MakeOffices

MakeOffices was an American coworking and commercial office-services brand that provided flexible workspace to startups, entrepreneurs, small businesses, and other professional users. The company was founded in 2012 under the name UberOffices by Ray Rahbar, Jason Shrensky, Chris Junior, and other partners. Its operating concept had been developed earlier, in 2007, around the idea of shared offices that could reduce the fixed costs and administrative burden associated with starting or expanding a business. The company’s offering centered on leased office space made available on flexible, generally month-to-month terms. Its services included shared coworking areas, executive offices, private office suites, and virtual offices. This model was aimed at customers who needed professional premises, meeting and business-support infrastructure, or a recognized business address without committing to a conventional long-term commercial lease. Early financing came from angel investors, individual entrepreneurs, and the CYwP Fund. UberOffices began operations in Northern Virginia. Its first reported site was an approximately 8,500-square-foot shared-office facility at 1401 Wilson Boulevard in Arlington, Virginia. The location contained 25 offices and was later used by 47 technology startups. In June 2013, the company opened a larger site in the Tysons area of McLean, Virginia. That facility covered about 16,000 square feet and contained 47 offices. A third Washington-area location followed in Dupont Circle, Washington, D.C.; the approximately 40,000-square-foot facility included 103 offices and represented a substantial expansion of the company’s capacity. The company also sought visibility within the regional startup and public-policy community. In August 2013, U.S. Senator Mark Warner of Virginia visited the Rosslyn facility to speak with tenants and members of the media about startup growth in the region. The visit connected the company’s workspace model with broader discussions about entrepreneurship, technology businesses, and economic development in Northern Virginia. In November 2015, UberOffices adopted the MakeOffices name. The rebranding preceded a period of geographic expansion. MakeOffices opened locations in Philadelphia in January 2016 and also operated in Chicago, giving it a presence in three metropolitan markets: Washington, D.C.; Philadelphia; and Chicago. Its business remained focused on flexible office accommodation and related services rather than on a broad consumer product portfolio. MakeOffices ultimately became one of the flexible-office operators affected by the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. In January 2021, the company announced that it would shut down, citing the pandemic. The closure ended the brand’s operations in its three reported markets. As a result, MakeOffices is best understood as a defunct regional coworking and flexible-office-services company whose history reflects the development of startup-oriented shared offices before the pandemic and the severe pressure placed on office-based businesses during the pandemic period.

MakeOffices originated in a shared-office concept developed in 2007 to help startups limit the cost and commitment associated with conventional office leasing. The operating company was established in 2012 as UberOffices by Ray Rahbar, Jason Shrensky, Chris Junior, and other partners. It obtained early support from angel investors, individual entrepreneurs, and the CYwP Fund. The company’s first reported facility was an 8,500-square-foot shared-office location at 1401 Wilson Boulevard in Arlington, Virginia. It contained 25 offices and subsequently accommodated 47 technology startups. This initial site established the company’s focus on professionally managed office space for young companies and small businesses. In June 2013, UberOffices opened a second Northern Virginia facility in the Tysons area of McLean. The site measured approximately 16,000 square feet and provided 47 offices. A third location opened in the Dupont Circle neighborhood of Washington, D.C. The approximately 40,000-square-foot facility contained 103 offices and significantly increased the company’s capacity in the region. The business also gained public attention in August 2013, when Virginia Senator Mark Warner visited the Rosslyn office to speak with occupants and media representatives about the area’s startup economy. UberOffices changed its name to MakeOffices in November 2015. Under the new brand, the company expanded into Philadelphia in January 2016 and also operated locations in Chicago. Its reported footprint therefore covered three metropolitan markets: the Washington, D.C. area, Philadelphia, and Chicago. Across these markets, the company offered shared workspaces, executive and private offices, suites, and virtual-office services, generally with flexible month-to-month arrangements. The company’s history ended during the COVID-19 pandemic. In January 2021, MakeOffices announced that it would shut down because of the pandemic’s effects. The closure made MakeOffices a defunct regional participant in the coworking and flexible-office sector. Its trajectory illustrates the growth of startup-oriented shared offices during the 2010s, followed by the vulnerability of office-centered business models during the pandemic.

• 2021

  Operations shut down

  [1]MakeOfficesen.wikipedia.org

  MakeOffices announced that it was closing because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

• 2016

  Philadelphia expansion

  [1]MakeOfficesen.wikipedia.org

  MakeOffices opened offices in Philadelphia and operated additionally in Chicago.

• 2015

  Brand renamed MakeOffices

  [1]MakeOfficesen.wikipedia.org

  UberOffices changed its corporate and operating name to MakeOffices in November.

• 2013

  Tysons location opens

  [1]MakeOfficesen.wikipedia.org

  UberOffices opened a 16,000-square-foot facility with 47 offices in the Tysons area of McLean, Virginia.

• 2013

  Dupont Circle expansion

  [1]MakeOfficesen.wikipedia.org

  The company opened an approximately 40,000-square-foot Dupont Circle facility containing 103 offices.

• 2012

  UberOffices founded

  [1]MakeOfficesen.wikipedia.org

  Ray Rahbar, Jason Shrensky, Chris Junior, and other partners founded the company under the UberOffices name.

• 2012

  First Arlington facility opens

  [1]MakeOfficesen.wikipedia.org

  The company opened an approximately 8,500-square-foot shared-office location at 1401 Wilson Boulevard in Arlington, Virginia.

• 2007

  Shared-office concept developed

  [1]MakeOfficesen.wikipedia.org

  The concept behind the company was developed as a way to help startups reduce office and operating costs through shared workspace.

A regional flexible-workspace provider positioned around accessible, startup-friendly office accommodation, shared infrastructure, and shorter-term commitments than traditional commercial leases.

• Flexible workspace · 2012

  Coworking and shared offices

  Shared work environments designed for startups, entrepreneurs, and small businesses. The model allowed multiple companies to use professionally managed office infrastructure while avoiding the cost and duration of a conventional standalone lease.

• Office leasing · 2012

  Executive offices and private suites

  Private offices, executive offices, and suites offered customers dedicated work areas within the company’s managed facilities. These spaces were part of the company’s flexible office portfolio and were generally available on month-to-month terms.

• Business services · 2012

  Virtual offices

  Virtual-office arrangements provided a business-oriented service for customers who did not require a continuously occupied private office. The company listed virtual offices among its flexible office-service offerings.

• 2021

  Decision to shut downStrategy

  Background

  The COVID-19 pandemic placed substantial pressure on office-based businesses and flexible-workspace operators.

  Action taken

  MakeOffices announced in January 2021 that it would close its operations, citing the pandemic.

  Aftermath

  The company ceased operating in the Washington, D.C. area, Philadelphia, and Chicago.

  Source

• 2016

  Expansion into Philadelphia and ChicagoStrategy

  Background

  Following the 2015 name change, MakeOffices sought to extend its flexible-office business beyond the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.

  Action taken

  The company opened offices in Philadelphia in January 2016 and operated additional locations in Chicago.

  Aftermath

  The company operated across three reported metropolitan markets before its closure in 2021.

  Source

• 2015

  Rebrand from UberOffices to MakeOfficesStrategy

  Background

  The company had operated since 2012 under the UberOffices name while developing a regional flexible-office network.

  Action taken

  In November 2015, it changed its name to MakeOffices.

  Aftermath

  The rebrand preceded further expansion, including the opening of Philadelphia offices in 2016 and continued operations in Chicago.

  Source

1. 1MakeOfficesen.wikipedia.org