Running Your Home Based Business – Where You Will Work

You’ve decided that you want to run your own business from home. You’re probably looking forward excitedly to running an enjoyable and rewarding business but you’re also a little bit nervous about the idea. There’s so much to think about and lots to do. In this, the first of a series about running your home based business let us explore the options of where you will work.

This may seem a very strange question but determining your “work environment” at home is very much dependent on the type of business you have. If your business is home based, but the practical aspects of the work takes place elsewhere (for example, if you are a plumber or an electrician) then your needs are going to be different to someone running, for example, a massage business from home. However, one massage therapist may provide their services in the comfort of their clients’ own homes while another will attend to their clients in a specified room at home. So as you can see, there are different needs and requirements.

Therefore there are a number of things you need to consider in terms of space. Will you be working from home or at home? Working from home doesn’t necessarily mean you need less space. Our plumber for example will require secure storage space for tools, materials and probably a vehicle, whereas a freelance writer may only need a table or a desk for their laptop.

Do you require storage space for any equipment you need to run your business? We’ve established our plumber probably will need space for their tools but maybe, with a great deal of forward planning, there isn’t the need for additional space to store materials. However, bringing home one or two faucets at the end of the day is one thing but your family may not be happy trying to avoid tripping over lengths of copper piping in the kitchen!

If you need to see clients at your home, where will you meet with them? Appearances as they say are so important and if you are trying to sell yourself to clinch a large contract, doing so over the kitchen table may not be ideal. On the other hand, a potential client, suitably impressed with testimonials of the service you offer may also be impressed that you are running a successful home based business within such a low key surrounding. As they say in the financial industry, “know your customer”, and we look at that in the article, “Running Your Home Based Business – Know Your Customer”.

If you provide a service to clients requiring an element of privacy (as in our earlier example of a massage therapist) you will definitely need one room designated solely for where you will work. Having your youngest toddler wander in to watch their favorite cartoon on television while you are massaging your client’s tense muscles is definitely not good for your client or your business!

Having identified your space requirements you now need to match these with what is available at home. Do you live in a one or two storey house? Does the property have a basement or a loft? Do you have a garage or outhouses with the property? All of these can be used as your place of work at home. Do however check for any local regulations regarding use of residential property for business purposes.

There is one final but very important consideration in deciding where you will work at home. Remember that, if you have a family you will need their support and understanding because, although you will be running your home based business in your house, for them it will always be their home.