Sarah Hardecopf was trying to manage her consulting business out of her home and it was beginning to take up too much space.
“I had my office that was in my living room downstairs … my garage was being overtaken by having my saw set up, having all of my drill presses, because I was doing prototyping for one of my clients,” she said.
Hardecopf decided she needed a dedicated space for her growing business. She looked around to see what was available.
“I tried looking to see what type of available workspaces would work for my business, and they didn’t exist.”
That provided a business opportunity.
She and two partners decided to open up Fuse FlexSpace in Chandler to address that need. It was an immediate success and she said they’ve already received requests to open other locations in other parts of the Valley.
Fuse is located inside an industrial building on South Gilbert Road, near Insight Way. It has 8,000 square feet of office space and 20,000 square feet of warehouse space.
They rent the space per square foot, leaving it up to clients to decide how much office or warehouse space (or both) they need.
Hardecopf said they have some office-space-only clients, and some who just need warehouse room. They also off a limited number of hybrid offices that have doors that open directly into the warehouse.
Hardecopf said it took 18 months to get from the idea to actually opening.
That wasn’t soon enough for some of her clients.
“We had a few members … before we even had opened up,” Hardecopf said. “They’re like, ‘Hey, I need to be into the space by Sept. 1.”
She said they rushed and were able to open on Aug. 30.
“We actually opened the doors and we had members in the parking lot waiting for us to open at 8 a.m. [They were] already moving in by 8:02.”
Hardecopf said that Fuse is perfect for businesses like hers, and she was the first tenant to sign up.
For new businesses that are growing and can no longer be operated out of the home, it’s a dedicated work space that is more affordable, because you’re just paying for the square footage you need.
What Fuse offers is flexible space. If the business continues to grow, it can offer more space without having to move. If times are tough, businesses can book less space.
And it also gives businesses the option of office or warehouse, depending on their needs.
There are different types of conference rooms available that can be booked when needed. The largest can hold between 30 and 40 people. There is a joint lobby and kitchen where the coffee and tea are always free, Hardecopf said.
Having a shared space also saves money. Businesses won’t have to buy toilet paper, soap, paper towels, or worry about a company kitchen. Hardecopf said another selling point is that a lot of networking goes on between her clients.
“If someone’s in marketing or another in I.T. (information technology), maybe they trade,” she said. “‘Oh, I need help with my computer, but I need help with marketing of this.’”
Hardecopf said they have booked 80% of their office space and 50% of the warehouse space since opening at the end of August. She said the flexibility is the key.
“People are like, ‘I’m not really sure what my business is going to look like in a few months, can you work with me as we make adjustments?’ That’s what we’ve been able to do so far.”
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