By Our Correspondent
TPX Hub basically set up to offer a new, dynamic and different kind of working environment for young and upwardly mobile creative professionals, has started its operations in Lagos.
The Hub, which is situated in a serene Opebi, Ikeja location and which opens daily from 8am to 6pm, offers office space which allows you meet and sit in the same room with several clients, creatives and professionals such as web designers, graphic artists, app developers, startups and small businesses.
With the expanding network of businesses evolving on a daily basis especially amongst creative young people, the Hub aims to build a network of professional co-workers while providing comfort, synergy and solution in one location for its clients. The long term plan is to expand to different locations across Lagos and eventually pan-Nigeria.
Startups and evolving businesses can now take advantage of opportunities that allow them work out of already furnished and established office spaces.
Since office spaces in central business areas such as Ikeja are difficult and expensive to rent for many start-ups, many young entrepreneurs decide to work from home. However, some allow their dreams and business ideas incubate till they can afford to pay for a space. Sadly, some dreams end up dying.
Kayinsola Doherty, a 28-year-old University of Lagos-trained lawyer and young entrepreneur, had the same problem which led her to set up the Hub.
“Office spaces were very difficult to rent. When I was about starting a business, I knew how expensive it was. It was quite frustrating because you either hear N1.5m or N2m. At the end, I had to get like two of my friends to get an office space at the time and I wondered to myself why it was so difficult to get a small space to work.
“I realize that there are many young people – make up artistes, website designers, photographers – that want to have a space to work and interact. I have a lot of friends in that field and saw how difficult it was for them to secure space. Currently, we have a membership of lawyers in our co-working space. They work from there and clients come to meet them here,” she said.
TPX Hub’s co-working space goes for N1,500 per day and features free Wi-Fi, constant power supply, photocopying, front desk and basically everything needed in an office. “You have an efficient front desk that can customize your business and pick up your calls, mails for you,” she said.
In co-working spaces, people share offices and engage in daily rental engagements. Entrepreneurs who need virtual business addresses which can be used to manage correspondence as well as hold occasional meetings can also be found at TPX Hub at affordable rates.
With the economic challenges, Doherty and her team are encouraging people to still be able to work. She said: “The long-term plan is to have different people working here. We can also network and find people you want in this space. Last week, we had a photography class here and another make-up artiste held a class here.”
“We actually set up the Hub to help young professionals including freelancers, entrepreneurs and SMES save up on startup costs which include exorbitant rates for rentals and office furnishings with the sole aim of providing affordable working conditions accessible to anyone who requires a place to set business in motion,” Doherty said.
