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San Juan Capistrano--The TeleBusiness Center

The San Juan Capistrano TeleBusiness Center opened in March 1995. The center has approximately 2,100 square feet of recently refurbished office space. It consists of three private offices (some with Intel videoconferencing equipment); seven cubicle workstations, thirteen open-area workstations, one conference or class room available for audio or videoconferencing (PictureTel equipment); a break area with sink, microwave, coffee pot, etc.; and a reception area with an on-site administrator. Equipment includes PCs and Macintosh computers, scanners, laser and ink jet printers, and photocopy and fax machines. ISDN lines and modem access to the Internet are also available.

The TeleBusiness Center is located just off Interstate 5 and the Ortega Highway, in the Ortega Business Center. The downtown Amtrak/Metrolink station is within walking distance of the center; an Orange County Transit Authority (OCTA) bus stop serving multiple routes within the county and to Los Angeles and San Diego is directly across the street; and a city bike path passes behind the business park. The Ortega Business Center offers a diversity of services, including a federal express pickup office, restaurants and fast food, a convenience store, day care, fitness center, laundry and dry cleaning, computer sales and service, professional offices (legal, medical, dental, insurance, and real estate), bakery, florist, boutiques, and bike racks. It is also adjacent to Saint Margaret's School (grades K through 12).

This site is being managed by an entrepreneur. Funding comes from a grant issued by the OCTA; Caltrans; private sources, including in-kind equipment and services; and an equity investment by the operator.

Marketing is being planned for both telecommuters and employers. Marketing to telecommuters will include advertising in local newspapers, free press, and regional editions of major newspapers; networking through the local chambers of commerce and service groups; and presentations to private residential communities. Marketing planned for employers is designed to stress telecommuting as an economic rather than a transportation strategy. Specific activities to accomplish this goal are: contacting companies subject to commute trip reduction regulations of the Air Quality Management District; addressing employers' associations; issuing press releases to local business publications; and networking through employers' chambers of commerce.

Seven federal employees are interested in working at the site and are waiting for it to be certified by the government to begin telecommuting--CASU/GSA has visited the site. Several other inquiries have been received in response to a recent newspaper advertisement.

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