So far in the Starting Out and Setting Up Series we’ve had discussions on money, experience, clients, personalities, and being ready. Next up is the equally important issue of location. Where will you work? Out of your home office? Or at an official, dedicated office?

The pros and cons of off-site office space and working at home

Should you work from home or rent/buy an office? This question inevitably crosses the mind of most designers going off on their own. And it’s a tricky one. Some assume that working from home will make them appear less than professional. Others love the idea of working in their jammies until late in the afternoon.

Where you work is certainly a personal choice (at times led by finances). We’ve put together a number of pros and cons for you to mull over.

Working at home – the pros

• Rent, utilities, furnishings, etc., are at a minimum
• As are work attire, daily travel and lunchtime expenses
• For those with small children, childcare costs are reduced
• Home office deduction potential
• Totally flexible working hours
• The 2-second commute
• Easy to set up

Working at home – the cons

• Travelling to clients eats up your billable day
• Distractions – personal phone calls, tv, kids, etc.
• As you’re always available, it’s assumed you are not really “working”
• “Less than professional” is on some minds (read: “clients”)
• Loss of privacy if you work with a team
• The work is always there, with you

Outside office – the pros

• A (potentially) more professional image
• Less personal-related distractions
• You can leave work at work
• A more customized space

Outside office – the cons

• Lease commitment
• A continuing expense
• Possible redecorating expenses at start up
• For those with small children, childcare expenses increase
• Potential accessibly problems (some offices don’t have 24-hour access)
• Travel time to and from the office

Writer, visiting author ME “Liz” Straus says:

I don’t know anyone who started their business with an office outside their home. It’s a nice ideal, but everyone I know has opted to use that possible cost — in rent, commute, and energy — to invest in equipment and time toward getting their business off the ground.

Here in my home office, I have the ideal commute from my bedroom, to the kitchen, to my computer. I never worry about things being in one location when I’m in another, because there is no “other location” to worry about. The tax benefits of an office in my home also help out — we have specific space in our living room clearly defined by a rice-paper screen marking off my office. That also means I get the view of the harbor out our window at sunrise. I could never afford an office with that.

Of course, the downside of starting our on your own is the temptation to be all about work. It’s a natural thing, because we don’t know when, or if, the next job will come. Working at home only makes that “work all of the time” temptation worse, because everything is always within reach. We hear it, silently nagging, saying “you could be working on me.”

Educating friends and family, who truly don’t understand our working style and our working needs can also be a problem. After getting it wrong the first time I worked at home, my husband, young son, and I agreed on some guidelines about how my home office crossed into their lives. For example, my son who was a child then, wasn’t allowed to answer the business telephone.

If you make the choice to work from the place where you live, think through your work needs and the needs of the people you live with. Talk with them about your office hours and be sure to have hours when the office is locked up and closed. The people who love will appreciate that and support you in venture if you take some time to let them know that you haven’t left them completely.

And remember, it’s supposed to be fun.

Bottom line, think things through (yes, it’s lecture time). For those coming new into a business, to get an outside office for the sake of having an outside office can be a great cash sucker. It’s best to be doubly sure before you sign.

Coming next, in the experience half of Location, Location, Location, we’ll hear from Abhijit, Leslie, Neil and Cat.

Until then,
The BoDo Team
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