A letter to The Boston Globe written by TechMarcom President Jon Boroshok. It appeared on page A21 on November 1, 1999.
Is a downtown location worth it?
Recent articles about the development and pace of business in Boston have failed to address the impact of a downtown location on the long-term survival of new ventures, and how commutes affect quality of life and companies' ability to hire and retain experienced employees.
Downtown Boston office rents are among the highest in the nation. Selecting expensive real estate is not a prudent investment for a fledgling business facing numerous start-up costs.
I am the president of a marketing communications agency for emerging technology companies. Many incubator ventures are involved with e-commerce and the Internet. Part of the promise of the Net is that business can be done from anyplace. An office with a Charles River view is no more productive than a suburban office park, but it costs much more.
An incubator is a great shot in the arm for a new tech venture. Renting the most expensive office space in the area doesn't seem like the best way for venture capitalists to recoup their investment.
In addition, with senior professionals living further out in the suburbs, does a downtown location really make sense? Established companies are having difficulties attracting qualified employees as more people say ``no'' to commutes to Boston and Cambridge.
Why would someone want to add two hours of aggravating commute time to his or her day?
There's also the issue of quality of life for employees, and how that could affect a company's ability to stay competitive. In a tight labor market, wouldn't offering a high quality of life be a way to attract the best and brightest talent? How does a downtown location and a two hour daily commute help workers achieve balance?
It's a tight enough job market - these tech start-ups are competing for employees with companies offering good jobs closer to home along routes 128 and 495.
After working a 10-hour day, a long commute is not a positive contribution to balancing work and family life. It's counter productive, costly to long-term viability, and warrants careful evaluation.