Santa Cruz County, California
November 2009
In May of this year, a new sign was raised on Hwy 9, offering a new solution to an old problem. The Satellite Telework Center opened in the old Union Bank building with private offices, cubicles and open workspace. The Satellite offers the amenities a professional office space needs including videoconferencing, conference rooms, T1 connectivity and business–class office equipment.
For a while, we’ve been watching how the world of work has been changing: more people able to telecommute, more consultants and contractors struggling to work at home, people sometimes feeling isolated in home–based businesses. The tech tools to work anywhere are improving exponentially — smart phones, ultra–fast band–width, information storage on a thumb drive, laptops —but socially we haven’t caught up. The technology provides a real opportunity to create a modern–day version of a village, with people connected to their communities while working virtually anywhere in the world.
There really isn’t much out there in the way of telework centers. There are some government ones around DC, but they aren’t very appealing to work in. What makes us different is that, if you’re a member, you can access the space 24⁄7. But you don’t have to pay for unlimited use! We’ve developed a web–based tool that allows you to have 24⁄7 access while only paying for what you use or want. We also are really focused on community, on being a real business community center. So non–profits or community groups or people just trying to get going can have a professional, connected, comfortable presence for much less money than a commute or a stand–alone office.
We’re here for startups, for home–based businesses, for commuters wanting to avoid driving the hill but who want to separate home life and work life. We’re also here for community groups and non–profits.
We hope we’re making a difference in a number of ways. When Randy Brown, our local historian, took space at The Satellite, he noted that Felton was actually a center for movie–making in the 1910’s and ’20’s. So The Satellite hosted a Felton Film Festival of silent movies made locally. When the Lockheed Fire hit, we immediately put out the word that evacuated Bonny Dooners could use the space free as they struggled to maintain their work life, fill out forms, get connectivity, whatever. We have made our videoconference equipment available free to military families, so that they can actually see their loved ones in Iraq or Afghanistan. We’re offering The Satellite’s large meeting room free or at low cost to people who are providing forums or films or seminars in our community.
The San Lorenzo Valley chamber has been remarkably active at promoting local business and providing speakers and forums and connections that help all of us in these very difficult times. We want to be a part of that.
I love hearing the new ideas and business plans of the people here. It’s particularly exciting to see the connections people are making here that further their businesses. I don’t want to say we plan for serendipity, but members are finding that other members are commonly providing a missing link that they needed to grow their business. Environmentally, this is really important to me: yesterday, a representative from Sun Microsystems told me that 94% of their employees’ carbon footprint is their commute. If 20% of that goes away because they can work from here one day a week, I’ll stay enthused.
Can I get in anytime?
Can I pay for just the time I need, any time I need it?
How easy is it to use the center?
Do you provide printers? High–speed copying? High–speed connections? Phones? Ergonomic workspace?
Can I leave my files or other things at my desk?
Is it secure? Quiet when I need it?
And when you walk in the door, does it feel comfortable and welcoming?
I hope we can grow The Satellite to provide neighborhood–based workspace for communities around the Silicon Valley, near workers’ homes, and then to communities beyond.
831.222.2100
6265 Highway 9
Felton, CA 95018
thesatelliteinc.com
Lynn Zephryna is a web designer and owner of Website by d’Zign in Felton. She has been published in Porter Gulch Review and contributed to the 5th edition of Massage: A Career at Your Fingertips. She can be reached through Web–Dzign.Net.
