February 8, 201313 yr I'm a freelancer designer/dev, working from a home office. I'm considering taking things out of the home, due to being able to invest a large dollop of cash. I do have the option of either a business centre office or a streetside shop front; they work out at roughly the same cost. Has anybody else been in a similar situation, and did having that office make much of a difference as far as exposure, new clients and work ethic goes?
February 13, 201313 yr Depends. For me personally making a distinction between working area and resting place (home) is very rewarding. I'm much more productive and I get more work done when I'm in a working environment (office) and feel very rewarded when I come back home after work. While on the other hand mixing relaxation and work by working and resting in the same room is not as good for me personally. However I feel more creative working from home, especially in the small hours, this is when the creative magic happens for me In business terms unless you are in London or some of the other metropolitan cities, I don't think having an office will make much of a difference. From what I've seen most people in the small town are used to having non-formal meetings in a coffe shop or restaurant and rely on Skype conferences and phone talks for doing business. Apart from that, having personal meetings in excess is never good - wasting time over doing the real work. If I assume properly and you plan to rent an office in Louth, Lincolnshire I personally think this won't make much of a difference as far as exposure and new clients. Morever, I think it will be a waste of money. Unless you are relocating or renting a place in a more populated area.
February 18, 201313 yr Hi Eloquent, Most of the answers you are looking for have been already sorted out in your own comment. It’s a very nice idea and yes, one of my buddies had done exactly the same, some time back and now his business is doing exceptionally well. I would also mention and like to thank for the support which was provided by openwebsitetutorials. Of course it eventually boils down to your own dedication, patience and perseverance to achieve maximum output. Wish u all the best!
February 25, 201313 yr However I feel more creative working from home, especially in the small hours, this is when the creative magic happens for me Apart from that, having personal meetings in excess is never good - wasting time over doing the real work. Morever, I think it will be a waste of money. Preach borther! These three are the reason I ditched my office and went for a home office, saved loads of money on both the office and getting there each day. My commute is now past the coffee to the cosy home office. Edited February 25, 201313 yr by NoClass
March 22, 201313 yr For me personally it makes no difference if i work from home or from the office. It's important to deliver the job in time and make the client happy with the work.
March 24, 201313 yr The biggest differences will be - Working from home... 1. The isolation is a killer 2. You never stop working 3. Its hard to find a life/work balance 4. You have lower expenses 5. You often need to meet clients in cafes Working from an office 1. You have more expenses 2. You at least can interact with others (unless of course you intend on working on your own) 3. At the end of the day, you can switch off to work Just a few points to consider. Edited March 24, 201313 yr by John Romaine
April 24, 201313 yr Being a working mother, its always attractive to have a home office from where you can also keep constant eye on your children. But then, from my personal expereince, let me tell you, this entails a lot of discipline and perseverance to make it successful. Edited April 24, 201313 yr by technokrats
May 1, 201313 yr We struggled to make this exact same decision a couple of years ago. For me personally, I really struggle to work from home. I just don't have the discipline, however, when working from an office, you need to think about what happens when you are approaching a deadline with a lot of work still to do. Would you be happy staying in that office til gone midnight or would you be working from a Laptop so you can take the work home with you? I disagree with some of what Kalo said though. I don't believe an office is only essential in London. We took our office out 2 years ago now and have received so much more local business because of being based in an office. I think it just gives customers a confidence that you're in it for the long haul and not going to run off with their deposits. Our office is in a business centre and it is the best option in my opinion. We have a lovely lady on reception that is there to take all the post/parcels we receive and they have 24/7 security so we don't have to pay out for CCTV and things like that. The obvious advantage with a shop front though is the added exposure as people are walking/driving past.
May 1, 201313 yr Co-working space are also a good alternative, there a lot cheaper because you share the costs. You can also bounce ideas off other people, most co-working spaces are shared by other designers / developers so there is an added advantage having people with similar skillsets around you. Most come with all the essentials, a meeting room, kitchen and desk obviously. If I was freelancing i'd personally take that route.
May 1, 201313 yr It's not that old a thread I hope the OP has already found his answer in nearly 3 months lol
May 1, 201313 yr I hope the OP has already found his answer in nearly 3 months lol I didn't even notice. I blame the recent outbreak of spammers, they seem to be distorting my perception of time. Something like that... Edited May 1, 201313 yr by Jack
May 1, 201313 yr I hope the OP has already found his answer in nearly 3 months lol You never know...when we started thinking about moving to an office, it took us 6 months to make a decision and took us a further 3 - 4 months to find somewhere suitable.
May 1, 201313 yr I didn't even notice. I blame the recent outbreak of spammers, that seem to be distorting my perception of time. Something like that... Aha this is true. It has become infested with the 'I post "SEO can help you site become better notice on the Google" on any thread with SEO in the title' types aha You never know...when we started thinking about moving to an office, it took us 6 months to make a decision and took us a further 3 - 4 months to find somewhere suitable. You do make a fair point And your answer was one of the best on the thread so I suppose there is no problem. But the user has not been active since Feb 14th so i don't think he will see it :S I really posted this because as Jack said there has been so many spammers posting random stuff on threads from the bronze age and it has become annoying. Edited May 1, 201313 yr by AaronAlderman
May 1, 201313 yr You used the S word. noo.................We're all going to die...........................
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