photo via flickr user Phil Whitehouse
I have been thinking a lot about my office space lately. I’m not the type of person that can work productively from home so about three years ago I joined a local coworking space. It helped me differentiate between work and home life by providing a dedicated where and when for work. It also gave me human interaction, which is very important to me. I have found an office setup is well worth the investment as it allows me to accomplish a large amount of work in a day and interact with other professionals- something that can often lead to more projects.
Now that I’m at a tipping point in my business I’m looking to get more out of my work environment. I’d like to find a place that will allow my business to grow and have room for more employees. With so many different options choosing can seem a bit overwhelming. Do I stay where I’m at, get an office in an executive center, rent a room from another business or get an individual space of my own?
There’s a lot to think about and finding the perfect office can be just as important to your professional success as finding a place to live is to your personal happiness. Here are a few things to think about when on the hunt for perfect space for your company.
1) Find your community
The main reason I wanted to join a coworking space was to find people to interact with on a daily basis. While working at home in PJs all day might seem awesome, it wasn’t for me. I missed having human interaction.
I started by visiting all the coworking spots in Austin, looking for one that was a good fit. A lot of them tend to accommodate the tech community, but that wasn’t what I was looking for. I ended up choosing a place with other freelance professionals. Now I’m surrounded by lawyers, realtors and just a few tech people. What was most important was that I could find people to whom I could relate.
2) Be realistic about your needs
My job requires me to be on the phone a lot, so it was important for me to find an environment in which I was comfortable talking on the phone. When I was testing out coworking spots I made sure I spent plenty of time on the phone so I would know for sure if it felt right. Some of the places were quieter with a “head down, eyes on your paper” mentality which just wasn’t right for me. I made it the first question I asked when trying out different coworking sites: how often are people on the phone?
You’re going to spend a lot of time in your office, so even the seemingly every day, unimportant things need to be taken into consideration. Other things to think about: Do you need a meeting space? What hours do you want to work? Some offices are only open certain hours during the day. Do you keep track of a lot of confidential information? If so, an open work environment may not be right for you.
3) Pick somewhere convenient
Location is important. Not just for future business, but for you general wellbeing. I have been spoiled in that my current office is less than five minutes from my apartment. Traffic in Austin is horrendous, so finding a work space a comfortable distance from home can be just as important as finding a home in the right neighborhood for your lifestyle. In all honesty, in the freelance world you don’t have to go into work. So, when you don’t have to be there every day you’ll be more likely to go if the location of your office is convenient.
I love being so close to home, especially when I need to take my dog out or grab a quick lunch.
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