The bulk of pre-venture entrepreneurs are maintaining a full-time job while creating a “hobby job”, either to make ends meet, or to dip their toes into the unknown and often scary waters of self-employment. In fact, a side hustle often creates solopreneurs who soon discover that the business is taking an increasing number of hours each week and generating more income along the way. Enter those of us at Evolve Workplace. 

As a coworking space, we minimize the costs and perceived barriers to starting a small business. We are in the business of helping other small businesses grow, and provide shared services to maximize affordability for startups and people who, for whatever reason, aren’t able to take a part time business to scale. We offer FREE community memberships, which includes our newsletter and invitations to public events. We really want you to cowork with us, so we have flexible packages, including paid memberships for evening only or weekend only office space starting at only $150 per month.

Once we engage pre-venture and other small scale entrepreneurs, it’s easier to get them to recognize that the current economy allows them to fulfill their dreams and to transition into the land of freedom through self-employment. More often than not, between the information we provide on business structures in Minnesota to personalized on-site business counseling, along with referrals to outside organizations such as Metropolitan Consortium of Community Developers (MCCD), African Development Center (ADC), Emerge Community Development WomenVenture and others, we find a way to make new businesses happen in Dakota County through Economic Development, especially those who want to establish roots in West St Paul, Inver Grove Heights, and South St. Paul.

Another hidden gem cities in Dakota County offer is another program for free business advice called Open to Business through MCCD, where individuals can work with a counselor from Metropolitan Consortium of Community Developers on gaining resources and insight as to the viability of community-based businesses.