When starting out in business, many entrepreneurs base themselves in a home office.
There are advantages to this, of course.
There are less overheads to consider, with no need to spend money on rented office or commuting costs. And there is the option to be nearer family, especially when the entrepreneur has to arrange their working life around the needs of the children.
Many people do work from home, and for some, there may be no problems in doing so.
However, for other people, working from a home office could eventually be bad for business.
Do the following signs relate to you?
Sign 1: Your productivity is low
You need to get work done in the day, but if you're struggling to meet deadlines and get through your to-do lists, then you need to ask yourself why. In many cases, it is probably because you are letting yourself get distracted. If you are forever stopping work because your favourite television programme is on, or because you are scrolling through Facebook more than you should, then your productivity will suffer. On the other hand, there might be other distractions interrupting your day. If your friends and neighbours know that you are home, they might pop round for a chat. And you might be interrupted by noise, be that your neighbor mowing his lawn, or your children running around the house.
In some instances, you can still work from home, but you will need to be firm with yourself and others. Tell yourself 'no' when you are tempted to get distracted and stick to a schedule, so you have a fighting chance at getting work done. Record your favourite television shows, and use an internet blocker to limit your internet use for non-work purposes. Then let friends, family, and neighbours know when you are working, as (hopefully) they will be less inclined to interrupt you. And if noise is a problem, consider migrating your office to another part of the house, or migrate elsewhere, such as to your local library. If you continue to face issues with productivity, consider renting or buying office space elsewhere, using proplist to find a suitable property. By being in a more professional setting, you might be less prone to the distractions we mentioned, and you might have the mindset to get more work done.
Sign 2: You have run out of room
Especially when your business grows, you might need more room than you currently have available at home. For example, you might need space to hold meetings with clients or have extra room for the stock you might sell. And you might need to hire employees, and so they might need somewhere other than your home office or living room to get work done. As a consequence, you might also need more office furniture, computers, and other pieces of equipment. If you don't have the room to grow at home, then you might want to think about migrating elsewhere. Your home will only become cluttered otherwise, and this isn't useful, especially when you need to invite clients over or get work done without the distraction of a messy home.
What you do depends on your business. In some instances, you can hire employees without them using your home at all. And you don't need to invite clients over to your home either. With today's technology, you can communicate and work with both groups remotely. On the other hand, you might need to rent office space, as this will afford you the possibility of closer contact with your employees, and a more professional setting for client meetings. You will also have space to welcome other visitors relevant to your business, as well as have more room for any equipment you need to run your operation.
And so…
Is your home office still fit for business? If not, consider our suggestions. Whether you move or stay put, do whatever is necessary to ensure your business doesn't have to suffer for long.
Let us know what you think, and if you have any tips for my readers, please share your wisdom with me.
