It’s a rarity to see Chad Ballantyne sitting to have a coffee, but when he does he’s likely at The Creative Space and still working. The Creative Space at 12 Dunlop Street East has become a fixture in downtown Barrie for entrepreneurs, freelancers and small business owners to work and interact for over 6 years.
Chad Ballantyne and his wife Sandra own the popular meeting and working place and have been putting their own touches on the methodology of a “co-working community”.
“The co-working community promotes not working alone and being shut off from the rest of the world,” said Chad Ballantyne. “It used to be that bosses would tell employees to work from home and that didn’t seem like a bad idea as it saved on building rental and the cost of everything that goes into having a physical office space. But people started to become secluded and the idea of sharing and learning from one another stopped; this brings them back together and brainstorming together and even just being able to have small talk when needed; sometimes a simple conversation will spark an idea.”
The renting of office space isn’t new and Ballantyne knows he didn’t come up with it, but he does feel that they do it differently than anyone else. The 47-year-old also owns Rhubarb Media, a company that helps create the look and brand for other businesses; Ballantyne feels the RM has fuelled his drive for the Creative Space to be a unique place that thinks outside the box for those who use it.
“The Creative Space isn’t just a bunch of desks and grey walls,” said Ballantyne. “We are a big supporter of the local arts scene and culture so sometimes people walk in and think we’re a gallery because of all the paintings. Soft chairs and couches around the building give a comfortable look to the space but we also do many events too like weekend concerts, theatre script readings and even just social functions. This is definitely a very happening place all week long, but trust me; a lot of work gets done.”
Even more work will get done now that the Creative Space has two locations in Barrie. The original Dunlop location is 6,200 square feet with three floors and a main floor that has lots of open space for working and functions. The loft area has private offices and board rooms for the 55-strong members looking to get a way and work more privately.
A new spot at 494 Veteran’s Drive had its grand opening on June 7 and the south end location is 3,000 square feet with 15 desk areas, 4 private offices, three meeting spaces, a kitchen and even a warehouse with three bays for storage.
Ballantyne saw a demand for the Creative Space’s formula closer to the 400 highway and the new housing and development areas in town and decided to act.
“Our new south end location is different but also not different in that we’ll keep the feeling of what the downtown spot has become,” said Ballantyne. “There really was a need for two though as anyone who knows Barrie knows it’s kind of split up into the two territories; those who live in the south end rarely go passed Essa for shopping or dining and the same for those in the north. So this allows many of our clients to stay on the end as they prefer as well as grabbing those who may live just south of Barrie and are looking for some working space.”
Always looking to help others, Ballantyne created a system that would help small businesses and new start-up companies get off the ground and maybe even stick around the local area. The program, called smOffice, is open to those outside the city and inside with hopes of showing that Barrie is a great place to do business.
“smOffice is an idea that we wanted to do differently than government funded incubators that are out there. I wanted to show people what co-working does for companies and not just have them join Creative Space and go to work. I called the idea smOffice and it’s kind of a DYI system but we connect you to a few mentors to help you get going, we provide some local culture with things like theatre tickets, gifts from Barrie businesses and such," said Ballantyne.
"Every year we’ve helped launch companies through providing mentorship, physical space and positivity. With so much sponsor help from the local community for this, it’s more likely too that the businesses that get going will stay in Barrie or the area instead of seeing the need to go elsewhere; it’s always about building community and strengthening our city.”
With two Barrie Creative Spaces thriving, a media company keeping him busy and a social life he still has to maintain, Ballantyne knows that he’s not going to stop doing what he loves-helping people.
“Some people have hobbies that put thousands of dollars into boats or cars, I put money into this,” said Ballantyne. “My passion is helping people and seeing them come alive. I love seeing folks at all the stages of their career; the start, the falls, when they pick themselves up, and the eventual successes and seeing it through. That’s what I love and thats what this is all about.”
For more information on The Creative Space, check out their website at www.thecreativespace.ca To find out more about the smOffice system and how you can get involved, check out the website at www.smoffice.ca
