When I met Corina Biton, whose fashion company is called BloqUV, she talked about how being your own boss is exciting but also can be lonely. Formerly in public relations, Corina, a finalist in last year's Business Plan Challenge, is energized by being around people, and working at home was not ideal. When she later told me she was moving her startup company into a building made up entirely of fashion entrepreneurs, I thought it was a great idea. The owner of the building was a fashion entrepreneur too. Perfect. (Photo shows Corina Biton in some of her BloqUV clothing line, which protects wearers from the sun.)
I proposed the story to my colleague Ina Paiva Cordle, who covers the business of fashion, and you can read her interesting story here about this organically grown fashion incubator. Seven different companies under one roof -- plus a cutting service, a sewing operation and a freelance pattern maker -- share advice, areas of expertise, connections, have held sample sales together and even have modeled one another's clothing. Five of the companies plan to share a booth at an upcoming trade show.
I also thought of a story in the Tampa Bay Times about a group of culinary entrepreneurs who came together through a shared commercial kitchen. Each brought a little something different to the table, so to speak, but they shared many resources and the same entrepreneurial challenges. As of last year, some 60 culinary companies shared this commercial kitchen in Largo, Fla., called Your Pro Kitchen, some traveling as far as Gainesville or Naples, the story said. But for the salsa-making entreprenuer who started it all, it's more than a kitchen: it's a culinary incubator, with a business center, classes on entrepreneurship, room for cooking classes and staging areas for TV shows in addition to the commercial kitchen neccessities. I imagine the taste-testing is a lot of fun, too.
Are there other entrepreneur groupings that have found success sharing resources? Tell us your story.