Your home office has grown: instead of a humble laptop on a desk, you have printers, scanners, multiple workstations, and a few different cell phones — each with a different purpose.
It’s time: you might just have outgrown your home office. If you’re still on the fence, here are 6 signs that it’s time to rent an outside office.
1. You will increase your revenue
If you have a client-facing business where you regularly have to meet with clients, having an office space that is outside the home lends to a greater impression of professionalism and could, as a result, lead to more revenue. Clients who are looking for you to handle things that are important pieces of their business or life will likely appreciate the greater sense of security and privacy of a separate space, and you won’t have to worry about the kids/dog/spouse interrupting the meeting while you’re trying to land a contract. Similarly? A service-based business will probably be easier to find in a business-focused area, where a potential client would find it easy to locate your office.
2. You’re ready to hire employees
Many business owners speak wistfully of the boot-strapping days when their one employee worked out of their living room, but at some point, it’s time to make the move from home-grown to growing. You’ll likely get higher quality hires, and you’ll have more space for all of them to work if you rent space. For many business owners, this is the pivot point and a big way they know when to move a home office elsewhere. Simplify your home office move by getting clear on how many employees you are planning to have, and renting an office space that fits everything just right.
3. Space has gotten too limited
Any product-based company knows there will come a moment where you don’t have enough space to manage your product while working out of a home office. You can’t take over the whole house, so it’s time to move to where you have storage and enough room to spread out your creative process without blocking normal household tasks. It will likely benefit you to be creative with your storage solutions as long as possible to keep costs down, but you’ll know when it’s time to move your home office when you have a cascade of boxes, papers, or items that got piled just a little too high.
4. Your productivity is suffering
If you are finding it difficult to focus at home due to distractions or the temptation to multitask (The laundry! The dishes!), your business could probably benefit from an office outside the home. Increased productivity is good for the bottom line and good for your work-life balance to create a better boundary and separate your spaces.
5. You’re feeling isolated
The solo entrepreneur life isn’t for everyone. If you’re wondering why you should move a home office out of the spare bedroom, this more subtle reason might just be the kicker. If you’re missing the buzz of an office, having other people around for a casual chat over lunch, renting office space or joining a co-working collaborative might be the answer.
6. You’ll save money on warehouse rental
If you’ve been renting warehouse space to store your product, you might end up saving money through consolidating warehouse space and office space, giving you easy access to your product and giving your business a dedicated workspace. Your employees will appreciate not having to deal with warehouse storage, and your professionalism will increase. When it comes to packing your home office, be systematic since you’ll be joining your office items with your merchandise and it’s critical to be clear.
When it’s time to move to an outside office, hire a qualified team of full-service movers to get the job done smoothly and in an organized fashion to help you get right back to work.
