OK so now I have my brand, I have my business, I am marketing, Now what? Do I have my space?
When it comes to real estate most of us deal with the chicken and the egg syndrome. I know that I have outgrown my home office, but how do I justify spending money on an office? (Even though it is a tax write off) Right now my home office is free, is it worth the plunge to pay for an office? When determining whether it is time to move out of your home office you need to ask yourself a few questions.
1. Am I truly being effective working from home? I know we feel like we are multi tasking by throwing that load of laundry in so it is working while we are working, but how much productivity is being lost in all of the "multi tasking" things that we are doing ie: doing dishes, walking the dog, picking up around the house, putting in a load of laundry, etc. If you tracked the amount of time those items actually took out of your day I think you would be surprised about how much time was actually lost in "multi tasking".
2. Do you need your dining room/kitchen table back? -Let's face it, although we have a "home office" in our house, how many of us are actually working on our dining room or kitchen table. You feel more connected, less confined in the middle of the house, but does that also allow you to not have a work/life balance. Are you working constantly? Is is always in front of you? Do you always "think just one more email, or if I do this report..." Is it interfering with your work life balance? More importantly does your spouse or roommate want their table back?
3. Am I able to meet with my clients and or staff in a professional setting where there are not many distractions? You really can't meet with a client at your home. I guess you could, but is it really the professional appearance you are wanting to show your client? Are you able to discuss your business in a coffee shop setting where people can hear your conversations or possibly read what is on your laptop? Think HIPAA, personal information, or financial information that you may not want Bubba at the next table to hear or know.
Do you really want your staff to know where you live? Let's face it, not all professional relationships work out. Do you really want your employees or ex-employees to know where you live?
4. Do you feel like an island? -Although the idea of working from home seems wonderful at the time, I don't think people realize how incredibly lonely it is to work from home. Sometimes you just want someone to bounce some ideas off of. Sometimes you need to hash through some things and you would like an outsider's perspective. Or sometimes you need a break from work to be able to clear your mind for a minute so you can come back and look at it with fresh eyes.
5. If you were to have an office for your staff, potential clients and yourself would you be more productive? Sometimes taking the plunge is what you actually need to ramp up your business and take it to the next level. What could be holding you back from the growth you are hoping for is not having the appropriate place to work, meet with clients and grow your staff. Sometimes you need to just hunker down and actually get some work done distraction free. There will be no laundry looking at you in your new office.
If any of these situations rang true, then it might be time for you to look for an actual office for you and your company. There are many options out there from traditional office space (a suite inside an office building) or co-working/ executive office suites (renting an office inside of a larger space that houses multiple companies that all share the same common areas and break rooms.)
If you think you might be ready to take the plunge, I would be happy to talk to you. Whether you are looking for a Collaborative space or traditional office we have it. I would be happy to help you navigate the commercial real estate world, its terms, conditions and possibilities!