An important challenge when starting a business is deciding where to make your base of operations. Silicon Valley may have romanticized the idea of the garage-based start-up, and that may be a viable route, but most businesses start off a little more formally.
The Home Office
Even if it makes the most economic sense to start things off in your house, it’s necessary to consider the psychological consequences. Your home is full of distractions since it’s not a dedicated workplace. If you don’t set aside specific space that you can close off from the rest of the house and limit to work-based activity, your productivity is likely to suffer.
More importantly, working out of your home can have a negative effect on any employees you hire in those early days. If they are friends, they may be comfortable, but if not, they may grow to resent the lack of neutral territory. This can harm the workplace environment.
On the Shopping List: Buildings
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As such, it’s useful to secure a formal office as soon as finances permit it. Whether you’re leasing out a tiny space in a shopping center or capitalizing on the real estate tips of Armando Montelongo, making a dedicated workspace promotes comfortable relationships and productivity.
As your business grows and the company expands, it will soon be necessary to move to a bigger workplace; the same principles apply. Everyone from the programmers in their garage to the multinational corporations employing thousands of people need to take into account the value of a proper workplace.
