In this special guest feature, Peter Ames writes about when it’s time to move your Startup to an office.
When you take your first tentative steps as a new business owner, working from the comfort of home can be a great option; it’s a cheap, comfortable and familiar environment in which you can build your fledgling business at your own pace. However, if the incidents below sound familiar, it may be time to upgrade your business to a professional office space.
If the distractions begin to take hold
One of the greatest fears of the homeworker is beginning to topple down the slippery slope that is the distractions of the home. You may have set upon the road to startup glory with the best of intentions, but when the workload begins to build up it can be all too easy to abandon work altogether and give into distractions.
The home is an environment that can really encourage these bad habits. A recent Citrix report revealed a whopping 43% of home workers had given into the draw of the television. If you find yourself joining their ranks it may be worth looking into moving to an office!
When you need to impress clients
As your business grows and you look to build a network of contacts, you may increasingly find your home office could have an effect upon the impression you and your business have upon potential clients.
If this is beginning to become a worry then it might be time to consider moving your business into an office. You may well find that simply moving to a professional address in a desirable location, or being able to access meeting rooms, has a really positive effect on your business’ image.
And if they do…
You may find there is an office space solution out there that is really quite affordable. Why not consider renting a desk in a shared office, where you can pay for a desk on a rolling month-to-month basis and enjoy the buzz of office life?
One great reason to do so is that all your utilities and broadband fees will be included in the monthly rent. They are more expensive than a traditional rented office, but the lack of administrative hassle having to sort utility and maintenance bills can really make them worth the cost! When you’re a small business time really is money and you don’t want to be wasting it having to spend time on the phone any time your network goes down or a heater breaks.
In fact shared offices can be a really great way to enjoy office life for any small business that doesn’t really have any specific need for control over things such as broadband and security. Flexible month-to-month contracts should allow you to move in and out quickly if you need to. Desks are usually available to rent straight away, so what are you waiting for?
Peter Ames writes on behalf of Office Genie, the UK’s first proper marketplace for shared desk space.
Leave your own comment