course this is all about remote work, whether it’s current residents or people moving to rural places working online. The pandemic accelerated this, and it’s still going.

• People who may want a change of scene from their home office.
• People may crave more work interaction than they get at home.
• People may want to feel part of the larger business community.
• People who work from an office might benefit from getting away for some focused work.

One of our favorite trendwatchers, Emergent Research said:

We’re seeing signs that, thanks to the shift to remote work, the paradox of place is breaking down and workers and companies are geographically spreading out. We expect both the trends towards greater use of 3rd places for work and economic de-agglomeration to continue.

Have some extra reception space? Even couches or soft seating can be office-like enough for a third workspace. Photo by WOCinTech.

What would you need to set up a workspace?

1. Chairs or places to sit are good.
2. Desks or tables would be nice.
3. Wifi would help.

Pretty much everything else is negotiable.

Even wifi, which feels like an absolute requirement, can be flexible. If your wifi isn’t great, some workers may have a wireless hotspot they can use. (But still, faster and more reliable wifi would be better.)

The basic amenities are chairs and work surfaces, because otherwise remote workers will make do with almost nothing. Photo by Becky McCray.

Even if other co-working places exist in your town, you can still create your own third workspace with your own personality. Different people will like different kinds of workplaces.

Some people want a noisy coffee shop. Some will like quiet libraries. Some want a more homey place, and others will feel more business-like in an office-style setting. Whatever the feel of the work space you create, there is someone who will love it.

Are guest rooms going empty? Those are potential workspaces. Photo by C.C. Chapman.

What businesses could make money from extra workspace?

Coffee shops, cafes and food businesses have long been used as informal workspaces. What if you made a just slightly upgraded workspace for an extra charge?

Business incubators could create office space and co-working space.

Hotels, motels or bed and breakfasts may already offer a workstation or two for guests. Could you expand the workstation to accommodate regular co-working? Could you rent guest rooms as temporary offices?

RV Parks, too. 

Outdoor workspaces including parks, yards, porches and RV parks have income-producing potential. Photo by C.C. Chapman.

Any business with room for an extra desk or office. Maybe an insurance company has some open space in their offices. Maybe an attorney has an extra partners office they only use for storage.

Nonprofit organizations, economic development groups or chambers may have offices or meeting rooms that aren’t in use all the time.

Churches, worship centers, fellowship halls, or youth centers may have classrooms or offices they could share.

If your space is accessible by wheelchairs or people with mobility issues, you can serve more people. Glenda Watson Hyatt who uses a wheelchair brings her own roll-up keyboard that’s easier for her to use when working. Photo by Becky McCray.

Two real life examples: bringing clients in, and The Smoffice

What to look for: empty space or storage space in any businesses’ office

Mike Samson, co-founder of crowdSPRING, said they partnered with a design development firm, and the deal included a tiny amount of office space. This worked for them for nine months before they outgrew it.

Samson said there is a big difference between working at home, and working with other people who have ideas, connections, networks, and can invite you to events. We’ll talk more about the benefits of third workplaces, below.

Deep display windows downtown can turn into small offices. Photo courtesy of The Smoffice.

What to look for: deep display windows downtown going empty: The Smoffice

In Durham, North Carolina, a local coffee shop had big display windows up front they weren’t sure how to use. So they turned one into a small office space. They called it The Smoffice, and held a contest to find a tiny entrepreneur that wanted to use it. Everyone benefited from the publicity, and the two businesses actually interacted and helped each other while they were located together.

Deep display windows downtown can turn into small offices. Rendering courtesy of The Smoffice.

Bonus Points: Third workspaces bring side benefits to workers, entrepreneurs and the community

Better workers: When people who usually work from home do some of their work from a co-working space, Emergent Research said that they feel more engaged and motivated, they expand their professional networks and feel more successful.

Better entrepreneurs: Entrepreneurs learn best from each other. When they’re in close proximity, they have opportunities to run into each other randomly. They’ll talk to each other, answer questions for each other, come up with ways they might work together or potential customers they might refer to each other.

Better community: When people who work from home or remotely meet at these third workspaces, they’ll start to build connections. That’s an essential part of building community and social capital.

Coworking groups and clubs can form in shared workspaces. that helps build beneficial social capital in your community. Photo by Sheila Scarborough.

Get ready for a dozen ideas for making a better third place. Pictured is Gathering Grounds coffee shop in Avon, Minnesota. Photo by Deb Brown.

At the Main Street Now conference, I sat in on a session about coffee shops. I wrote down bunches of ideas that the audience shared. I thought you might know a coffee shop person, or you might think of ways to use these with other types of small town businesses.

• Hold trivia nights or allow groups to meet in your space to drive more business
• Start a book club in your place
• Tell your story online. How were you founded? What is your history?
• Leverage your relationships with other businesses to put together a tour of businesses, or an experience that includes more than just your business
• Host readings, where customers can come in and share their writings
• Host adult coloring groups or game nights to bring in more evening customers
• Find out more about the people who work from your space, the people who bring in their laptops and work. What is their business? Is there potential to connect with them?
• Display coffee mugs from all the different businesses in town
• Provide vegetarian and vegan choices on the menu
• Support local causes and share about them
• Promote the chance to make friends, especially for new residents
• Reach out to new residents to make them aware of your place (You can find them through real estate agents.)
• Promote how people can connect with people not necessarily like them, how you play a role in strengthening community ties across groups in town.

Do you have any small town coffee shop ideas to add? When I asked in my newsletter, here are some ideas that readers shared.

“Whenever you get a new coffee, take an air pot around to all the business near you and give samples out.”
George M. Wurtzel

“Invite a well known Barista to run a Barista course at your coffee shop. Funding could be obtained from employment groups etc. Following on from that conduct a series of classes teaching people how to make simple things like vanilla slice and lamingtons. [an Australian cake specialty] This will follow on to your clients asking you to run classes on what they want to learn.”
Graham Reid

“Our trail organization co-hosts a #coffeeoutside gathering in a park each Thursday morning with a local bike shop. It is an opportunity to walk, bike or drive to share a relaxed social hour together. It is a great way to meet neighbors and solve the world’s problems. It could just as easily be set up outside a coffee shop. The point is: get outside, drink coffee, meet neighbors. We always have one type of coffee already made up, but invite roasters, shops and individuals to roast a pot on a camping set-up.”
Beth Nobles

Here’s the Coffee Outside website.

“We are test driving a coffee shop here in downtown Paulding, Ohio as a result of Deb Brown’s visit here a couple of weeks ago. The test is Tuesday and Thursday mornings through the month of May. First two days this week have been phenomenally successful. Using volunteer ‘baristas,’ the community support has been exceptional.
“Thank you Becky & Deb for all the idea sharing and leadership that you provide to our many small communities!
David Burtch

“All these ideas about coffee shops can be modified and apply to wineries. I say ‘modified’ because of the alcohol restrictions. We have been doing many of these practices at our winery in Knoxville, IA. Tonight I am hosting a fashion show with 5 women business owners in my community. It’s the first time doing this and I hope it works well. I reached out to our business owners that had fashions or a tangent business. I know a jewelry designer that will match her product with the clothes from the boutiques. A local photographer will take photos of the models and the event. A fabric designer that makes her own jackets will model her creations. I charged $5 advance tickets (available online or at the shops) and $10 at the door. The first beverage is free, so there is very little ‘risk’ to the guests, but allows me to gauge interest and attendance. You can see our story on our website NearWoodWinery.com. I think I have a pretty good origin story on the About Us page.”

Joann Schissel

Of course, I asked how the fashion show went, and Joann shared more:

“I think the fashion show went well. We had 15 models (includes kids) and friends/relatives were in the audience. I am focused on ‘gathering my tribe’ strategy and catering to established groups of people that have their own tribe. I loved working with the women business owners and promoting their products.
“Thank you for your great advice to help small towns. I think you and Deb fill a real need for our rural communities as mentors, strategists and cheer leaders!”

What other ideas do you have for coffee shops and other community gathering businesses?

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