Frederick Cowork is on a mission to give back by supporting local businesses
At Cowork Frederick, supporting small businesses has always been part of their value system. “This is the season of giving, and we want to give back to our local business partners by raising awareness of the good they do and why they’re important to us,” says Julia Ferguson, co-owner of Cowork Frederick. So, as the song goes, let’s take a look at a few of Cowork Frederick’s “favorite things” about these Frederick businesses.
Beans and Bagels
Known as “the Cheers of Frederick,” Beans & Bagels has been a fixture of the downtown area for over 20 years. The cafe offers fresh bagels, coffee, breakfast sandwiches, and more.
“We’ve been getting their bagels and breakfast sandwiches for our events since we opened. The owner Rich Jackson is always there. He is friendly and conversational. Plus, they have the best bagels in town,” Julia says with a smile. “We approached them about 5 years ago to work out an agreement where people who reserve our meeting rooms can order food from Beans & Bagels right on our website. It’s worked out really well.”
But that’s not all, the cafe is working to be a more sustainable establishment. “When they started using compostable cups for their coffees, I knew they had a similar heart for being environmentally friendly. We like them even more because of it.”
When asked about their special business relationship, Julia sees a common thread. Both businesses have husband and wife teams. “We want to support small family-owned businesses that created something from their own vision. That’s exactly what we did. We had a vision for being Frederick’s first coworking space. Just like Rich and Lisa, Glen and I bootstrapped our business and grew it to what it is today.”
Key City Compost
Key City Compost is on a mission to reduce food waste in Frederick and surrounding areas. The business was started by Phil Westcott, Julien Libert, and Connor Self. “It’s just a couple of guys from Frederick that really wanted the city to start composting,” Julia explains.
“We can get a lot better with how we recycle our organic matter,” Phil Westcott told the Frederick News-Post. Organic food and yard waste is composted locally at Fox Haven Farm where it will be turned into garden soil blends, aged compost (fertilizer), potting soil, and more. They provide residential, commercial, and event composting services, home composting classes, and a variety of compostable products.
“Cowork Frederick members have wanted to compost for years, but couldn’t sort out how it would be practical in our limited space. Key City Compost is providing a much-needed service. It just took a few scrappy guys to figure out how to make a composting business model work,” she says.”
So how does it work? “They deliver five-gallon buckets to us every week. We fill them with food scraps and other compostables,” Julia explains. “Unlike the compost pile in your backyard, they can compost any food and more. You can’t recycle pizza boxes, but you can compost them through Key City Compost.”
Common Market
Cowork Frederick’s favorite for restocking the break room is the Common Market Co-Op. “We get our creamer, milk, bulk foods, and cleaning supplies from the Common Market. We specifically chose them because of their support of local farmers and makers, great selection of organic foods, and commitment to the Frederick community,” Julia says.
The Common Market is a member-owned cooperative serving the Frederick area with high-quality natural foods, health products, and household supplies. The Common Market was created in 1974 by Randy and Francy Williams as a buying club that operated out of their home. The Co-Op seeks to responsibly serve its community through its products and by offering a path to a sustainable, healthful future through its structure, policies, practices, and shared values.
Julia notes, “They also give back to the community. They donate a part of their profits to local charities such as The Heartly House (which serves victims of domestic violence and sexual assault) and Tails of Hope (which has rescued thousands of dogs and cats, and placed them into homes).”
“We share a giving spirit. Cowork Frederick has also contributed to local non-profits, raising funds through events and contributions from members or donating our business resources,” Julia explains. “Members have, as a group, donated clothing, toys, and their skills. They even teamed up once to design and build a website.”
Individually, Cowork Frederick members are also highly active in the Frederick community. Many serve on non-profit boards or volunteering their time at places like food banks.
Matt Johnston “Matt the Lawyer”
Matt Johnston of the Johnston Law Group is a local small business attorney and a longtime member of Frederick Cowork. “Besides sharing our values, we really like that he is on a mission to make the law understandable and accessible to everyone.”
Matt focuses on helping and educating freelancers, contract workers, and sole proprietors. “He frequently gives talks or writes blogs about simplifying the language of the law so that people understand their contracts and other legal documents,” Julia says.
Johnston Law Group has a range of monthly and small business start-up pricing plans that are designed to fit a variety of legal and budgetary needs. “He operates in a way that makes his services far more affordable,” Julia says of Matt Johnston. “He believes the law should be accessible to people.”
Dublin Roasters Coffee
Another “kindred spirit” for Cowork Frederick is Dublin Roasters Coffee. The owner, Serina Roy, started roasting coffee beans while working her day job as a police officer. Eventually, she started selling beans online, and finally, she opened Dublin Roasters Coffee.
“We buy all of our coffee from them,” Julia tells me. The owner has made a name for herself as a fair-trade roaster and has developed partnerships with growers in countries like India, Costa Rica, and Haiti. “Serina personally visits the coffee bean farms to confirm they are operated in a sustainable and fair fashion,” Julia explains.
The shop also takes steps to recycle and reduce waste. From second-hand furniture to the ice cubes made from leftover coffee and hot chocolate, Dublin Roasters makes recycling and reusing leftovers a vital part of their business. The shop owner also believes in giving back to the local community. They frequently support Blessings in a Backpack, Sophie and Madigan’s Playground, and Little Longears Mini Donkey Rescue, among others.
Supporting these local businesses is about more than just loyalty or goodwill. “I like to think of these businesses as kindred spirits in the way they operate,” says Julia.
About Cowork Frederick
Cowork Frederick’s mission is to be a catalyst for the success of freelancers, remote workers, and entrepreneurs by creating ways for them to come together to work, share ideas, and support each other. Our diverse coworking community consists of people from many backgrounds and professions. We provide a work-friendly environment, meeting rooms, and the usual office amenities at an affordable price. More important, members of our coworking community benefit from a support infrastructure, a chance to connect with and help others, and a place to belong. For many, it’s just a better way to work.