An Advantage of Moving to a Traditional Office

There are plenty of great reasons to set up a home office. One of the perks of working from home is being able to take breaks when you want to, spend time with family, etc. However, this can quickly eat up your day without you realizing it. There’s nothing worse than picking up the phone with an important client and having a knock on your door or your child ask for something. 


But as your business expands, you might begin to feel a little cramped in your home office. If, for instance, your “office” is little more than a desk packed into one corner of your living room, then it won’t be long before your freelance life—printers, paperwork, contracts, and file cabinets—begins to invade your personal space.


That's when you know it's time to go out and look for a small office space for lease. Establishing an office that runs efficiently requires accurate calculations of the space needed and what is affordable.


There is credibility that comes from an office with a business sounding address.  For example, you nothing about two consulting firms.  You only know that  one consulting firm everybody worked out of their homes and the other firm had an office in the building next to the courthouse, you were a serious buyer of consulting services, from which consulting firm would you purchase consulting services?

How to Know Your Home Business Needs an Outside Office

It can be complicated in determining when is the right time to move your home-based business to a separate office space in.  Moving too soon can result in overhead that is outside of the current cash flow ability.  Waiting too long may result in loss of customers or jobs. Operating out of the home can be a big plus for many small business owners. By significantly lowering your overhead expense, you can improve your profit margins in good times and reduce your risks if the business cycle heads down. The advantages of moving out of your home office boil down to increased professionalism, more space to work and unlimited growth potential. Of course, with any advantage come a few disadvantages, but nothing that can't be overcome.

There are a few signs that let you know it's time to go out and look for an office space.  For example:

Interruptions:         

• Dogs barking and family members needing your assistance will not only minimize your productivity but  can be heard on calls and teleconferences. While most understand the demands of juggling business and home life, constant interruptions and background noise are not necessarily helpful when you’re trying to project a professional image.

Outgrown Space: 

• Businesses that need a great deal of space or that need bulky equipment are obvious candidates for outside offices. But some businesses that don't need to be operated from outside offices can benefit from them.  You're struggling to fit the new printer but you're struggling because there just isn’t room between your file cabinet and the queen-sized bed that also sits in your office.   Maybe you do need a larger space that can be devoted just to your business.  Piles of equipment or papers that are interfering with either your work or your family life also send a signal that it’s time to consider an outside office.

Space for Clients:   

• When a big portion of your business involves meeting with clients, you may need more than just the local  coffee shop. When you want to present to a larger group or need a truly professional meeting space, you’ll need to find something a little more appropriate than a café. One option is to rent office space – you’ll get a set amount of hours in an office, along with access to a conference room.

Most  businesses with outside locations tend to be easier to sell and to bring higher prices. For one thing, the new owner doesn't have to scout out a new location and go to the expense of moving; for another, customers and clients are already accustomed to visiting a particular office and can continue to patronize it despite the new ownership.

Some businesses operate most efficiently when they are located close to customers, suppliers, or certain other facilities or businesses. For example, law offices are often located close to the county courthouse, in part to minimize the time spent running back and forth to court. Also, many customers or clients seem to feel that a business with a permanent address other than someone's home is less likely to be a fly-by-night operation, and more likely to be able to deliver on guarantees.

Want to start your own business but scared of failing?

People always wonder if this is a good time to start their own business. The fact is, there's really never a bad time to launch a business. It's obvious why it's smart to launch in strong economic times. People have money and are looking for ways to spend it. But launching in tough or uncertain economic times can be just as smart. If you do some research and there's a high need for the business you're starting. Because many people are reluctant to launch in tough times, your new business has a better chance of getting noticed. And, depending on your idea, in a down economy there is often equipment (or even entire businesses!) for sale at bargain prices.

When you start a small business you face lots of challenges. In order to improve your chances of beating the odds, what is important is that you educate yourself about business development. Starting and running a business, or any form of self-employment, requires a range of skills and attitudes. It can be very demanding.

It’s important that you understand all the responsibilities you’ll have, and as many of the foreseeable challenges as you can. On the other hand, it’s also important to recognize the rewards of working for yourself and providing a quality product or a needed service to your customers and the community.

Working from home might seem to be cheaper than leasing or renting an office space, but in the current climate with lots of property available, office space rental isn’t the costly exercise you might think it to be. In fact, thanks to the recession, many landlords are simply eager to lease out their dead office space, and so as a result, prices are actually more competitive than ever.

You’ll be surprised at how cost effective this option can be and the extra benefit with renting an office space from Van Nuys Offices with one of their short-term contracts  It also allows convenience and flexibility, which are both essential things when a business is in its fledgling state. Shop around, take a look at the deals – it could be the best thing you’ve done to date.

Is a Home Office the Best Idea

Home Office Getting too Crowded

For many new small business owners, a home office makes the most sense. Being able to work from home is an appealing concept for women today. The cost of starting a business is relatively low and women can feel more fulfilled knowing all the hours they put into work are to build their own business instead of someone else’s.More than 60 per cent of people who start a business are now doing so from home. From fashion design, IT and catering through pet care and arts/crafts to accountancy and legal services – you name it – it’s being run as a business from someone’s home. Most cities and towns will allow you to run a business out of your home as long as you meet certain criteria. A major benefit of using your home as your business location is that you won't waste any time commuting and you won't incur additional costs to rent an office space. The IRS also offers significant tax deductions for a home office used for your business.

But there is also drawbacks to working out of home. A major drawback of working from home is that you can never truly leave work. Also, many types of businesses aren't suited to a home location. The advantages of moving out of your home office boil down to increased professionalism, more space to work and unlimited growth potential. Of course, with any advantage come a few disadvantages, but nothing that can't be overcome. For some people, the chance to move into commercial premises provides a more professional outlook, greater scope for expansion and the room to accommodate permanent staff. 

For some businesses, such as lawyers,  accountants, insurance brokers, & classes,  most clients either want, or need, to come in for face-to-face appointments. Other businesses, such as advertising firms, may be able to service their clients while hardly ever meeting them in the flesh. Before you move out your home office, read on to learn about the pros, cons, and factors to consider when moving to a retail space. There will be lifestyle and financial changes to your business if you choose to do so. You probably considered these factors when you decided to start a home-based business, but you will have to consider them again. If you can afford the move and want to expand your business to a larger clientele and higher production rates, then moving to a commercial location will definitely accomplish that goal.