By Christine Graf

During the past decade, coworking spaces have become increasingly common throughout the country. These shared workspaces allow individuals to rent office space on an as-needed basis.

As more people transition to working remotely, coworking spaces are becoming even more popular. They afford remote workers with an alternative option to working from home.

Hangr Coworks, a new addition to the Capital Region’s growing coworking market, is located at 800 Route 146 in Clifton Park. For co-founders Christine Smith, Juergen Klingenberg, and Matt Cummings, this is not their first collaboration.

Klingenberg and Cummings have worked together the past 17 years and co-own Flight Creative Group.

“We opened riplEFX in 2020, and we run networking groups, workshops, and teach people how to network intentionally. riplEFX will play a role at the coworking space,” said Smith, a former financial advisor who has worked in marketing for 17 years. “Every one of our memberships includes access to a (virtual) networking group that people can go to once a month.”

Network group members live both locally as well as throughout the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. By participating in these groups, professionals are able to share knowledge and advice within many different arenas. There are networking groups in everything from finance to theft protection.

By Andrea Harwood

Trends in small business online marketing are leaning toward social media and Google Ad services. But an often forgotten tool is email marketing.

“One of the most overlooked but simplest thing any business can do is email marketing on a regular basis,” said Sara Mannix, president and CEO of Mannix Marketing digital marketing agency in Glens Falls. She has been in business since 1996. 

“I think people are afraid to email too frequently. But if you’re doing a good job collecting emails and getting to know who your customers and target market are and reaching them with relevant information, it’s incredibly cost effective.”

People are aware of what social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram can do for a business, she said. Often overlooked is the social media platform TikTok, a short-form video hosting service and social media platform. For the right person going after the right customer, particularly the younger demographic, the platform is a good avenue for exposure. 

By Anne K. Cabral

Do you need different office space? Do you have too much? Too little? Has the COVID-age of remote working affected how much space you need? Will the increase in tech production affect your workforce? 

You work in your office every day and have grown accustomed to it. If you’re not sure about your office needs, this may be the perfect time for an office utilization assessment. 

Here are signs to look for:

You’ve outgrown the space. Do desks seem to be stacked up on top of each other? Are conference rooms crowded? Are meetings scheduled outside the office to get into a less cramped environment? These are the most obvious signs that it’s time to get a bigger space.

An overcrowded office can affect your employees’ morale and effectiveness and contribute to building a negative work environment. Feeling like a bunch of sardines crammed into too small a space will only frustrate them. 

A minimum of 140 square feet per employee is a good guideline. So, if you don’t meet that, then it’s time to move. Here are a couple of ways to realize whether you are running low on space: