Orlando Business Journal

Matthew Richardson

Nashville-based co-working firm E|Spaces plans to occupy 29,000 square feet at the $100 million Church Street Plaza tower in downtown Orlando when it opens in 2018-19, which is good news for local startups and some larger companies, but it is also an opportunity for law firms and accountants as well.

Jon Pirtle, CEO of E|Spaces, told Orlando Business Journal that his company will seek vendors to help companies that will work at the co-working space once it opens.

“We want to have law firms and accountants on hand to help entrepreneurs with any questions they may have,” he told Orlando Business Journal. “Questions about intellectual property, contracts, financial advice — we want to go beyond just supplying an affordable workspace.”

About 500 companies uses E|Spaces’ offices in other locations. Orlando will be the firm’s fifth and largest site. Other vendors also may include consultants in various fields to help entrepreneurs. Pirtle said the process for finding vendors and looking for interested companies to use its workspace may start in six months.

Often, co-working spaces double as a common area for accomplished entrepreneurs to share their success stories, mistakes they made along the way and how other entrepreneurs can avoid those mistakes. Downtown Orlando co-working spaces like Catalyst and Canvs often host events that attract venture capitalists and other investors, too, giving startups the chance to land funding. Pirtle said his place will operate the same way, but he wants to focus more on building up a vendor list for entrepreneurs to use as a resource.

Companies interested in being a vendor can contact Pirtle directly at [email protected]

Learn more about E|Spaces here.