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<br />says that home workers
<br />"have 30 percent more
<br />[phone] features and
<br />products than our aver-
<br />age customers." Multiple
<br />phone lines are a priority.
<br />Currently, 19 percent
<br />of Americans have two
<br />or more phone lines in
<br />their homes; approxi-
<br />mately 30 percent of new
<br />requests tor additional
<br />residential lines are for
<br />business reasons. "Most
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<br />line capability:' says Brad
<br />Derthick, team leader of
<br />home-office marketing for US West Communications. "We are see-
<br />ing so many requests for third- and fourth-line capability that cus-
<br />tomers are having to wait for construction."
<br />Home-oft1ce workers are in the market for more unusual prod-
<br />ucts, too. Some use "white noise" (sound-muffling) systems to
<br />screen out children, pet, and appliance noises and offer a more pro-
<br />fessional image to the outside world.
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<br />Entrepreneurs, corporilte satellite employees, frustrated home workers, and others who
<br />move Into executive suites share the overhead costs of corporat&-style space, equipment,
<br />and support staff they couldn't afford on their own.
<br />
<br />Covering up the imperfections isn't enough for some home work-
<br />ers, though. "You meant to be in business for yourself, not by your-
<br />self." US West's advertising campaign says it all.
<br />While significant numbers of workers are stiIJ heading into
<br />home offices, they are to some extent merely counteracting the
<br />migration stream heading in the reverse direction. Bobbi and Mike
<br />Mostyn are president and vice president of In Data Group, Inc., a
<br />systems integration and multimedia networking company in
<br />Issaquah, Washington. The couple ran a successful high-tech busi-
<br />ness from a home office for three years. But last year they moved
<br />into a commercial office space. Their reasons? "We wanted a more
<br />professional image because we deal with very large corporate and
<br />government accounts, and we also wanted a separation of our per-
<br />sonal and business lives," says Mike. "It was getting to the point
<br />where we were doing business all the time. Now we're able to cre-
<br />ate a better balance."
<br />ror fan Monti, outplacement and management consultant of the
<br />Janus Group in Seattle, image and privacy were the major reasons
<br />for leaving her home office. She tried to make her home look pro-
<br />fessional at all times, but was unable to keep the office and residen-
<br />tial areas separated to her satisfaction. She also believes when peo-
<br />ple operate out of home offices, they "always charge less for their
<br />services, and they never seem to have the same status as people who
<br />might be oftlced elsewhere."
<br />
<br />Matthew lohnson and his partners thought home offices would
<br />be perfect for their new venture, Caledonian Associates of McLean,
<br />Virginia. After brief home-office stints, they moved into an execu-
<br />tive suite together. Among other things. Matthew found that his
<br />barking dog "made it very difficult to maintain a corporate image."
<br />Entrepreneurs such as these, who start their businesses at home,
<br />then move into "real" offices, represent the traditional vision of
<br />business SUccess in America. It's the logical place to begin. Once the
<br />business expands, it's time to move on.
<br />In some cases, the push out of the home-office nest comes from
<br />an employer. Paul Allen is the multi-billionaire cofounder of
<br />Microsoft and owner of several other high-tech companies. He is
<br />moving all his high-tech employees onto one centralized campus.
<br />Considering his employees' "virtual office" and work-at-home
<br />capabilities, why centralize? As spokesperson Susan Pierson says:
<br />"Nothing replaces face-to-face communication."
<br />For some erstwhile home workers, the hassles involved with zon-
<br />ing issues, lower overhead efficiencies, and increased risk of IRS
<br />audits are off-putting. Former home-office workers also say they
<br />missed the security of working in a larger organization, including
<br />access to support staff as well as the all-important employee issue of
<br />the 1990s-benefits. Finally, some realize that working at home
<br />doesn't work for them because they are unable to maintain a satis-
<br />factory distinction between work time and family. Personal busi-
<br />ness gets in the way of professional business, and vice versa.
<br />
<br />HEADING FOR SUITE SUCCESS
<br />
<br />The home-office entrepreneur who chooses to flee has a few
<br />options to consider-aside from bagging the alternative lifestyle.
<br />altogether and returning to the corporate world of cubicles, that is.
<br />Some people, such as Bobbi and Mike Mostyn, moved to anoth-
<br />er nontraditional setting. The Mostyns' "office" is a two-story log
<br />building in Issaquah, a rural suburb of Seattle. It's a IS-minute walk
<br />
<br />American Demographics October 1997 59
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