Mason Jar Music Company turned the problem of under-capitalization into a challenge that it met by using abandoned buildings as music recording space. The start-up was looking for a recording space with the sound qualities of a classic music hall when it borrowed the keys to an abandoned school from the church that owned it.
“It sounded real nice when we walked in and just said some words. I was worried that we were gonna over-saturate it with instruments, having a 12-piece ensemble," Mason Jar Company member musician Dan Knobler told NPR. "But it has a certain charm to it."
As the Mason Jar Music Company found, the spaces aren’t just cheap, they contribute to the company's work in unexpected ways.
Implications - Disused and under-used buildings become impromptu work spaces that allow businesses, especially those with an artistic or social bent, to leverage undervalued assets in place of cash. Just as small castoffs like clothing and personal goods are reused and remade into new products, repurposing abandoned real estate into venues like pop-up retail, contra-plein-air art studios, and flash convention spaces opens opportunities for financially challenged enterprises to launch and thrive.
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Abandoned Building Utilization
- Repurposing abandoned real estate into workspaces opens opportunities for financially challenged enterprises.
- Pop-up Venues
- Creating temporary venues using under-utilized real estate can provide new opportunities for artistic or social businesses.
- Resourceful Reuse
- Finding ways to creatively reuse assets in place of cash can offer solutions to under-capitalized businesses.
Where This Applies
- Music Production
- Music production companies can consider utilizing abandoned real estate for recording spaces to cut costs and create unique sound environments.
- Retail
- Pop-up retail stores can leverage under-utilized buildings for temporary sales spaces and unique shopping experiences.
- Art
- Contra-plein-air art studios and flash convention spaces can take advantage of under-used buildings for temporary creative spaces.
