That Smith

Laura and I have been happy the past few days because I finally found a job that doesn’t involve collecting money from deadbeats and doesn’t require me to work 12 hour shifts. I feel bad though because the new job needed me to start almost immediately so I only gave a week’s notice to Aaron’s, which was the same week the general manager was on vacation and the other manager’s grandpa died.

Now instead of listening to lame excuses of why someone can’t afford their couch payment (their kids always seemed to be sick and they were always waiting for some kind of check) and inhaling the undesirable stench of our delivery driver, I work normal hours at a place called Office This.

This new place is pretty unique because it’s like a cross between a hotel and a fitness center but for business people. You check in at the front desk and pay a monthly fee, and then come every day to use one of our workstations as your office. We provide you with your own phone number and phone line, and act as your receptionist, while you pretty much have a nice place to network and get stuff done.

The place doesn’t actually open until Monday, but each member will get free high speed internet access, free local and long distance phone service, voice mail, unrestricted access to our printers, copiers and fax machines, and complimentary use of our meeting and conference rooms.

There is a full service bar, coffee shop and snack area (also offered as “cube-side service”), a fitness room, day spa, and daycare. Then once reconstruction is complete (it used to be the old Wichita mall) there will be a specialty store for sending and receiving mail, a place for your pets to stay while you work, and over 100,000 square feet of offices, workstations, and conference rooms.

There are about 8 of us who just started working there on Friday. We just finished up training how to work the receptionist area, how to give tours, and how to set up new clients in the computer system. The place is sponsoring the Wichita Women’s Fair this weekend so I get to go hang out there, and last week we recorded a commercial so look for my head towards the end of it when it starts airing later this week.

I am told that Office This was created to target entrepreneurs and small businesses to provide them with an alternative to renting office space, but anyone (incorporated or not) can become a member.