Cowork business opens in Eagle

Julie and Sean Franke’s three businesses once shared the same space in an office building they own in Eagle. When Sean moved his glider supply business across the street to a bigger space, the office was larger than Julie’s credit card processing and social media management businesses needed.

“There’s a camaraderie you have with a full workspace,” Franke commented. “I wanted the energy you have when people share the same space.”

Open for business

Instead of moving to a smaller space, Franke started her third business called Nine to Five. Franke converted the two-story 3,700-square-foot office into a coworking facility. The new business held an open house and ribbon cutting with the help of the Boise Metro Chamber on Aug. 13.

“We had a soft opening on July 8 and we already have customers using the space,” Franke explained. She started the conversion of her space into a cowork facility early in 2021. She wanted to open in June but got bit by the ongoing inventory gaps and shipping delays that have plagued the nation for the last year and a half.

As result, some of the interior is still waiting on moulding, millwork and fixtures, which were ordered months ago. Not all of the supply chain delays were due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as Franke explained: “Sherman Williams lost a lot of paint when it froze this winter during the big freeze in Texas, so we even had a problem getting paint.”

Nine to Five features

Nine to Five has a front desk manned by a receptionist during office hours. It currently has 10 hot desks in a spacious and brightly lit room upstairs with copious window views. Franke explained that the current arrangement of dedicated desks vs. hot desks was not final because of the delay in receiving building materials for the final touches to the interior.

The facility has two 30-person conference rooms. The cafe area features coffee and snacks. The adjacent lounge doubles as more meeting space. The downstairs also has a comfortable nook with a couch and armchairs to use as a waiting area or just a place to hang out. Of course, internet and wifi are included and the flatlay station and podcast room are extras not often available at cowork offices.

Nine to Five is located at 1500 E. Iron Eagle Drive in Eagle, between East and West State streets, a short walking distance from Eagle’s cozy downtown area. “What’s great about this location is the parking,” Franke explained. “We only have three spaces out front but there’s plenty of free parking along Iron Eagle Drive plus a large lot in the back that’s never full.”

Advantages of a cowork space

“I would like to see more women using the cowork space,” Franke said. “With the pandemic, a lot of people are starting up businesses and working from home. But that’s not good for a lot of women because of the conflicts of keeping their work and their home life separate.” A cowork space can help solve that problem, Franke remarked.

“This location is also unique for the Treasure Valley,” Franke commented. “Most of the coworking spaces are in or near downtown Boise, which is not convenient if you live further west.” Nine-to Five offers a better location for those who live in or near Eagle, while providing all the services of a downtown coworking space plus the amenities of downtown Eagle and the added bonus of free and easy parking.