Are you looking for a coworking space in Warrnambool?
My name is Paul Dillon and I’m the co-founder and CEO of Regional Rising.
That’s me on the right in the photo above. In a previous life I managed The Hive at South West TAFE coworking space in Warrnambool and I established the Mallee Rising coworking space in Swan Hill in 2017 which closed during the enforced pandemic lockdowns of 2020.
Warrnambool hasn’t had a coworking space since The Hive closed in 2021.
With more people working from home since the pandemic, including myself, it is a shame that a regional centre the size of Warrnambool does not have a sustainable hub for entrepreneurs, innovators, creatives, small business and the broader community to come together under one roof to meet, work, collaborate, socialise and network.
There are some niche spaces like the new public library and One Day Studios but they are not coworking spaces and don’t pretend to be. Everyday Workspace has a small footprint with a focus on permanent resident users (and capacity for a few casuals) and the new Co-Lab appears to focus on attracting businesses as anchor tenants and meeting room hire. From what I can tell, there’s not a lot around for your rank-and-file casual coworker who wants to work a couple of days a week from a shared space.
Incredibly, Regional Rising has 679 impressions on Google for the search phrase “coworking space Warrnambool” in the 12 months to March 2024.
People are searching for a coworking space in Warrnambool
Incredibly, Regional Rising has 679 impressions on Google for the search phrase “coworking space Warrnambool” in the 12 months to March 2024. And Regional Rising doesn’t even offer coworking (at present) but it does provide evidence that a significant number of people are searching for coworking infrastructure in Warrnambool.
Where do we go from here to establish a coworking space in Warrnambool?
Having opened one coworking space and managed a second - and experienced the challenges first hand of trying to turn them into financially sustainable enterprises - I am not looking to open or manage another coworking space alone.
I am interested to understand how many people living in, or visiting, Warrnambool would support (spend money using) and benefit from a new coworking space.
The Hive at South West TAFE, Warrnambool
I moved back to Warrnambool during the pandemic and managed The Hive, a new coworking space, until SWTAFE closed it in 2021 due to a lack of funding.
Mallee Rising coworking space, Swan Hill
I launched Mallee Rising in 2017 as “a launchpad for local entrepreneurs where business and community meet and ideas spark”.
I personally funded the social enterprise but decided to close it three years later when the Victorian government ordered businesses to close their doors during the pandemic.
Expression of interest
The objective of this page and form is to understand the size of the local market interested in coworking and to use this information to potentially develop some next steps with interested parties and stakeholders.
This form does not commit Regional Rising or respondents to opening or using a coworking space.