Need More Space? Find Your Dream Home and Launch Your Business Simultaneously

By: Amy Collett

So you’ve finally taken the plunge and decided to launch your own home-based small business. Congratulations! You are now your own boss, in charge of your schedule, and can work from anywhere you want. But what happens when your current house doesn’t have enough space for your home office too?

Many new entrepreneurs find themselves having to move house after seeing that working from their sofa or in a cramped corner of their kitchen is not optimal for running a successful business. Before you get started, here are some tips from the Shinabarger Team to help you succeed in both areas of life. 

Finding the perfect house and office space

• Design your dream office. Start by listing all of the things that you would need to maximize your productivity. And if you struggle to find a home that fits all of your needs, think about custom building your own house. It takes time and effort, but the reward is having everything you could desire, often at a lower price.
• Remember to plan enough space for your future business growth. You don’t want to move into a perfect office today, only to find out that you’ve outgrown it again in a couple of years.
• Compare prices and research locations. Working from home can give you more flexibility to live where you want to, so make the most of it to move into a bigger house or save on your mortgage. If you’re looking to move into the Tri-Cities area, start with the Shinabarger Team’s extensive list of resources.

Set up your office

• With all of the expenses of starting up a company, office decor is probably one of the last things on your mind. But remember that you’ll be spending most of your day there, so invest in quality furniture, lighting, and electronics that will enhance your comfort and productivity.
• Make a clear separation between the living spaces and workspaces. You don’t want to have your kids interrupt your customer meetings or your work calls coming through when you’re watching a film with your family.
• Schedule your office hours and your downtime. It can be tempting, especially when you’re starting up, to spend all your day hustling. But one of the benefits of being your own boss is that you can control the quality of life you have. So make the most of it.

Manage your team

• Even though your company might be small, you likely have to manage freelancers, contractors, or staff members. Make sure that you set up clear communication channels and expectations so that everyone knows what work they need to do and when. Try project management apps like Asana or communication apps like Slack to see what works best for you.
• When handling payroll for your team, as well as your business’s finances, inventory, supply chain, and more, there are plenty of solutions in the market that offer all the capabilities you need. Look for a platform with ERP software functionality without unnecessary complexity to simplify your workflows. Ideally, this covers your reporting, provides integration with other essential business software, and can be used to track employee timesheets. You can even look into one that offers remote access to give you more freedom away from your laptop and real-time reporting.

At the end of the day, it’s essential to find a home that you feel comfortable in and which can also fulfill all your business needs. We hope these tips have helped start you off on the right foot on your new business and real estate venture