Guest Blogger, Megan Cooper
Starting a business at home and seeing it thrive is one of the most rewarding experiences you can have in a career.
However, as your business grows, it may need more space.
Polina Tankilevitch
Some business owners take this as a sign to move their business out of the home, but that isn’t right for everyone.
If you enjoy working out of your home, then the answer may be moving to a space large enough for your business and your life.
The first step should be reaching out to a trustworthy agent.
MART PRODUCTION
Your real estate agent will be well-versed in the local housing market and can help you look at your priorities — storage space, kitchen size, school district — and identify the things that matter most so you can find the right fit.
Consider the Office Space
For the average house hunter, office space might be a nice bonus.
For you, however, it’s an absolute necessity.
You need to consider your potential properties and think critically about where you’d set up an office, how it would look, and how it would feel to work in.
Michael Soledad
This is especially true if your business model includes holding in-person meetings with clients.
For example, you should make sure your potential office space can be decorated in a way that suits your brand and enhances productivity.
Michael Soledad
Consider all your options for your home office, from rugs to wall art to storage systems to plants.
Additionally, it’s ideal if your office has plenty of natural light, as well as an ergonomic chair and desk.
Factor In Logistics
Another vital element to consider beyond the space itself is whether or not it has the features your business needs to thrive.
For example, you’ll need to consider what kind of internet speed is available at any given property - some areas don’t get speeds that can really sustain working from home.
Ken Tomita
Moreover, if you use heavy equipment with intense electrical needs, you’ll want to make sure the property’s electrical system can handle it.
This is where having “want” and “need” lists come in handy.
Money Under 30 recommends making separate lists for your personal wants and needs and your professional wants and needs.
This can go a long way toward making sure you don’t overlook anything essential on either list.
Plan for Work-Life Balance
Finally, when you’re building those wants and needs lists, be sure to think about how work-life balance will work in your new home.
cottonbro
Business owners are particularly likely to develop burnout or extreme work-related anxiety.
This is also more likely to happen to people who work from home, and both groups suffer from the same issue: lack of work-life balance.
When you run a business, you often sacrifice nearly all of your time toward keeping things going.
When you work from home, you lack the mental separation that comes from commuting in and out of the office.
Running an at-home business means you’ll face both of these issues, and it’s all the more important to have a plan for how to commit to work-life balance regardless.
For example, you could choose a home that has outdoor access directly to your office or an accessory building where you can keep your office.
Jed Owen
This way you have to (or can choose to) leave the house to get started on your workday and leave the “office” at the end as well.
This can create the kind of psychological barrier you’d get working in a traditional office without sacrificing the pros of an at-home role.
Finding a new space can be a massive undertaking.
However, if your business is outgrowing your current home, it may be time.
I hope this article helps you figure out the best approach to finding a place you - and your business - can call home.
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Megan Cooper thinks there’s nothing more satisfying than a well-executed DIY project. For her, it all started a few years ago when she built a bookshelf out of reclaimed wood. She hasn’t looked back since. Today, she regularly tackles home decor DIY projects big and small. She created reallifehome.net to share all of the tips, advice, and resources that she has found most useful as she’s learned the ins and outs of DIY.
The opinions and views expressed in any guest blog post do not necessarily reflect those of Michael Helwig Interiors or its Principal, Michael Helwig. Michael Helwig Interiors, and Michael Helwig, do not have any affiliations with any products or services mentioned in the article or linked to therein. Guest Authors may have affiliations to products mentioned or linked to in their author bios.