What started out as the seed of an idea from the Gilmore Youth Leadership Forum is developing into the Shoalhaven Business Hub. 

There was a call for a space in Nowra for new, young business owners and entrepreneurs to gather and share ideas and knowledge.

A group of motivated people have been planning a trial of a space with hot desks, WiFi and a meeting room in the Shoalhaven City Arts Centre.

Ory Purhonen is a director of Webics in Nowra. People were asking him if they could rent out desk space in his office, which led him to thinking if the demand was there why not come up with the supply?

“A few people asked me about a co-working space in Nowra,” he said.

“There are a lot of businesses with people working from home and freelancers who could use the space.

“There are a lot of these co-working spaces and hubs in Sydney. 

“I think Nowra’s evolved to a point where it’s ready to have one.

“I spoke to John Lamont [Gilmore Youth Leadership Forum co-ordinator] from NowChem about it and he pushed the idea out to a few people.

“It’s critical to be able to share ideas with people who are on the same journey as you.

“Now we’ve got a committee and will be trialling it at the arts centre,” he said.

Shoalhaven City Arts Centre acting manager Tania Morandini said the hub idea worked with the centre’s emphasis on applied creative thinking.

“The more diversity we have in the arts centre, the more innovative collaboration can begin to happen,” she said.

“We expect to be able to start offering the room to people in coming months.”

Nowra business leader John Lamont believes the hub will work.

“With the people who are on board we will make it work,” he said.

“We just need to promote it heavily as a service through council’s Economic Development Committee, and the Shoalhaven Business Chamber that the space will be available.

“It’s a very low-risk model to start with and if it takes off it could become an income stream for council or someone else who might want to pick it up.

Mr Lamont said the hub offered professional hot desks, space for business people to use while visiting the region, or as an off-site meeting room for local businesses. The arts centre courtyard also offers a more casual meeting space for networking.

For more details about the business hub, email ory@webics. com.au

MARKETING and communications consultant Jamie McAinsh runs a company called The Marketing Clan from a home office in Vincentia.

He has already used one of the meeting rooms at the Shoalhaven City Arts Centre for workshops and presentations.

He is a strong believer in the benefits of people within creative industries collaborating.

“It can be very inspiring to share a space with creative people,” he said.

“Before moving here two years ago, I was with an advertising agency overseas where it was busy and vibrant and a lot of good ideas came out of that environment.

“I’m flabbergasted by the number of opportunities in this region. It’s rich with them now and there will be more opportunities down the track,” he said.

Rhonda McGuire runs a Shoalhaven business as a conflict coach and business trainer, when she heard of the business hub idea she was in.

“I’m behind it for a few reasons. I’m a consultant and if I’m in town a hot desk is something I could use as well as the training room.”

Mrs McGuire, who is also involved in the Shoalhaven Professional Business Association, thought the hub was a space the group could also use.

“We have people who work in the Shoalhaven but who don’t live here, so they need office space, but not an entire office.”