When you work from home, it becomes difficult to separate work life from home life. While starting your business from your dining room table is a wonderful start, every successful solopreneurs will eventually need to open private offices. This will help your business image and allow you to scale over time. However, the following seven key considerations must be kept in mind before you open your office doors.

Budget

Opening a private office means dedicating a portion of your revenue to renting a space. You will want to review your budget early on to determine what percentage of your revenue you are comfortable dedicating to an office space. While this can cut into your bottom line at the beginning, you will soon be generating more revenue that can easily cover this additional operating cost.

Maintenance

Depending on the type of office space you are renting, you may or may not be responsible for maintaining the cleanliness of it. If you do not want to vacuum, dust, and sanitise surfaces, you may benefit from renting private offices from a shared office space rather than leasing your own space. The price of renting a shared office environment includes all regular maintenance.

Insurance

Certain types of businesses require solopreneurs to carry business insurance when they open an office space. Even if insurance is not required for your particular business, you will want to weigh the pros and cons of carrying insurance. If someone is injured in your office, you may be liable. With insurance, any liability costs will typically be covered up to your policy limit. Furthermore, if you rent in a shared office space, you will want to make sure you meet any required insurance requirements.

Administration

Once you open your office doors, you will want to make sure any of your clients are greeted by a friendly face. However, there may be times that you are in a meeting or on an important call. If you do not have the budget to hire someone to handle front office administrative work, renting private offices in a shared business center will benefit you. You can confidently work in your private office while a front desk associate greets your clients.

Location

If you do not have a large budget for your new office, you will quickly find that affordable office space often requires a longer drive. This can drastically increase your commute time to work each day. Furthermore, it means your clients also need to make a long drive to come see you.

A shared office space is a wonderful alternative because these environments are often in prime locations. You will receive a private office that is easily accessible by you and your clients. You can enjoy a shorter drive to work and your clients will not need to drive out of their way to visit you.

Parking

In addition to location, private offices need to have reasonable parking accommodations. Depending on the location, you may find parking next to the building, on the street, or in a parking garage. In some situations, you may find you need to park and walk a short distance in order to get to your office space.

While parking is not a deal breaker for you as a solopreneur, you need to consider your clients. If you do not have enough parking available, your clients may need to park elsewhere and walk quite a distance. If you rent office space in a shared building, you will want to learn about their parking policies.

Hours

Once you have determined the budget, maintenance, insurance, administration, location, and parking for your new private offices, you need to determine your hours. While you should have regular business hours established for your clients, what will your working hours be? Some individuals work best on the accounting, business registration, and other back end tasks for their solopreneur business outside of typical business hours. Additionally, those with clients overseas may need to work with clients at different times.

If you are renting an office space, you need to make sure you can access your private office when you need it. The best shared business centres will provide 24/7 access and keys. This ensures you can complete your work in a quiet space at times that are convenient for you. Otherwise, you will be paying for a space that you can’t use, and you will be right back to working from home.

Learn More About Renting Private Offices

If you are a solopreneur who is ready to take the next step in building your business, consider renting private offices from the Jerusalem Business Center. You will find that the offices are affordable, conveniently located, and accessible 24/7/365. You can hold meetings in your office or rent a conference room. Whatever business needs you have, you can complete right from the comfort of your dedicated office. Please, do not hesitate to contact us to learn more about our private offices.