Office Space 

Does your office space support a thriving business? 

Home offices seem simple. You walk over to your desk and start working. 

It’s not that easy. You need the same systems to serve your business as an employee in a large corporate office. 

What are the legal and tax requirements? Check with your accountant or attorney. For example, if you are incorporated, the laws may be different for home offices than for a home-based sole proprietor business.  

How do you organize your paper files? Some people are linear thinkers and keep their documents in hanging files in lateral cabinets. Others are not linear and need to see their papers. They display them individually. 

What type of insurance do you need? If you have a home office, you need general liability insurance. You may also want to insure the contents of your office. Do you have insurance to cover your business activities? States vary in terms of the types of insurance offered and the coverage. Contact your insurance agent for your homeowners’ insurance policy and ask him or her what other types of insurance their office carries. Insurance requirements may differ with type of business. 

What type of atmosphere do your clients want? How do you talk with your clients? In person or on the phone? Are these conversations confidential? Where do you meet with your clients? 

Some business owners do not meet with clients in their homes. They meet in coffee shops and restaurants. If you are not concerned with people listening to your conversations, then Starbucks is a fun place to meet clients. If you want privacy, then you need an alternative location. If there’s an office building close to your office, go in and ask if you can rent their conference room by the hour. If you are clear about how long, how often you will need the room, and exactly what you will be doing, they may rent it you. 

What are your technology needs? If you are just starting a new business, call people who currently run similar types of business. Ask what knowledge and tools are absolutely necessary to run their businesses, what tips they can offer that will make your business flow more smoothly, and the traps to avoid. 

Colleagues are a valuable asset. Networking with them can save you time and money.

Determine what your best times are for different activities. 

You may be a morning person and meet with clients before lunch. You may want to do paperwork in the early afternoon. If you are the most outgoing at noon, schedule lunch marketing activities. If you have a family with competing schedules, coordinate those schedules so that you can easily conduct business. 

Have fun, work hard and above all, focus on your burning desire. 

Do you want to discuss your business operations and their compatibility with future growth and expansion? Call me at 360.779.0000 or e-mail me at karen@karenhallis.com. Hire me as your coach or evaluate my coaching style with a complimentary coaching session.