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Long Beach Telebusiness Center

This center held a grand opening on March 15, 1995. The physical site description remains unchanged from the December 1994 report, with ten private offices arranged around 27 open-area workstations. Office Technology Group, a commercial property management company, has been hired to manage the center, including the development and implementation of a marketing plan. The company provides an on-site Administrative Manager to handle daily operations, conduct tours for potential telecommuters and their employers, etc. In addition, one of the marketing professionals on staff at Office Technology Group devotes part of each day to the telecenter.

Past marketing activity has included advertising on the local public access cable television station, a media release printed in the local newspaper, a direct mail campaign to potential users and their employers, establishment of a City of Long Beach home page (with information about the telecenter) on the Internet, and maximizing publicity for the grand opening. The center's administrators also work with other telecenter administrators through their membership in various telecommuting organizations, including the Telecommuting Advisory Council (TAC) and the Southern California Telecommuting Partnership (SCTP). One example of the marketing assistance the telecenter receives through these memberships is a current project by SCTP. The partnership, through the firm Kosmont & Associates, issued Requests for Proposals for grants in marketing, training, research and development. Kosmont & Associates has received and reviewed the RFPs; an announcement of the grant awards is scheduled for the week of August 7, 1995. Once underway, these programs will benefit all telecenters in the region and telecommuting in general. Another benefit of SCTP membership is an Internet bulletin board offered by its User/Provider Group that allows members to readily share information.

The center charges $400 per month for an interior workstation and $500-700 for one of the private, exterior offices. With a signed 12-month lease agreement at those rates, the center commits to providing up to $3,000 worth of hardware for each workstation/office.

The final version of the lease agreement has been approved, and copies have been mailed to potential telecommuters. Three employees from CASU have committed to one-year leases and have recently started using the center. Several other potential telecommuters have expressed strong interest in using the center but have not yet signed agreements.

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