Home businesses in paradise - relocating in rural idylls - includes related first-person article on moving from Cleveland to Arizona - Cover Story

Home Office Computing, Feb, 1991 by David G. Jensen

On a beautiful October morning in 1987, the Whittier earthquake selectively leveled buildings in Los Angeles, including a good portion of the 3,000-square-foot offices where Ron and Buff Bums housed their specialized graphic-design firm, RBD Inc.

"Ron and I took as much equipment as we could get out of the building in the few minutes they gave us, and moved it to our condo, " says Buff. " We called our employees that night and told them to come to our home the next day. In the morning, we had 12 people sitting around in easy chairs and dining-room furniture doing paste-ups and graphics work. We had one telephone line and no copiers."

Eventually, Ron and Buff had to move the office out of the condo because there wasn't enough space for all their employees. It was at this point that other obstacles to a quality lifestyle began to nag at them.

"The earthquake was a catalyst, but frankly, pollution was getting to us, and traffic was a constant problem," says Ron. "We finally decided one day that something had to give. " A relative suggested that they take a vacation in Arizona, so they put their two dogs and hiking clothes into their pickup truck and left for a place on the map called Sedona. At the time, they had no idea that they were taking major steps in both their business and their personal lives.

They rented a place in Sedona during that vacation and three months later started commuting from L.A. to work there. Six months later, they bought five acres on a hilltop and moved their office to Sedona. While they still maintain office space in L.A. and periodically visit California, their Sedona home office is now their main office.

Sedona, like Many other locations of great scenic beauty and geographic diversity, has become a magnet for those who desire a high degree of personal freedom. It has long been a refuge for those who seek to escape the discomforts of city life and has historically attracted artists and tourists. Although tourism plays a major role in keeping the economic climate healthy in this trendy town of 10,000, more and more professionals have come from such crowded cities as Los Angeles, New York City, Cleveland, and Washington, D.C., to run national and international enterprises-many of them out of their homes. CASHING OUT OF THE CITIES, CHECKING IN TO A BEAUTIFUL SPOT

Trend spotter Faith Popcorn, who heads the marketing consultancy Brain Reserve in New York City, has coined the phrase cashing out" to identify professionals who have lost interest in the urban lifestyle. "Growing numbers of men and women, disillusioned with greed and unethical practices, are looking for a work experience that will provide them with a deeper sense of accomplishment and enrichment," says Popcorn. "These cashing-outers are moving from the cities to places where they can raise children-places with backyards, safe streets, and better schools."

Popcorn notes that this trend coincides with a shift in consumer priorities toward the renewed importance of the three E's-education, ethics, and the environment. Other hot spots for entrepreneurs seeking scenic, out-of-the-way places to start national businesses include Lake Tahoe, Nevada; Eugene, Oregon; Mendocino, California; Boulder, Colorado; Sanibel Island, Florida; Bar Harbor, Maine; Traverse City, Michigan; Santa Fe, New Mexico; Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; Austin, Texas; and Sag Harbor, New York.

"The myth that you have to live in an urban center to have a professional career was eventually shattered, and I moved to my home office in Sedona on a full-time basis, " says Jim Bishop, a syndicated columnist, screenwriter, and author who migrated to Sedona in 1986 after living in various cities. "It isn't just the beauty of the red rocks. It is a certain spirit of individualism, of respect for nature and for the mysteries of life that is just not present in the cities. it is incredibly invigorating. New York City's Central Park is beautiful, but once you develop some sensitivities, you come to understand the necessity of re-creating your connection with nature. This is a magical place." FROM THE WHITE HOUSE TO THE RED ROCKS

"I had heard about communities like Santa Fe and Sedona from my mother, who was an artist," says Bishop. "Stories about this little jewel in the desert kept nagging at me until I drove over one day and saw it for myself." Bishop worked for 20 years as a Washington correspondent for Newsweek. After leaving the magazine, and positions in the Carter administration and the Rand Corporation, he decided that he wanted to set up a home office in Arizona, but was troubled by the mechanics of making it all work. Luckily, his employer allowed him to work part-time from L.A., and the rest of the time from his new home in the Sedona area.

"I found that my editors were perfectly happy to receive my work by fax or modem. I can pay monthly visits to my employers and fax story ideas off to publications all over the world. For my syndicated column, I send work directly from my computer to my editor's computer by modem. I write to fit, right down to the last character, and we discuss the column and make changes while we both look at the results on our screens. I can get incredible output with these tools. In my home office, with this equipment, I am doing as much by myself as I was in the White House with four secretaries supporting me," Bishop says. MAGIC MOUNTAINS