Remote Business Operations: Jonathan Meigs

It’s the never ending struggle—the quest to achieve a perfect balance between work and family life. Some people strive for years to achieve it and others just happen upon it by chance. Take Jonathan Meigs, for example. Meigs first visited Millbrook, New York when he was taking his daughter to a local boarding school. “I knew almost immediately I wanted to live in this area,” Meigs says.

A Rural Lifestyle with Big City Comforts

There was only one problem. Terrestrial options, such as DSL or cable, were not available in Meigs’ prospective new neighborhood. For Meigs, owner of Meigs Media Group, a media consulting and advertising production business with employees 100 miles away in New York City, this was a significant problem.

“I have an editor and ad designer on my staff located down in the city, and I access their projects through email,” said Meigs. “A broadband connection is critical to speaking to them in ‘real time’ and getting projects completed in a timely manner.”

“One thing I was used to in previous city residences was a high-speed connection,” said Meigs. In locations like Millerton there isn’t always access to traditional high-speed Internet options from vendors like Verizon or Comcast. And the cost to install a T-1 line often can be thousands of dollars. “$10,000!” Meigs said, slowly shaking his head. “$10,000 was what they told me it would cost to run a line up to my residence. I couldn’t believe it was that cost-prohibitive.”

Luckily, he discovered HughesNet^®, a two-way, always-on, broadband satellite service that allows him to live the lifestyle he wants, but still run his business efficiently.

“HughesNet allows me to access pictures and files sent from New York City at fast speeds, saving me both time and the frustration of having to wait for downloads.”

Through a local dealer, Meigs signed up for the HughesNet service and has been happy ever since. “All I needed was a clear view of the Southern sky, which isn’t really a problem in the open area where I live. I was impressed with how quick it is—a better connection and much less frustrating than the dial-up connection I was forced to go back to for a while.”

“Beyond the obvious benefit of taking care of immediate work, the connection frees up time that may have otherwise been spent downloading, to browse the news and look for new opportunities, a crucial part of my business.”

Enjoying the Countryside

Meigs is able to run his business effectively from Millbrook thanks to HughesNet. Even more importantly, Meigs can spend valuable time with his family and friends in a more comfortable atmosphere than what the big city offers. “When my editor or designer sends me something, I’m able to open it quickly, allowing me more time to review it, make any changes, and get done with my work at a reasonable hour. And what could be better than having extra time to spend around this area?”