The chances are that you started your money making venture from a home office. Whether you were freelancing or working as a solo trader, a little space dedicated to your career within your home was perfect. You limited your overheads, you didn’t have the dreaded commute into work and you could have the odd pyjama day. Fast forward a few months or a year and your business is really taking off in a big way. To grow your capability, your home office will no longer cut it. While you will be sad to say goodbye to your work from home lifestyle, you now need to hire staff and exude a more professional ethos. It’s time to make the transition from home to professional office environment.
Location
You don’t want an office space in the prime location for your sector if it means damaging your cash flow. You need to find a happy medium. At the same time, you can’t rent out a commercial building in the middle of nowhere. Get yourself a small hatchback or mini motor and become more mobile and ready for city centre driving. Smart cars are perfect as smart car servicing & parts are so readily available and cheap. You’ll also be able to park anywhere! For your employees and customers, decent transportation links are a must as is passing footfall. You are better off finding a smaller space in a prime spot rather than a large place out in the sticks.
Productivity
When you hire new staff and welcome them into your office environment, you need your workplace to be dynamic and inspiring. The dodgy looking damp and peeling wall paint just won’t cut it. Instead, you need to whip out the white paint, get some artwork on the walls, and add a splash of greenery to every corner of the office. Making the space light, bright and open plan is perfect for a more collaborative approach to working. Swap the individual working booths for teamwork pods in which to conduct meetings. Facilitate these water cooler moments and enjoy seeing people engaged with their work and being highly productive.
Staff
When hiring staff, you need to focus on personal qualities rather than qualifications. Sure, ten years of experience and a redbrick university degree is seductive, but what if they aren’t team players? Instead, invite potential candidates to the office. Talk about the goals of your startup and see if they align with their personal ethos. You can tell pretty quickly if you get along on a personal level. Consider what they can bring to the table and look out for desire, commitment and drive. These are way more important than years working for one of your competitors. You want someone who’ll stay the course rather than jump ship.
Being an entrepreneur is tough. However, when transitioning to an office based workplace, your startup productivity needs to ramp up tenfold. Follow this guide and you can manage your move from home to office with great success.