JOPLIN, Mo. — Last month, Joplin was named the 2nd-best location in the nation for remote workers by the Wall Street Journal. Today — an event in Joplin for remote workers.

“My business is Rajane’s Agency, and I’m the owner. And I work remotely anywhere, just a laptop and an internet password,” said Raja Perkins, Remote Worker.

Raja Perkins helps other small businesses raise their digital profile.

“It’s not word of mouth anymore. It’s internet-like shares and subscribes. So that’s what I’m trying to help the people, small businesses accomplish,” said Perkins.

She can work anywhere, and today is trying out the co-working space at the Joseph Newman Innovation Center in downtown Joplin.

“Access to all of the facilities our to break rooms, a podcast recording studio, the kitchen, high-speed internet backboned on the Liberty fiber,” said Doug Hunt, JACC Dir. Entrepreneurship.

Perkins is just one of the remote workers taking advantage of a free day pass at the Innovation Center, part of an event called “Where We Working Wednesday.”

It’s a joint effort of the Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce and the Joplin Area Remote Workers committee, showing off resources available for remote workers and giving them a chance to network with others also working from home.

“We also know we as humans need to connect, we need to network. We need to collaborate. And so the Joplin Area Remote Workers group gives that particular group of people an opportunity to do that,” said Hunt.

The event is a first for the Remote Workers Committee, something the Joplin Chamber wants to see grow.

“We know that people have moved into this area specifically because of the low cost of living but if they’re isolated a little bit, this is something that the Joplin chamber can champion as part of the Joplin area remote workers group so that they can get together and share and collaborate and become part of the community,” said Hunt.

Like the Innovation Center co-working space, an opportunity Raja Perkins is excited to explore.

“I can bring clients here to meet. I don’t have to be in a personal space like their house or my house. I don’t have to be in the store where they’re called away because they’re busy. I don’t have to be in a coffee shop or it’s not personal and not private. So yeah, it’s got its advantages,” said Perkins.