Working from home may seem like a good idea when you are first starting out in business, especially if you have young children. You can be there when they need you, fit in the housework and cook the meals.
Once your kids are in school, you even have the house to yourself. But, by then your business may be expanding and you’ll need to spend more time working. The problem is, that when you work from home people sometimes think you’re playing at and a complete morning can be lost on friends or family popping round for a five minute chat, that then turns into an hour; or your husband or wife phoning to say they have forgotten to collect a suit from the Dry Cleaners that they need the next day.
Even without interruptions, it’s hard to ignore the pile of dirty plates in the sink, or the dust on the worktops. Have a read of the Yahoo Voices article on the disadvantages of working from home and see if you agree.
When this starts to happen it’s time to think about working away from home, in your own office. However, if you are running your business alone it is a waste of money to rent a big office just for one or two people.
A good solution is to rent a serviced office. Serviced offices are used by all types of business. You can either pay for an office within a building, or just rent a desk in an open plan environment. Payment is on a monthly basis, so you only have to find that first months payment Have a look at Regus.ca to get an idea of what you can expect for your money.
Serviced offices are usually modern, well decorated and comfortable. Your monthly rental will include a broadband connection and a central receptionist, who will answer the phone in your company name and pass any calls through to you. Photocopying and even the use of a secretary can be made available at an extra charge when and if you need them.
Work out what you can afford and if you don’t have the first month’s rental; get online and visit the payday loan online company, Wonga. After filling out a short application, if you’re approved, the money can be in your bank within 15 minutes. Once you’ve got the cash you can begin your search.
If you work in an open plan environment, you will not only get the chance to make new friends, but you might also get the chance to network and make valuable business connections. You will also have other people around you to bounce ideas off and to give you support if there’s something you don’t understand.
Once you’ve found somewhere you like, you just sign the contract, pay the monthly rental, plug in your phone and turn on your computer. You can be working within hours of finding your perfect spot and earning the money to pay off the Wonga loan and the next month’s rental.