ST. CLOUD, Fla. — There’s history at the heart of St. Cloud, a 114-year-old building that the St. Cloud Chamber of Commerce calls home. 

Inside that building is something many people might not know about, CoLab at the Chamber. 

What You Need To Know

  • The St. Cloud Chamber of Commerce building was renovated in the fall of last year to include conference rooms, private rooms and a boardroom

  • Any business owner in the city can use the space, known as the CoLab at the Chamber

  • Chamber President Dirk Webb said that out of the Chamber’s 350 members, around 30 have said they plan to use the space

The initiative is a part of the Chamber’s Small Business Program. 

The building was renovated in the fall of last year to include conference rooms, private rooms and a boardroom. Any business owner in the city can use the space. 

“When you’re an early-stage business, adding on more expense can cripple a business," Chamber of Commerce President Dirk Webb said. "So, we give them an opportunity to have less overhead and help them get on their business on a positive footing."

Notary signing agent Vita Pirone said she is breathing a sigh of relief because she now has the option to use the CoLab at the Chamber space.

She told Spectrum News 13 that she carries her work everywhere she goes and usually works on the go every day. 

“I’m a community liaison," said Pirone, who has been an NSA for more than 16 years. "I’m trying to help people with that they need in their daily lives."

Pirone said her mother instilled into her the mindset of "never stop learning."

Even though her mother, Margaret, is no longer with her, Pirone said she’s the driving factor of what motivates her.

“She always used to call me her 'notary extraordinaire,'" Pirone said. "I always used to call her 'my wow.' She would say wow and I’d say, 'If you turn it upside down, it says mom.'"

After the moment of reflection, Pirone was on the move, saying that’s the true challenge of her job. 

“Being a mobile notary and being mobile in general, it’s stressful," she said. "If I don’t have clients to keep me going, I have to close my office. The chamber is making sure that doesn’t happen."

She said the CoLab at the Chamber space has been a big help for her work.

“With my clients, they need confidentiality," she said. "(The space) gives my business more stability. I don’t have to be mobile, even though that’s my mainstay business."

“I think this is a long-term solution," she added. "It might give me an opportunity to see if I need to invest in my own brick-and-mortar office."

Webb said that out of the Chamber’s 350 members, around 30 have said they plan to use the CoLab at the Chamber space.

For more information on CoLab at the Chamber, visit the St. Cloud Chamber of Commerce's website.