Starting a successful new business is tricky. You need a strong vision, purpose-driven tenacity, and it also helps when you have a like-minded business partner. When Joe met Pete, it was at one of Desk Space’s monthly member drinks events - an opportunity for the entire building of 50+ companies to get together and talk everything start-ups and living life. ‘It wasn’t long until we both requested we sit next to each other in order to speed up the development process of this new business, Hang With a Star.’ Pete Derbyshire, Director at Webthinking, has watched his web design

We love to see our members start new businesses and are excited to have Desk Space alumni Nick Benson and Nick Hudson return for their newest venture, E xD. We spoke to Nick Benson about E xD – what it is, what they do and what they want to achieve.   When did you establish E xD? We officially founded E xD 12 months ago although I was testing the concept for around 12 months before that. Who are the members of the team and what are your work backgrounds? My name is Nick Benson and my background is

As a coworking space, we are committed to supporting our network of members. But we also know that we part of a larger network of people, values and organisations, and continue to introduce a range of social responsibility initiatives to better support society, the environment and local businesses and organisations. We encourage and facilitate our members to recycle wherever possible with Method recycling bins in every kitchen. These are clearly labelled for members to dispose of their rubbish in the relevant bin, helping to divert waste from landfill and oceans. We order Thankyou soap refills so that we can re-use soap

If podcasts are your jam, here’s some popular podcasts that Desk Space members and other entrepreneurs are tuning into. Small Business Big Marketing Tim Reid hosts this podcast offering clever and effective marketing ideas and tips to help grow your business. Reid brings in business owners and marketing executives to talk about anything and everything small business, from how to create a viral video, to how to scale a business. “Great host, fantastic guests and really insightful.” – Joe Hughes, N O W! Communications How I Built This From NPR, Guy Raz dives into the stories behind some of

Did you know PayPal was founded as Confinity? And eBay was first known as AuctionWeb? Finding a business name is part of establishing a brand identity. It can help set customer expectations, indicate the type of business, convey brand values and affect ROI. In fact, research shows that strong catchy names perform up to 33 per cent better on the stock market than weak names. A name can help a business stand out from competitors and draw customers’ attention, and it can encourage customers to feel a connection through emotion, curiosity or appeal. A name that is easy to

We want technology that makes our lives easier in this increasingly connected world. We also want technology that’s seamlessly integrated into our lives. So, while we live with and use more technology, it’s becoming less visible in the interests of becoming more functional. Maxwell Forest is a technology business designing products that achieve this goal. “The best technology is that which is totally inconspicuous,” says Phil Webster, head of operations at Maxwell Forest. The company sells the first super-slim credit-card-sized Bluetooth tracker; the first leather-fob Bluetooth key finder; and soon the first leather-fob Bluetooth key finder and wireless recharger.

The ability to read and respondto body language is a powerful tool. From grand gestures to subtle signals, body language is nonverbal communication that subconsciously reveals more than carefully chosen words. Scott Dolce, Head of Growth at property management company :Different, has an interest in body language that he is using to better engage with clients and ultimately win more business deals. We spoke to Scott about some of his tricks of the trade.   How did you become interested in body language?   It started off with an interest around how I could do my job better. I

Startup founders have cited the help from coworking and mentorship as being most beneficial to their businesses, according to the 2018 Startup Muster Annual Report. Startup Muster’s 2018 report surveyed 1752 respondents in the startup sector, including founders, future founders and those who support the startup ecosystem. The results affirmed much of what we at Desk Space already know: support and success come from working together. Fifty-two per cent of respondents indicated that they worked in a coworking space, with 96 per cent of those respondents indicating they had benefited from help in a coworking space. Mentorship topped the

Overseas tech start-ups often choose coworking spaces when establishing their overseas businesses, providing professional and personal benefits. Desk Space was home to Airbnb and Deliveroo when they launched and expanded in the Australian market. It continues to be home to Yieldify and Airsorted, and has recently welcomed Let’s Do This and Boohoo Group. We spoke to Yieldify and AirSorted about how they established and expanded their businesses in Australia and how coworking at Desk Space has benefited them. Founded by Jay and Meelan Radia in 2013, Yieldify helps online retailers optimise customer conversion rates by providing technology solutions that

Research by PwCin 2013 found that the Australian tech-startup sector has the potential to contribute $109 billion, or four per cent, of GDP to the Australian economy and 540,000 jobs by 2033. Startups and entrepreneurs are a key of the NSW government’s plan to create new jobs and its Jobs for NSW program report released in 2016 centres on attracting large international companies to NSW, providing funding for local and regional SMEs and accelerating the growth of startups. There are a range of State and Federal government grants and initiatives that providefinancial support for small businesses and startups, as