Red Deer Downtown Business Association
Downtown Business Spotlight: GrupDesk
It’s Monday and this week our Business Spotlight feature is GrupDesk! This open and collaborative workspace is located at 5212 48 Street, Unit B102. We had the chance to sit down with owner, Gio Aguirre, to learn more about the space!
What is your business?
GrupDesk is a new concept for co-working space, a space that catapults businesses, small business owners and freelancers to the next level. It’s for somebody that is looking to do their work in a professional environment, or they can not work from home because it’s too distracting. Now, with COVID, people cannot work in their offices or go to Starbucks or other coffee shops, which are too noisy or too busy. Some people can’t afford to get a full office, with all the expenses that come with that, so that is why GrupDesk was created, to be that middle ground. A professional environment for people to come do business with customers, while still being able to keep the cost down.
When did you open?
We opened in 2018, officially in February. We have been going strong since then! I think it was a little bit of a hard adoption, people didn’t know what we were about as it is a new concept. In Red Deer there was only one coworking space before our time. When we opened, we saw the need in the market. I myself am an entrepreneur with other businesses but I needed a place to run those business from and this was the perfect opportunity to create a coworking space where people like myself could come do business.
What would you say makes your business unique?
I think the uniqueness comes from us breaking the standard of normality. Usually when you open a business you rent an office, you meet with your customers there but you have this huge overhead. We are the flexible middle ground, for a little a month you have a full office and professional environment. I think that’s what makes us unique. Also, GrupDesk offers mailboxes and printing services as well. I think that’s the differential point, no one offers those three elements but GrupDesk is a place to do business and meet with customers, a place to do printing and a mailbox that gives you a business address instead of your house.
What are some products/services that you offer?
So we have the coworking space, of course, and for the mailboxes the difference between that and other businesses that offer mailbox service is that we provide a city address. It’s not a PO BOX, it’s a suite number so for online ordering that’s huge. What makes us really awesome is that we send email notifications as soon as you get mail, which other people don’t do. So that’s super important. For me, I needed that for a long time. I had to drive all the way to Red Deer from where I live in Blackfalds just to find an empty mailbox. So, when I started this, I was like that’s not going to happen anymore! So, we started the email notifications. When we took over this space there was a printer here already, so we took over that contract and now we can offer printing services that are competitive with the online printing providers. A lot of people don’t know we do this so were pushing forward with promoting that services but its one of our strongest points.
Why did you choose Downtown Red Deer as the location for your business?
It’s the central point of the city. If you’re coming from the North or the South, Downtown Red Deer has everything. Everyone knows Downtown, everyone passes through Downtown so that was the main reason why we chose it.
What do you think makes Downtown vibrant?
The variety of businesses in the area. So, if you go to the South it’s a conglomerate of certain types of shops, but Downtown has everything that anybody can think of. We have a travel agency, a VR place, a grocery store, lawyers and a coworking space. A huge variety of businesses, I think that’s what makes downtown vibrant.
I love Downtown Red Deer because… it’s so flexible and you can find everything in Downtown and the environment that has been created around business and customers. I think it’s a great community. It’s not isolated to the North or the South, Downtown is the heart of Red Deer.
GrupDesk is the place to check out of you’re looking for a new space to work from if you’re working from home or looking for a new space to run your small business.
Website: https://www.grupdesk.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/grupdesk/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/grupdesk
Twitter: https://twitter.com/GrupDesk
With great enthusiasm and anticipation, the Downtown Business Association (DBA) is thrilled to share some exciting updates and plans for the future! After careful consideration and a deep understanding of our community’s needs, we are here to announce our latest developments.
Firstly, while we understand the disappointment caused by the cancellation of the upcoming season of the Downtown Saturday Market, we want to assure you that this decision was made with the utmost care and consideration. Our valued vendors and attendees have shown incredible support and enthusiasm for this new venture, and for that, we are truly grateful.
Though we faced time constraints and logistical challenges that hindered our ability to organize the event effectively, we have not lost sight of our mission to bring joy and entertainment to the community. Our plans for the Wednesday Market remain unchanged and we are are thrilled to inform you that the music programming meant for Saturday market entertainment will continue to thrive!
Every Saturday from 2-4pm, the public patio will come alive with soul-stirring performances from amazing artists from all over Central Alberta and beyond. Best of all, this event is free and open to the public, inviting everyone to share in the magic of live music. This will be in addition to the regularly scheduled Tuesday – Friday Programming, with an extra special open mic night every Thursday evening. Friday’s will take it up a notch with business-led events that will make your evenings truly unforgettable.
We have an incredible lineup of events and activities planned for this summer to enhance your enjoyment of the Ross Street Patio, day and night. To stay up-to-date with all the showtimes and artist line-ups, we encourage you to follow us on our social media channels.
In addition, our Host-It! Program offers community partners the opportunity to use the stage every Saturday throughout the summer. Imagine the possibilities—music, theatre, art galleries, and so much more. We are committed to providing a platform for diverse activities that will invigorate the heart of our downtown. And let’s not forget the festivals! The Downtown Business Association is proud to support several upcoming festivals on Ross Street and nearby this summer. These celebrations will infuse the area with a joyful and festive atmosphere, attracting thousands of visitors to revel in the excitement. After immersing yourself in these vibrant events, the Ross Street Patio will be the perfect spot to unwind and savor a refreshing beverage.
Our little Entertainment District has flourished, and we couldn’t be prouder. The first full summer season with this new bylaw in place promises to be an absolute triumph, as we are still the only Entertainment District in Alberta.
Looking ahead, the DBA remains dedicated to fostering a vibrant and thriving downtown. We are already hard at work planning an afternoon market for next year based on valuable community feedback. This revised schedule will provide vendors with greater flexibility and the opportunity to participate in other morning markets. We are committed to announcing and implementing these efforts earlier, ensuring that vendors have ample time to plan their seasons accordingly.
Together, as a united community, we will continue to create successful opportunities for all. Let’s embrace the vibrant future that awaits us and build a downtown that will inspire and uplift us all.
Red Deer Downtown Business Association launches Downtown Saturday Market
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