Press Release 4.23.09
LOCAL ENTREPRENEURS OPEN SATELLITE TELEWORK CENTERS IN FELTON
First of a planned nationwide business providing professional office space for commuters, home-based business owners and area entrepreneurs
FELTON, Calif., April 23, 2009 – Three San Lorenzo Valley entrepreneurs have opened Satellite Telework Centers, offering high tech office and workspace in downtown Felton designed to appeal to Highway 17 commuters, home-based business owners and local entrepreneurs.
“Thousands of people commute from the San Lorenzo Valley to Silicon Valley every day,” said CEO Barbara Sprenger. “We’re offering people an alternative to sitting in traffic and dealing with the distractions and isolation that come with working from home.”
The center, located in the former Union Bank building on Highway 9 in Felton, offers private offices, cubicles and open workspace with all the amenities of professional office spaces, including videoconferencing, conference rooms, T1 connectivity and business-class office equipment. Individuals purchase subscriptions to use the facilities a few hours a day, a few days a week or access it 24/7.
“We’ve structured The Satellite to work the way people want to work,” Sprenger said. “Our goal is to make this a comfortable, extremely efficient place to work for those days when you don’t need to go into the office.”
Telework facilities were originally promoted by the government as a way to alleviate traffic congestion and respond in the event of a natural disaster that would keep workers from getting in to their offices in major cities. The concept has recently found resurgence among coworking facilities in big cities, where entrepreneurs gather and leverage each other’s skills to build their businesses.
“Telecommuting one or two days a week is great, but a lot of people we talk to complain about the isolation and the distractions they have to deal with that come from working at home,” Sprenger said. “We’re also seeing a lot of interest from home-based business owners who need office space one or two days a week or just need a conference room for a couple of hours for client meetings.”
The founders, who include Sprenger’s husband Ken Meshke and Felton resident Jim Graham, incorporated a number of green technologies into the building, including sun tunnels for natural light, zero VOC paint, LED lighting and an power conservation system that only turns off when rooms are not being used. Access to the building, the private offices and conference rooms are controlled using RFID cards that manage billing and maintain security.
“The system knows what you’re using, so space really can be shared efficiently, saving everyone cost,” Sprenger said. “And from an aesthetic perspective, we’ve really designed this to be the office we’ve always dreamed of working in.”
Recent studies show that teleworking and telecommuting are on the rise, even in a down economy. According to a February study by WorldatWork, the number of Americans working remotely at least one day per month increased from 12.4 million in 2006 to 17.2 million in 2008 – equating to roughly 11 percent of the population. The authors of the new book on teleworking – “Undress for Success” report that 14% of Americans have changed jobs to shorten the commute, 46% of companies that allow telework say it has reduced attrition, and 95% of employers say telework has a high impact on employee retention.
“While face time with coworkers is still important, studies show that employees are up to 40% more productive when they don’t have to deal with the constant distractions of being in the office,” Sprenger said. “Employers benefit from improved morale, reduced facilities costs and increased retention.”
The founders plan to make the Satellite available on evenings and weekends for business classes, author readings and community group meetings.
“We’re strong believers in ongoing education and want to build a network where people can come to learn how to create a business plan, how to use social media for business and use our videoconferencing system for distance learning programs,” Sprenger said.
The team is starting with a May 29 event co-sponsored by the Monterey Bay International Trade Association with presentations on global virtual offices, online collaboration and teleworking.
About Satellite Telework Centers
Satellite Telework Centers provides membership based private offices, cubicles and open workspace for commuters, home-based business owners and entrepreneurs. The first Satellite is in Felton, California, and founders intend to expand the company with Satellites throughout California. For more information, contact 831.222.2100 or visit http://www.thesatellliteinc.com .
For more information, contact
Jim Graham
Satellite Telework Centers
Ph. 831.234.4337
Em. jgraham@thesatelliteinc.com