ACE Coworking
295 Robinson St, Suite 100 L6J 1G7 Oakville, ON, Canada

We've been reminiscing about the seminars and workshops we used to host here at ACE. We especially enjoyed ones like this where we had the opportunity to partner with great local organizations like HALTECH, Halton's Regional Innovation Centre. In 2020 we moved our events online some were very well attended, and others not so much. Lately we haven't hosted much online noting the "zoom fatigue" people seems to be experiencing. What are your thoughts? Is there somethi...ng you'd like to learn about in an online workshop or discuss in a virtual forum? We'd be happy to plan something for you! Pop your suggestions in the comments. See more

My favourite job each month is writing personal notes to our members who are celebrating their "ACE-a-versaries." (It's fun to pop giftcards in the envelopes too!) This month we are celebrating 3 years with Paul Browning of Riverstone Branding. Paul was the very FIRST guy to sign up with us back in 2017 before our doors even opened. As you might imagine, he's an extra-special member We're also celebrating the 1-year anniversaries of members Tyler Dubreuil of Versa...Corp Homes , Rod & Sue Sinn of Canada Mortgage Connection, Sal Sena of Attack Research, and Chris Neal of BHC. These awesome folks picked quite a year to jump into coworking! Thanks to all of you for sticking with ACE during the crazy months of 2020 - we look forward to serving you and your businesses even better in the coming year. Finally, a shout-out to our ACE member, illustrator extraordinaire, Cleo Lant who custom designed these pretty anniversary cards for us. Check out more of her work at www.mynameiscleo.com. #MoreThanAnOffice #CoworkingLife #Community See more

Our February newsletter, hot off "the press" - have a read to find out about ACE happenings, recos & musings... https://lnkd.in/gRBCMCt #coworkinglife #OakvilleON

"Members of the Chamber" is a terrific local podcast produced by Oakville Chamber of Commerce, and they're back for a second season! Episode 1 of Season 2? It's all about us: ACE Coworking! Listen in for the backstory of how we ended up doing what we do. It should be interesting for any young person worried that they are not on a clear, linear career path. Our founder, Nancy Fornasiero, has had a career of many zigzags and pivots and it's all been rewarding. especia...lly this latest chapter that landed her in the wonderful world of #coworking. Thanks to the chamber for featuring us, and the chance to chat with Drew Redden. Can't wait to see all of you in person as soon as possible! You can find it on your favourite podcast streaming service or by clicking here: https://membersofthechamber.buzzsprout.com//7472230-nancy-

Could lobsters have something to teach us about new-year goal-setting? It might seem unlikely, but YES they do. Check out our January Blog Post before you think about "reinventing" yourself in 2021. Some sage advice in here thanks to our guest blogger, behaviour change expert, Catherine Harrison of Purple Voodoo http://bit.ly/reinventACE

We've always been concerned about #mentalhealth, especially in the workplace. Now, more than ever, this issue demands attention! Please participate in #BellLetsTalk Day: each share on social media helps to raise much-needed funds. Learn more:

ACE Coworking will be closed (meaning no staff onsite) from Dec 24 through Jan 3. (Members, as always, you have 24/7 access to our space.) Please be patient with us as we may not return your calls as quickly as usual during this period in which we will be focussing on family. Leave us a message and we will get back to you within a couple of days. Sending all our members, partners, neighbours and friends warmest wishes for a peaceful, safe and happy holiday break. Merry! Merry!

Throwing it back to holidays past at ACE. Our annual potluck lunch was always a HUGE hit and something all our members and partners looked forward to. The video is from our very first Christmas PotLuck. Doesn't it look fun?! Obviously we aren't gathering for a potluck lunch this year, but we are still finding quiet ways to enjoy the collective "feels" of the season as a community. ... (BTW: Hang onto your hats for Holiday 2021, Acers. It's going to be a blow out for sure! ) See more

Throwing it back to last Thursday when local caterer extraordinaire, Nadine Hughes, was here at ACE with a special delivery. Our members had been feeling kind of about the fact that we can't gather in large groups for our traditional monthly lunches out in Downtown Oakville, so we decided to hire Dinner At Home Meals: Made From Scratch Meals Frozen Meals to make individually wrapped boxed lunches for everyone. Our treat!! That sure put a few on faces! Especia...lly the dessert: Nadine's famous chocolate chunk cookies. Nadine and her crew have definitely figured out how to do the "pandemic pivot" and make covid-friendly corporate catering easy and safe. Check them out here: www.dinnerathomemeals.com See more

Stopping by to see Bill and all the "elves" working hard at Safetynet Charities This army of volunteers is doing an amazing job to support families in our area who will be facing an especially tough Christmas. Thanks to all the generous Acers who filled the area under our Christmas tree with kids' socks & undies. I was delighted to be able to drop them off today on behalf of our members.

Here’s some #WednesdayWisdom - a message we could all use right now if you ask me! #optimismbubble #morethananoffice #coworkinglife #michaelgervais

Did any of you catch SNL last week? It was amazing to see Foo Fighters, looking as fresh, energetic and relevant as ever, decades after their breakout in 1994. Our latest blog post was inspired by that performance. Who could have guessed that the Foo Fighters could have taught us so much about business leadership? https://www.acecoworking.ca/the-dave-grohl-school-of-leade/

Happy Monday! Today we are giving you a peek inside one of our liveliest private offices. Consultant, Dave Anderson, is busy in his acoustically optimal corner of ACE Coworking talking to all his virtual clients. He aways inspires us to get cracking too! And how about that gigantic rainbow zebra?! Art like that has to make you smile, right?

"Ask an Acer" is a new series of practical advice articles by our members. One of the best things about working at a coworking space is being surrounded by so many experts in diverse fields. In a quick and casual way we are always giving and receiving valuable tips from one another! We aim to give you a little taste of what that's like in this series. Today we've asked the husband-wife owners of Piece of Cake Website Builder & E-commerce , Roger & Sarvy Van Maris, to give yo...u their top tips for improving your email marketing campaigns. [Photo by Renata Pollock Studio] https://www.acecoworking.ca/4-ways-to-improve-your-email-m/

It's #NationalCoffeeDay! Since coffee is one of the major things that fuels a busy #coworkingspace, we couldn't let today go by without a shout-out to our wonderful coffee supplier: Reunion Island Coffee Roasters. It's so important to us to always offer our members the highest quality products, but equally important is our mission to support the local ecosystem and local companies whenever possible. @reunioncoffee allows us to check both these boxes!... Not only is their brew delicious, aromatic, locally roasted, and ethically-sourced, their staff is an absolute delight to work with. Thanks #reunioncoffeeroasters ! #coffeelovers #coworkinglife #caffeinejunkies #coworkinglife #shoplocally #sustainablecoffee #ethicallysourced #coffeetime #nationalcoffeeday #sharedworkspace #dtoakville #entrepreneurlife #smallbusinessowner #morethananoffice See more

One of the best things about working in a coworking space is that we are continuously learning from each other. For example, productivity hacks and tools are one of the big topics we share about. Just today I learned about an app called LOOM as I overheard @davemundy and @theupseat discussing how it's been a huge time-saver for them while they work with their virtual clients and staff. It allows you to make quick info videos to describe a how-to and then share via text.... And I was also inspired in my chat with @yasmin.bleik , a mom and entrepreneur who starts her day at 5:30am so that she can build up what she calls "productivity momentum" before her kids are even up. The momentum from her workout and small admin tasks being completed carries her thru her whole day! Danielle and I were telling the others how addicted we are to our manual "@BulletJournal technique. (Not a regular notebook) And how about @lindsaysganga? She has turned a bunch of us on to #Later to organize our #socialmedia campaigns. Anyhoo.... we could go on and on. But we'd prefer to hear from you. Help us all crush it this week by sharing your own #1 Productivity Trick in the comments! See more

Aren't these sunny fall days AMAZING? We are enjoying our walks by the lake, patio lunches, and breaks on the ACE bench out front of our office. (These two are a happy married couple, btw. No distancing required .) It's on days like these that we are sooooooooo grateful to be in our gorgeous location so close to the lake, to parks, and to pretty downtown Oakville. (Construction is in the home stretch btw !)... That's all. We just wanted to brag a little. (Hope your workplace makes you as happy as ours does for us!) See more

Amanda's seated at one of our Dedicated Desks at ACE. If you look reeeeaalllly close, you'll see an acrylic sneeze guard in front of her workstation. We've added these recently for obvious reasons . ACE's Dedicated Desks are like little offices without walls. You do not share your chair or desk with other members. You get your own locking 2-drawer cabinet to hold your belongings. You can leave anything you like on the surfaces. With a DD membership you ...also get $180-worth of time each month in our meeting rooms in case you need more privacy, or want to meet with a client or coworker. (Yes, in-person meetings are becoming a thing again, albeit with safety protocols in place.) There are other perks too... go to www.acecoworking.ca for all the deets. We only have 2 of these beauties still available. Come have a look, or even a test-drive, and find out if this is a better alternative to #WFH for you. ------------ See more

The world lost a great woman this week, but fortunately RBG's wisdom and common-sense advice will remain with us all forever. #RuthBaderGinsberg had a lot to say about women's rights, civil rights, and governance, but this advice really pertains to us all, every single day, in any situation. That's why we chose it as our #QuoteoftheWeek. Whether in business, relationships, or whatever, don't get distracted by the unimportant stuff! If you want to be productive and ...effective, you can't afford to get bogged down with negativity. Stay positive and focussed this week, friends. Ruth said so! See more

It was great to be part of this conversation today with Anita Anand and an inspiring group of resilient women who own Oakville-based businesses. Thanks to Bella and all the sponsors.

Sad to say that we are getting close to the end of our sunny, warm days in Oakville... the kinds of days that are conducive to gathering on our Robinson St rooftop. Here's a #TBT to last summer when a group of Acers had a spontaneous lobster-roll-fest up there. Are we ever missing these intimate times with our coworky friends. HOWEVER, we are nothing if not flexible! Case in point: this afternoon we are hosting a small, limited-number, physically-distanced g...athering up on the roof. With individually wrapped snacks from Black Forest Pastry Shop and single-serve bevvies, we have figured out a way to make our traditional monthly #HappyHour work! Here's to being careful and adaptable too. Cheers, everyone! See more

Anyone else out there feeling a bit untethered these days? As if the "props have been pulled out from under you"... ? Then this bit of #WednesdayWisdom from the ACE chalkboard is for you. We thought that this perspective from author, Madeleine L'Engle, was super relevant for these times we are in. (Remember her from "A Wrinkle in Time?) We all have lots of changes to navigate, new normals to get used to, and the things that we might have taken for granted in the pas...t are no longer certainties. (Although, were they ever certain? Probably not !) Either way, in these bumpy times, when we find ourselves still standing, surviving, or maybe even thriving (!), we can really take stock and notice which important foundational things, people, or ideas have been propping us up. #SilverLinings! Here's a question to contemplate today: What's the sand under your feet, and what is the rock? See more

Hello September! (Where did our summer sunshine go?) This is traditionally the month to get down to business and set new goals. Vacation days are over, kids go back to school, and our projects that have been on a slow simmer start to really heat up. We certainly have some interesting things cooking here... more on that later! Here at ACE we are ready to have a super-productive week, even though it's a short one. How about you? What are you digging into this week? We'd love to know.

ACe is closed to the public from Friday September 4th through to Monday September 7th. Members can continue to use the space 24/7 as usual. Wishing you all an excellent last long weekend of summer!

Waiting for a few more members to join us for our rooftop lunch. #lastdaysofsummer #coworkingcommunity #morethananoffice

Upstairs or downstairs ? People are often surprised when they come by for a tour and we ask this question. "I thought ACE was all on one level," they'll say. Actually we have a whole section upstairs that we call the "ACE Annex." It contains private offices and a meeting room with whiteboard-covered walls. It's functional but beautiful too, thanks to all the vibrant artwork by Dorothy Meij of Creo Wear Couture... And if you keep on going further up, up, up, you'll find yourself on our rooftop patio where we sometimes gather for Happy Hours, Special Events, or just to have lunch alfresco. (This photo is from last year before physical distancing was a thing, btw.) Maybe there are other surprises about ACE that you don't know about. Why not drop by for a tour so you can see every nook and cranny for yourself?! Book your tour here: https://www.acecoworking.ca/book-a-tour/ See more

Today’s #MondayMotivation is a great one for all of you aiming for a super-productive week ahead. Never mind that it’s hot as hell out there and we’re still in the middle of a pandemic ... no excuses! Mark Twain’s advice is an old-timey version of a favourite motto around ACE: Just Do It Perfection is overrated. Keep putting one foot in front of the other. Don’t stop learning and experimenting. You’ll get there. We promise!

Well.. the sign went up today. Feels good after a year of sharing space w/ some great #entrepreneurs & #startups we’ve found our home. Shout out to ACE Coworking SAIL Consulting Group Inc CrashBay.com

What makes the #DTOakville community special? The people! We are working on an exciting new project that highlights the personalities behind the businesses. P...ictured here is BTS with Nancy Fornasiero, Founder and Community Director at ACE Coworking. Stay tuned for our first video! #OakvilleON See more

Work in Tech? You'll find plenty of like-minded coworkers at ACE. We have members who are specialists in software development, big data, FinTech, cyber security, IT systems, web development and all sorts of other cool stuff that we creative types don't understand ... Our reliable, lightening-fast wifi and multiple ethernet ports ensure that Acers, especially our friends working in tech, can get their work done worry-free. Plus, we have official partners like @sili...conhalton and HALTECH (Halton's Regional Innovation Centre) in the mix. Acers have great opportunities for networking and collaborations with these local tech organizations too!

My Worst Hire & What I Learned From It is a soon-to-be released book by ACE member, and veteran HR expert, Craig Bissett. In it 50 business leaders share stories of their hiring mistakes and the accompanying lessons they learned along the way. Here are three great tips to whet your appetite for upcoming Craig's book... ONE:... Never compromise when hiring management. If your #1 candidate turns down your offer, resist the temptation to hire the #2 candidate. Go back and search for the next #1 candidate. The cost of hiring #2, if wrong, will be multiplied throughout the team. TWO: If you have a company mission statement, don’t leave it hanging on the wall! Take it into the interview and make it part of the process. Assess the applicant based on what your company believes in and whether they fit your culture. The candidate may have all the right skills, but if they don’t fit your company values, you'll have a major mistake on your hands. THREE: Be extremely careful when hiring someone who's from a different sized operation. If you're a small company and the candidate is coming from a large, well-financed firm, make sure they are willing to roll up their sleeves and do the grunt work required for your growth plans. Ensure new hires know what they are getting into. See more

Our #mondaymotivation today comes from the legendary Arnold Palmer. Good advice for sports but for business and career too! . It’s appropriate that we cite a golfer this week since we happen to be busy organizing our annual members’ golf tournament, happening next week at @hiddenlakegolf in #Burlington. Finally something social that we can safely do together!! #golflife . Do you have a favourite quote that comes from an athlete but applies to life as well? Share it with us in the comments!

Check out this amazing membership deal at ACE Coworking. HUGE savings!

ACE Member's Monthly Picnic Ever since we first opened, the first Thursday of each month has meant "Members' Lunch Out." As a little experiment (for the COVID era) we decided to turn our member's lunch into a picnic last month. We enjoyed it so much we decided to do it again today! We each go to our favourite @downtownoakville restaurant for takeout and then meet by the lake. It feels great to support our local businesses while enjoying the fresh air too! ... Do you have a favourite outdoor lunch spot downtown? Give us your suggestions in the comments! See more