Darin and Heather Miller just before opening the Manhattan location of Iron Clad Coworking in 2017. Their first location in Wamego opened in 2016.
Before opening Iron Clad Coworking in Wamego, Kansas, Darin Miller researched the idea of coworking for several years as a way to improve the utilization of a local corporate office. He shares, “The problem was there was never enough room in the office while at the same time, usually one-third of the desks were empty because people were traveling or away for some reason. The idea of creating a shared space was being experimented with around the world, through a new concept called coworking.”
Eventually, an opportunity to bring the idea of coworking into reality presented itself to Darin. “There was a rather large building available in downtown Wamego,” he recalls. And in May 2016, Darin and his wife, Heather, purchased the building and opened their first coworking space called Iron Clad Coworking. The couple later opened a second Iron Clad location on Poyntz Avenue in Manhattan.
The reasons people utilize a coworking space can vary, but Darin and Heather spotted a growing need from individuals who were either business owners or working remotely. “Commercial space is expensive, and oftentimes people need to try new things but find themselves in a vacuum being by themselves, or with a long standing team, which can feel stagnant. It interests us to address these issues.” He feels coworking can be a solution that makes commercial real estate more accessible, and also creates a dynamic team culture for a remote employee or new business startup. “Whether it’s starting a business, working remotely for a corporation, or even just running a long-standing business, being alone sucks because being successful requires new ideas and the ability to bounce things off other people, which is difficult when people are by themselves.”
1 Million Cups hosted by Iron Clad Coworking MHK in 2020.
A serial entrepreneur, Darin frames business as solving people’s pain points, and coworking is no different. “We see that people need space, community, and inspiration. A shared space enabled with technology can help solve these problems. That is coworking. So it’s really the idea of bringing together interesting people and helping them do more of what they do.” He adds, “Coworking is an amenity for a city that can improve the quality of life for the area and be a source of income for us. We live here so we like the idea of quality of life improvements, but monetizing the opportunity is important as well.”
Darin and Heather’s business focus is rooted locally, but they also have a desire to improve the quality of life not just for the immediate community, but for Kansas as a whole. “The future of Iron Clad is to continue to be a resource to the community of remote workers and business owners. We help people talk about coworking in Kansas through a Facebook Group, and that group keeps growing, and coworking spaces keep popping up. So we like to help them be successful as well because we feel it makes Kansas a better place and more friendly to business and again, this is where we live, and we want Kansas to be a great place to live.”
In addition to supporting other growing and established small businesses, Iron Clad also acts as an incubator for Darin and Heather’s other businesses, expanding their other entrepreneurial efforts, from their custom t-shirt shop to a solar panel business. “Locally the members of Iron Clad are very entrepreneurial so it is always interesting to see what they are are all up to, and it is inspiring to us as well. While we want to keep Iron Clad going, a few years ago we purchased a garment decoration business and rebranded it Poppy Tees. We used our coworking space to grow it and now we are renovating a building downtown Wamego to be the Poppy Tees T-shirt factory. Last year we started another business called KS Solar to sell and install solar in the Flint Hills area. We are again using our coworking space to grow solar by using the upstairs of our Wamego location as a solar showroom.”
The Wamego location is frequently utilized for hosting community events.
Developing and growing their multiple businesses came not only from the couple’s entrepreneurial persistence but also through assistance from the local community. Darin attended a course called Who Owns the Ice House, which was held in the Manhattan Chamber office and facilitated by the local economic development team. “That class was instrumental in making the decision to take the risk to own and operate a business.” They also found assistance through local resources and networking opportunities. “Later on, we bounced things off our Small Business Development Center advisor located in Manhattan, which was helpful. For a number of years we were involved with 1 Million Cups in Manhattan to get to know other business owners and to help get ideas on what to do to grow our business.”
Darin and Heather’s personal entrepreneurial experience contributes to their belief and practice of coworking as a way both access and build community, wherever you are. Remote employees, solopreneurs and startup founders will find flexible and affordable coworking and event space through Iron Clad in both Wamego or Manhattan. You can find them at 407 Poyntz in Manhattan and 427 Lincoln Ave in Wamego.
