Tweet

Working at Home vs Getting an Office

Written by: Garrett Krueger

Article Overview: This article will help you determine if the timing is right for you to secure an office for your business or to continue to work from home.

Working at Home vs Getting an Office

Need an Office?
5 things to Consider when Finding your First office or Moving from a Home-Based Office

1. Term of the Lease: This first office lease will probably be one of the bigger commitments and liabilities of your business. Make sure the lease term is flexible and is within your budget now based on current cash flow not future projections. Most small businesses start with a 1-2 year lease because month to month leases are difficult to find.

2. Location, Location, Location: The location of your first office is a balance of price and quality of life. You can find an office 7 miles from your house in a more affordable location but your commute might be long and you might have an issue with safety. Focus on a location that is convenient for employees (or future employees) and one that is priced right. Commute times within the Bay Area have a drastic effect on your employee’s qualities of life and should be considered. Another thing to consider about your location is potential crime. Have there been break-ins in the neighborhood recently? Would an employee feel comfortable working in the building alone, or walking to their car or public transportation after working late on a project? All of these issues should be considered when considering your first office

3. Amenities: What restaurants and coffee shops are available nearby? Being in an isolated office park can be a very bad situation for the comfort of employees. At times it cannot be helped, but being in close proximity to the amenities employees use during their lunch break can be a huge recruiting and productivity advantage.

4. Expansion or Reduction of Space: If things go well, you will be thinking about business expansion and you don’t want your space or your lease holding you back. It is important to have a conversation with the owner about how much expansion space is available and an option to break your lease if it’s not available. If business is not going well, it is important to have an option to sublease your space or to buy out of the lease obligation.

5. Parking/Public Transit: Transportation and parking are two of the most pressing issues in the Bay Area. The proximity to public transportation and affordable and convenient parking are extremely important. The more transportation options the better.

Related Articles
  Taking Back Your Life
  Working From Home
  Working from Home – Top 5 Mistakes People Make
  Work At Home For The Fun Of It!
  How to Start and Prepare a Home Based Business

Article Tags: bad situation, business expansion, cash flow, close proximity, coffee shops, commitments, commute times, drastic effect, expansion space, ins, lease term, leases, liabilities, location location location, lunch break, office 1, office lease, productivity advantage, public transportation, small businesses



Related Forum Posts
Re: What is Your Favorite Thing About Owning A Business? - [quote="freddyb45":1t3lpfi8]For me it's the fact that all the time and effort you put in is worth a lot more, due to it making you "business" more profitable. Working for yourself is also a positive, although employing people you can trust is quite different.[/quote:1t3lpfi8] I like this idea. Working for yourself means you are investing in your own future, not someone else's, although there is value in working for someone else first to gain experience and confidence. Working for yourself does not automatically mean success, fame and fortune. For most entrepreneurs, it takes much work and dedication to get to the point of financial success and comfort - sometimes years. But the benefit is, again, you know you are investing in yourself and building equity for your own future. GT :-]
Re: Trade Shows - Are They Worth It? - HI, I have used trade shows (not participated) to collect potential clients. For example, the Home & Garden Industry is extremely behind the time in regards to their websites. I attended an Home & Garden Expo in Denver and collected all the companies contact information. I plan on cold calling & mailing information to each business. It also gave me time to research the industry more, talk directly to the owners in many cases, and learn more about what they need. Jeff
Re: help wanted in u.k. - Working on it all, a new world to me cheers brendan
Books for Women Entrepreneurs - There's a thread for good books in the Resources folder, but it doesn't target books for businesswomen particularly, so I figured I'd start such a thread here. It doesn't matter how successful you are in your business - it's always possible to learn something new. In subsequent posts I give Table of Contents and brief descriptions for various titles - most of them devoted to the businesswoman - and sometimes a review. If anyone else has read a review, or has read the book and found it useful, please comment! 1. The Old Girl's Network 2. Mother's Work 3. The 7 Greatest Truths About Successful Women 4. Pitch Like A Girl 5. Workplace Warrior 6. Treasure Hunt: Inside the Mind of the Modern Consumer 7. Contingency Planning & Disaster Recovery 8. She Wins, You Win 9. Napoleon On Project Management 10. Why Good Girls Dont' Get Ahead, But Gutsy Girls Do 11. Comeback Moms: How to Leave Work, Raise Children, and Restart your Career even If you Haven't Had a Job in Years 12. The One Minute Millionaire 13. Talking From 9 to 5 14. Soloing: Realizing Your Life's Ambitions 15. 101 Best Home Based Businesses for Women: Everything You Need to Know About Getting Started on the Road To Success 16. Work With Passion: How to Do What You Love for a Living. Revised and Expanded 17. Fail-Proof Your Business: Beat the Odds and be Successful 18. Confidence: How Winning Streaks and Losing Streaks Begin and End 19. Women Don't Ask: Negotiation and the Gender Divide 20. Millionaire Women Next Door: The Many Journeys of Successful American Businesswomen 21. Start Small, Finish Big: Fifteen Key Lessons to Start - and Run - Your Own Successful Business 22. Rewired, Rehired or Retired: A Global Guide for the Experienced Worker 23. The Martha Rules: 10 essentials for achieving success as you start, build or manage a business 24. The Essentials of Entrepreneurship: What it takes to create Successful Enterprises 25. Net Ready: Strategies for Success in the E-conomy 26. The Promotable Woman 27. Leave The Office Earlier: The Productivity Pro shows you how to do more in less time and feel great about it 28. The Work At Home Balancing Act: The professional resource guide for managing yourself, your work, and your family at home 29. Secrets of Six-Figure Women
Re: What is Your Favorite Thing About Owning A Business? - For me it's the fact that all the time and effort you put in is worth a lot more, due to it making you "business" more profitable. Working for yourself is also a positive, although employing people you can trust is quite different.


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Tweet

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

Stay Employed In A Down Economy

Online Business Ideas: A Look At Various Options

Winning Market Share in a Tough Economy

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.