Owning a start-up can be a tricky adventure. There are about a million and one things to consider, and you want the very best for your business. While you’re trying to decide who to hire, what tools to use, and when you’re going to offer what, perhaps the most important thing to consider, is where will you get all this done?

For a start-up, is it better to work from home? What about renting an office? Or renting a co-working space? Is working from home your best option?

There are so many things to consider when you’re just getting your business off the ground, but you can’t do anything until you decide where you work.

Let’s look at some pros and cons to working from home so that you can decide if it is your best option. 

Meetings

One thing to consider when looking into a workspace is where you’re going to meet with the other people in your business.

If you work from home, you can probably hold most meetings over Skype, or another chat service. You can hold video conferences and meet face to face, without ever having to step into an office.

Okay, that sounds pretty great, right? Sure, that’s all well and good until your internet decides to go out. Or you have technical issues you can’t solve. Or what if your kids are home from school and insist on being the center of attention while you’re trying to present your new big idea to possible clients? Your meeting may not have the air of professionalism you’re going for.

Professionalism

And speaking of professionalism, how easy is it to look professional if you don’t have an office to great clients or possible stakeholders at? How will it look if you take them to your local coffee shop where you can’t work because it’s too loud, or you fear your privacy is at stake?

If your start-up demands an air of professionalism, you’re going to want to rent an office or co-working space instead of always working from home.

Collaboration

Say you’re at home and working hard. You’ve hit a slump though that you just can’t work through. You’re unsure of something and need a quick answer from someone who knows their stuff.

If you were in an office, you might be able to get an opinion from a nearby co-worker. At home, however, you probably don’t have coworkers you can ask. You’ll spend time (and money!) tracking down someone with some free time to help you.

Distractions

Distractions are the killer of productivity. You’re working from home again. But your mind is wandering. Theirs the dishes to do. The laundry needs folding. The kids are watching television way too loudly. These are all distractions that keep you from doing your best work.

If you were in an office, you and everyone there are there for one sole purpose, and that is to work. There won’t be any dishes calling your name, and (hopefully) no loud TV to pull you out of your zone.

There are many things to consider when you have a start-up. Where you work should be a place where you can get the most done, with the least distractions. You’re also going to want to look for a place that allows you to meet with clients, coworkers, and anyone else you may need to work with or for.

If you’re ready to think about co-working spaces, contact us. We can offer you all that and more.