Coffee shop meetings could be a thing of the past with the rise of collaborative work spaces like Creative Bloc in downtown Baton Rouge.
Information systems and decision sciences senior Gabriel Murillo, explained the struggle of running his graphic design business, Creative Talent, before finding Creative Bloc. He said it was hard to establish credibility when meeting with clients in coffee shops because it seemed informal.
Murillo began renting a workspace and took advantage of amenities such as the conference room to meet with local clients. Murillo said working out of Creative Bloc gave his company a sense of credibility and it took off from there.
“It was an investment but I could see the return right away,” Murillo said.
Creative Bloc offers memberships that allow entrepreneurs and businesses to utilize workspaces, offices, conference rooms and state-of-the-art studios for one fee. It caters to professionals focusing on audio, video, photography, communications and graphic art.
Creative Bloc owner John Jackson said the inspiration behind the workspace was to make it simple so creative professionals could focus on their work. Being in the business himself, he understood that many creative entrepreneurs and businesses operated out of their homes in order to save money.
“[I was] wanting to build a model that was very easy for small businesses, because I know [the struggle of] paying a bunch of different bills and utilities and all that,” Jackson said. “Let’s just make it simple. There’s one fee and it kind of covers everything.”
Creative Bloc memberships range in price according to how much time a person utilizes the space. An occasional membership gives a person access to the building with no designated space and the ability to reserve conference rooms. At the other end of the spectrum, a tenant member sees their name on the building and has an office. Some memberships in between give members their own designated workstation and access to amenities.
Jackson said another goal of Creative Bloc is to create an environment of like-minded people who can collaborate, network and share experiences with one another. The office itself clearly lends itself to creative inspiration with white boards filled with notes and local artwork all over the walls.
Creative Bloc also holds events that promote networking and collaboration. Musicians can showcase their talent at the monthly Creative Roc where they gather and play in the studio. This event is open to the public.
Recently TEDxLSU, a partnership between LSU and popular speaking event, visited the workspace and met with experts in the creative field who work at Creative Bloc. TEDxLSU communication team member Meghan Prieto said people from the film, sales, marketing and public relations industries talked to the group. She said the event and office were “pretty awesome.”