Issue link: http://www.insightdigital.biz/i/233760
in focus { s m a l l b u s i n e s s } by S haron Ve rbete n Work suite work Photographs by Sharon Verbe ten Regus gives companies workspace options without investing in property Regus Appleton General Manager Michele Barnes says many national companies with mobile sales staffs rent space in various locations, offering workers a "polished, professional environment," as well as the amenities of a home office. W orking with a national health care IT company, Racquel Murphy of the Virginia-based Cognosante knows the importance of having an efficient office and a support team she can depend on. But as site supervisor for Green Bay/Northeastern Wisconsin, she is far away from her home office. She and her company, like other companies both large and small, rely on office space and support staff from Regus in Appleton. 40 | Insight • J a n u a r y 2 014 "Regus allows us to have the administrative support of a bigger office with access to a copy machine, fax, scanner and in-house boardroom to hold meetings," Murphy says. "We have a front desk person who greets our appointments and insures deliveries for our office." That flexibility and availability is ideal for clients as small as singleperson freelancers or Fortune 500 companies with large, mobile staffs. In October, Regus, an international executive office suites company, opened a 13,000-square-foot office in Appleton, located just off Highway 41 at College Avenue. That location, just over two miles from the Outagamie County Regional Airport, is ideal for business travelers and those working along the Hwy. 41 corridor, says Michele Barnes, general manager for Regus' Appleton location. "It's a perfect location," she says. The Appleton venue, one of six Regus locations in the state, features 72 multi-size offices for short- or longterm lease. It also offers a comfortable and contemporary business lounge, WiFi, meeting rooms, refreshment area, along with a menu of other services clients can use (video conferencing, office support, concierge service, etc.). "You don't have to pay for what you don't use," Barnes says. "That's the smart way to do business." "We're an extension of your business. If you're a smaller company or a larger company, you can expand your business," Barnes says, noting that many national companies with mobile sales staffs like to rent in various locations, offering workers a "polished, professional environment," as well as the amenities of a home office. Some companies rent what the company calls a "virtual office," where they can get a local mailing address, phone service and access to Regus Business Lounges around the world. "It's very customizable, very flexible," Barnes says. Regus has been around since the w w w. i n s i g h t o n b u s i n e s s . c o m