Help keep the doors of Aught open for female-entrepreneurs
“This co-working space is so special and has done so much for my life and the lives of women in the Aught community,” said the company's founder.
Nestled in the heart of downtown Knoxville, overlooking the Sunsphere, a co-working space for female entrepreneurs and businesses is hopeful to keep its doors open.
Aught was founded by Erika Biddix in 2019 as a physical support system for women in Knoxville. Four years later, the company has become much more than that… it has become a community, consultant, and guide for women across the country.
Despite its success in various capacities, finances are proving to be a struggle to keep the physical location in the downtown area in operation.
“Aught is ‘where,’ it’s where anything you dream of can happen,” Biddix said. “I founded this with the mission to change lives and local communities through female entrepreneurship. I think we have done that.”
Biddix, serving both as a Founder of Aught, and her consulting brand – Erika Biddix – is big on ‘defining success.’ She acknowledges that it looks different for every founder at different stages. One of the ways she defined success for Aught is through people impacted, rather than cash flow.
Aught has two offices, one downtown and another off Ebenezer Road in West Knoxville; however, the community extends beyond the office tenants in the two buildings. There’s an entire online co-working community of women – who connect twice a week to support and hold each other accountable in their entrepreneurial journeys.
Additionally, Aught hosts events in the physical office spaces, offers master classes led by industry experts, and even has an annual conference.
“Aught is the story of entrepreneurship, always growing, changing, pivoting, and catering to the people we aim to serve,” Biddix said.
To accommodate the growth, Biddix onboarded Anna Wiggins to take on an Operations Manager role, so she could slide into a Chief Executive Officer (CEO) role and focus on the bigger picture.
Wiggins founded Loveliest Bridal in 2016, and ran it successfully for several years, before deciding to sell in 2022. She joined Aught on a mission to help other female entrepreneurs make their dreams come to fruition.
“I believe as business owners, we are missing out on something great when we don’t plug into the opportunities to collaborate as a community,” Wiggins said. “Aught is responsible for so many ripple effects in Knoxville.”
Both Biddix and Wiggins explained the importance of a physical space for female entrepreneurs. First and foremost, they emphasized the stark difference between male and female business owners.
“Women are relational – we seek collaboration and community. We also experience the business and professional world much differently than men do,” Biddix said.
She pointed out a lack of resources in capital and funding for female-owned businesses, as well as the lack of awareness and attention. Beyond the ecosystem shortfalls, Biddix also said there’s a mindset that exists for female founders that men don’t experience.
“Some women fear that they cannot do this. They consider factors in their personal lives and how they could interfere with their businesses,” Biddix said. “We need a space to show them that entrepreneurship is a possible pathway long-term in their lives.”
Aught is fighting for women alongside some other groups – including The Women of Knoxville, LLC and Women in Entrepreneurship (WiE), which is hosted monthly at the Knoxville Entrepreneur Center (KEC).
While Biddix believes Aught is a key part of that puzzle, she also acknowledges that the company’s location downtown is at risk.
Despite the community support Aught has received and the women who maintain office memberships, the co-working space downtown is unable to continue without a major increase in revenue.
“We are currently staring at October 1st on the calendar as our last day downtown,” Biddix said.
She sent a transparent note to the Aught community this week asking for feedback, opportunities, and support for keeping the space open.
How can you help?
Event Rentals – Paid event rentals start at $200, which includes Instagrammable views of the Sunsphere. Event rentals can be requested here.
Office Memberships – Aught has a mix of private offices ($800/month) and dedicated desks in shared rooms ($400/month) available immediately. They also have an option that would work well for an entire team of 3-4! You can learn more here.
Aught needs to fill 11 memberships to keep the downtown location open.
“This place is so special and has done so much for my life and the lives of women in the Aught community,” Biddix said.
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