Regus Caters to Growing Number of Self-Employed

Working from home can be hard. There are a million little distractions, from the phone ringing to your kid pulling at your sleeves every 15 minutes.

You can head to a coffee shop, but do you really want to spend an entire day at Starbucks? 

Luckily, there is something called , a business office for the growing number of Petalumans who are self-employed or telecommute. Located next to the , Regus bills itself a “virtual office solution,” a place where professionals can hold a meeting, receive calls and mail, conduct interviews and see clients.

There is even a secretary who will answer the phone with the name of your company and bring clients a coffee while they wait. In other words, Regus offers the benefits of an office without being tethered to one 9-5.

Petalumans have always been an entrepreneurial bunch, but the recession has resulted in more people striking out on their own. Currently, an estimated 35 companies "reside" inside Regus, but many more individuals use the space on an occasional basis.

“There is probably a 15 percent increase in the past year alone of individuals working from a home-based office,” said Sande Golgart, a Regus spokesman. “While other businesses are fighting to stay afloat, Regus has enjoyed 100 percent occupancy.”

Leasing an office can run up to $1,000 a month in Petaluma. But at Regus, you can rent an office from by the half day, month or year, depending on your budget, needs and commitment level.

Mark M., owner of Trinity River, a marketing company, who did not want to use his last name, came to Regus after getting tired of working at coffee shops or from his house. The loneliness factor was high and he found himself getting easily distracted.

So he signed up for a 10 day a month use of a private office at Regus and access to the lounge area the rest of the time. The cost? $350 a month or only $35 per day. 

"I feel more productive because I'm not hopping from one café to another," Mark said. "I dress professionally when I go there, and even if I'm not interacting with anyone, I just get more done."

There is a kitchen, newspapers in the hallway and free coffee all day long. The view of the Petaluma River is not bad, either.

"It’s very much of a professional office environment, so your mindset is different when you go there," Mark says. 

Regus was started by Mark Dixon, an English entrepreneur who became frustrated by the lack of office space while on a business trip to Brussels in 1989.

Dixon had to work in his hotel room and was so angry that he decided to do something about it. Today Regus employs approximately 5,000 people and is based in 80 countries. Lucky us.

Perhaps Regus is a testament to the fact that as much as we long to break the shackles of office life, sometimes its convenience, social interactions and the discipline that it instills into our day, are something we--oh fallible human beings-- just can't leave behind.