Today we're feature a guest blog by Tuni Schartner of TRS Strategies and Queen Bee of the co-working space, The Hive. Below she breaks down the benefits of coworking and how it can help grow a small business.

cross-pol·li·na·tion  [kraws-pol-uh-ney-shuhn, kros-]  noun

1.Botany . the transfer of pollen from the flower of one plant to the flower of a plant having a different genetic constitution. Compare self-pollination.

2.a sharing or interchange of knowledge, ideas, etc., as for mutual enrichment; cross-fertilization.

Well, clearly we’re relating to the latter definition here!  

At The Hive we have a mix of small business owners, writers, artists, technical folks, marketing professionals, remote sales people, entrepreneurs, scientists and many more. We respect everyone's right to privacy, but offer the opportunity to share what it is we all do. The person working next to us might be able to design our logo or write our next press release and conversely we might be able to help them write their business plan, or handle their books!

The Hive was established with a mission to always encourage collaboration between members and so far it’s working.  We’ve been (officially) open for 3 years and what has already happened here is pretty awesome!

We believe that a Co-working environment in general, and The Hive specifically, is the perfect place to set up shop for a small business looking to grow organically. Co-working spaces are an environment that promoted positive energy and new ideas – innovation through collaboration. They offer contacts to refer to customers and clients to when they needed things your business can’t offer offer. They offer people who you can throw ideas around with, discuss some of the newest trends with and discover how you can bring those to your clients. As a collaboration there is always a small business owner around to help guide you through the difficult and sometimes confusing process of starting, or running a business in Rhode Island. 

Coworking is a relatively new concept for Rhode Islanders, but it’s a concept that encourages original thought, new ideas, and business development. It fosters independent growth in a heartening environment. It’s the right place for many to begin, or sometimes continue, their journey of business ownership.

Based in the historic Lafayette Mill complex in North Kingstown, Rhode Island, The Hive RI coworking space provides inexpensive working space, conference and meeting areas and professional amenities such as copy machines, printers as well as high speed internet. Local artists, businesspeople, lawyers, engineers and other professionals come together at The Hive to work independently, but not alone. The Hive is open from 9-5, Monday through Friday, welcomes walk-ins and offers affordable rates for daily, weekly and monthly use. The Hive hosts weekly lunchtime networking events and is also available for group events at non working hours. Please visit http://www.thehiveri.com for more information on co-working, or www.millatlafayette.com for information on spaces available.