The husband and wife team of Jeno and Dana Cram founded Extension Coworking in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, for the pandemic. Now, a year later, they want to celebrate with community members and give a little back with free food and beverages at an open house this Saturday.
Last February, the doors of Extension Coworking opened to the public as an escape from the difficulties of working from home, but with the same social distancing benefits.
“Coworking spaces like ours are a trend that allows entrepreneurs, freelancers, independent contractors, students and the like to be able to subscribe to an office space without having to commit to a long term lease or get caught up in the expense of that,” Jeno said.
Citizens working remotely over the past two years due to the pandemic have discussed their frustrations. Working in the comfortable environment of one’s own home sounds nice, but it’s not always practical for focus and productivity.
Jeno worked in a coworking space in Michigan, and when he moved to Mount Vernon, there were none. Inspired by his own desire to escape his home office, the idea for Extension Coworking was born.
“I saw the trend when COVID started, companies going remote, and I thought now is a good time to give people an alternative to not having to go to the office or work out of the home. When your kids are at home, your dogs are at home, your cats are at home, it’s hard to keep a job and keep your sanity at the same time. I saw it as an opportunity to start something that there was a need for, and I think the timing just worked out well,” Jeno said.
For the unfamiliar, coworking is simply a shared business space where one can work without noise and stress and/or collaborate with similar entrepreneurs, freelancers and independent contractors.
It’s hard to know how a new business venture will be received and what metrics look successful. Fortunately, Extension Coworking has achieved a lot in the past year and exceeded Jeno and Dana’s personal expectations.
“The biggest accomplishment is that we have basically filled up Extension Coworking. We expected half capacity when we were first starting, but we’re at about 80% right now. It’s moving a lot faster than we expected,” Jeno said.
The business has been welcomed with open arms by Mount Vernon and surrounding communities. The location has a lot to do with that. At 23 N Main, right off the square, those using the coworking space get every bit of that downtown office feel. If you need something for lunch or have to run some errands, the central location makes it easy to keep the coffee cup full and leaves plenty of options for a post-work meal and a pint.
Knox County is notorious for local hospitality and business owners that care about the community, something Jeno and Dana found to be true right away.
“The interest and support from the community has been very surprising. Being welcomed downtown and the support from the other local business owners has been great. It’s a great community,” Jeno said.
In terms of the actual space for use, Extension Coworking offers daily, part-time and full-time options so you can utilize the offices for what you need and for how long you need.
Need a quiet spot to get through a project just for the day? Day pricing starts at $7 and if you are going to be there half the month or the full month, there’s a cost structure to accommodate.
If you need mailing options, you can add mailbox services and the conference room is available for hourly rental as well. The Extension Coworking theme from the start has been about providing remote workers with the best options and price points in an environment super conducive to productivity.
The future appears bright for Extension Coworking, and the goals for the coming year are already being set.
“The goal is obviously to get more members and more exposure,” Jeno said. “I think we need to be able to reach further out a little bit outside of Mount Vernon to reach more people in Apple Valley and some of the other, smaller, outlying towns that may have a use for Extension Coworking.”
At the current rate of growth and success, the owners may be looking to move into a larger space. But for now, it’s about appreciating the hard work over the last year and being thankful for the support of Mount Vernon.
Extension Coworking would like to say thanks by hosting an open house this Saturday, February 12th from 11am to 2pm. Stop by 23 North Main Street in Mount Vernon for snacks, drinks and a celebration.
