Telecommuting in Arizona

Back in the day, working life was pretty simple. You commuted to a job which could take thirty minutes to an hour one way. You worked your eight-hour shift and then you commuted back home. In the mid 90’s a thing called the Information Superhighway, or internet, began to get popular. I think Al Gore invented it, or maybe Xerox invented the internet, or maybe it was DARPA. Either way, the interwebs created the unique ability for people to communicate with others across the globe, reducing the need for people to be in the same room with each other to accomplish their work.

Given the fact that you can now connect with people all around the world with technology like Google Hangouts, Skype, Email, Periscope, ryver, slack, and many more platforms, the concept of telecommuting has become extremely popular for a multitude of reasons. A recent study from Stanford suggests that 10% of US employees now regularly work from home.

Telecommuting can save time and money for both employee and employer alike. While some may choose to do their work remotely from home, we at AZ Smart Document Solutions would suggest that if you have any distractions at home you should consider using some of the many free and paid resources all located here in Arizona. This is especially true if you have an energetic toddler at home (like I do)!

Free Resources

Some businesses around town welcome coworkers with open arms as well as the many great libraries this great state has available. The fun thing about telecommuting is all the places available to try. We recommend you move around and see what works for you. Here is a list of some of the great places you can work with other telecommuters for free.

HIVE DOWNTOWN – PHOENIX BURTON BARR LIBRARY

1221 N Central Ave, Phoenix, AZ

The HIVE is located on the second floor of the Burton Barr – downtown library. The HIVE has a conference room section, a seminar section and also a private room. The staff at the HIVE host and put on many different events and seminars every week. This is also (like all of the locations in this list) a great place to network, especially before or after any of their entrepreneurial events. I’ve had the pleasure of presenting in this space on the Periscope app and I was surprised at how receptive and engaged the audience was. It really is a great place to work and network.

EUREKA LOFT – SCOTTSDALE CIVIC CENTER LIBRARY

3839 North Drinkwater Boulevard, Scottsdale, AZ 85251

The Eureka Loft is the City of Scottsdale’s entrepreneurial center. It is on the same floor as the City of Scottsdale’s Economic Development department. What makes this center a little different is its access to audio video equipment and regular training. I’ve also had the pleasure of presenting here on the same subject (Periscope app) and was very impressed with how intelligent, helpful, and friendly the staff was. Eureka is a great place to work if you prefer less distractions as it doesn’t get as much traffic as the Phoenix Burton Barr Library and the people that do use the facility are very respectful and quiet. If you are in the area on September 4th, Ryan will be speaking at Eureka on how to build mobile apps.

THINKSPOT MESA – MESA LIBRARY

635 N Power Rd, Mesa, AZ 85205

ThinkSPOT is the Mesa Library’s entry into the entrepreneurial co-working space. What sets this center apart from its sister centers across the valley is the fact that they are highly focused as both a maker-space and an audio/video production resource. They have all the equipment one would need to do a high level podcast or vlog.

BUCKEYE – ENTREPRENEURIAL CENTER

21699 W Yuma Rd #116, Buckeye, AZ 85326

The Buckeye Entrepreneurial Center is by far the newest entrepreneurial center here in the valley. This facility boasts both a conference room and a larger meeting room. I had the pleasure of attending their grand opening in June and I hope to present at their facility in the near future.

GOODYEAR – INNOVATION HUB

190 North Litchfield Road, Goodyear, AZ 85338

This is likely the second youngest of the library-based entrepreneurial centers around town. This facility – Innovation Hub – is a little smaller than others but includes a large training room, a smaller boardroom with white boards and a small office that can be reserved from time to time.

GANGPLANK CHANDLER

260 S Arizona Ave, Chandler, AZ 85225

Gangplank is such a great idea in my opinion. It brings together the cost-effectiveness (i.e., FREE) that one of the library entrepreneurial centers offers while combining the collaborative element that you see at most paid co-working spaces. The basic idea that Gangplank offers is that you can have a space to work, for free but once you’ve seen enough benefit you are expected to give back in social capital. Giving back means presenting to the group on a topic you are knowledgable about, helping other people with their projects, and being a resource for the community. They have every toy and resource you can imagine (3d printers, redbull vending machines, fully stocked kitchen, etc) and best of all they are free. They don’t even have an option for you to give them money thanks to funding from the City of Chandler.

GANGPLANK AVONDALE

525 N. Central, Avondale, AZ 85323

This is simply the West side outpost for the Gangplank brand. A little less busy than the Chandler location, but I believe that has everything to do with the fact that those in the west valley aren’t even aware it exists. You are now armed with the knowledge!

THE HENRY COFFEE BAR: XV

4455 E Camelback Rd, Phoenix, AZ 85018

The Henry is a Fox Restaurant Concept with a large room of tables for meetings, events, and coworking, as well as a restaurant section and patio. The central Arcadia location is great for meeting clients who are spread out around the valley. There are always a dozen or more professionals holding meetings and networking which is fantastic for those of you who like meeting new people. The staff and food are amazing as well which is a huge plus. Ryan can often be found here. His favorite aspects of The Henry are fast and free wifi, self serve coffee for his constant caffeine cravings, and their hours. 6:30am – 10pm (11pm on Friday – Sunday) means he can work early and work late, which is great for his schedule. The Henry also serves alcohol, which can make business meetings here amazing.

Paid Resources

There are a number of paid facilities in the greater Phoenix metro area that are great oasis’s for the telecommuter. Here are a few I have direct experience with.

CO-HOOTS

1027 E Washington St #107, Phoenix, AZ 85034

Co-hoots is a great facility that I currently call home for my business. The facility has a built-in coffee shop, desks that are able to adjust from a sitting desk to a standing desk, a conference room lovingly called the fishbowl, smaller meeting rooms and also phone booth sections for you to make and take phone calls without disturbing your fellow co-workers. The pricing is very reasonable ($50 a month) and since the building’s owners are also the owners of eeko design – a local design firm – the space is very aesthetically pleasing. Not to mention infiltrated by multiple random owls.

OFFICEPILE

2501 N 7th St, Phoenix, AZ 85006

Also located downtown is the OfficePile a co-working space that is approximately a year old. This facility – a former bank – is the most beautifully designed space I’ve been in. Once you step foot inside you’ll immediately notice the infusion of modern and latin-influenced art. This speaks a little to the community that dwells at this minority owned facility (co-hoots is minority owned as well but whose counting) – which, according to their website is the “first culturally diverse co-working space in the nation.” This facility has an open desk area, a vault section conference room and upstairs space for training and seminars. It also has a kitchen area for its members and one of the best office managers you’ll ever have the pleasure of working with.

MOD

2828 N Central Ave #100, Phoenix, AZ 85004

MOD is another downtown Phoenix facility. One key differentiator here is the space reminds me of an upscale hotel lobby. The pricing also veers toward the higher end of co-working spaces here in the valley. Another key differentiator about this location is the fact that it not only has a coffee shop, but also a bar built into the facility! If you need a drink after a long day (or a shot to wake up) – then this facility might be best for you as a nightcap is only steps away.

SEEDSPOT

2828 N Central Ave, 7th floor, Phoenix, AZ 85004

Seedspot is located in the same building as MOD but on the 7th floor. Seedspot seems to be more for the entrepreneur or business owner in startup stage rather than someone with a well established business. This is evidenced in part simply by their mission statement which reads “To educate, accelerate, and invest in entrepreneurs who are creating solutions to social problems”. The facility is very open and collaborative in nature but there is a bit of an application process to joining the facility.

ELEVATE – (INSIDE PARADISE VALLEY MALL)

4568 E Cactus Road M110,(above the Food Court) Phoenix, AZ 85032

Elevate is something of a hidden gem located in the beautiful Paradise Valley community. Being that it is inside of the mall, not many visit this location without the intention of co-working here. If you’re in Paradise Valley or even western Scottsdale for that matter this might be a great place for you to get work done.

EZ SPACES

1530 E Williams Field Rd #201 Gilbert, Arizona 85295

EZ Spaces is a location that is “all-inclusive” to its members and includes desks, conference rooms and some occasional snacks. If you are in the east Valley near Gilbert I would encourage you to check out this space.

DESKHUB

4900 North Scottsdale Road, Ste 4500,Scottsdale, AZ 85251

I had the pleasure of touring this facility just the other day after realizing it is literally in my backyard. This is one of 5 valley locations and is another that is based on the “all-inclusive” model. The pricing seems a little high for the market but the location is amazing if you need to be near Scottsdale and some potentially game-changing companies call the space home. If you are in Scottsdale drop in and take a tour.

With so many people telecommuting now there is a wide range of companies offering services that appeal to us. If your office is setup to allow for off-site printing and document management these solutions are even more attractive. Let us know your preferred space to cowork around the valley and if you see any of us make sure to say hi! If you are looking for a new place to call home we are hiring friendly and experienced sales people.