If, like me, you started your business working from home, one of the trickiest questions to answer is when to move into your own premises. Working from home is attractive for many reasons; you save on expenses and there is a (much) shorter commute, but how do you know when the time is right to ignore those benefits and step out on your own? I hope this blog will not only provide some guidance on what to look out for, but also some help if you would like to extend your time indoors. Here are four of the tell tale signs you need to start packing and ways we can help with each. 1. Your home looks like an office. Tripping over boxes or having to shift business paperwork to use a table out of office hours is a clear signal the business is starting to take over. This point can arrive much faster than you expect, especially if you run a product based business with a lot of stock. If you run a product based business with physical stock and would like to extend your time working from home, then consider our boutique Despatch & Fulfillment Service. It is designed to help small (even micro) businesses grow by delivering a dedicated shipping service and we can even manage your orders too. 2. You are getting disturbed when doing business. Noisy neighbours, barking dogs and loud lawnmowers are disturbing at the best of times but whilst you are taking an important call they can be tragic. That is even if you are able to take the call and are not dealing with your toddler. If there was a chance my call could be disturbed I would move to another room in the house and shut the door although in time as the children grew, this tactic would be less effective. Instead of this happening to you, think about our Telephone Answering Service. We can ensure you are ready to take the call when the client rings. 3. You need to start employing people. Hiring staff is one of the most popular reasons businesses outgrow home. It is not unreasonable to think someone might not feel comfortable working in your spare room and that is even if you feel comfortable allowing them. Before you start the recruitment process, consider our Business Assistants. They can complete a wide range of tasks to support your growing business and do not have any of the overheads that employing staff does. That way, you could remain at home for a little while longer. 4. Your home address is affecting your image. Depending on your type of business, trading from home will not adversely affect your ability to trade. Everyone starts somewhere and most people appreciate that, however, if you deal with corporates or need to project a corporate image – working from home will not convey the right image. A mail forwarding service with us could solve this one, but if someone does decide to check out your office address, they would in truth only find a mailbox. Although that may be better than them turning up on your porch! We work with companies large and small, but especially like growing businesses going through change. I know from personal experience how hard the decision to move into your own office can be to make. Being able to adapt has been paramount to us, and perhaps we could help you do the same. Until next time! Mike.
- Michael Bolt