Clients Coming: Rent-A-Suite Or Home Sweet Home?
There are many reasons why you might not want to meet with clients in your home. Let’s explore those reasons first:
1. Your home office may not be located in a part of the home that you would want to take someone tin to such as a spare bedroom.
2. You have a houseful of small children and your house doesn’t pass the “See, Hear, and Smell Test” for bringing a client in to you home office.
3. You are located in area remote area that is not convenient for client to get to you.
4. You’re concerned about bringing strangers in to your home.
5. You don’t think your home office is professional enough or that your client will look down on your for having a home office.
My personal feeling is that the first four reasons are valid. However, reason #5 is seldom a valid one these days. When I first started my home-based business more than 15 years ago, 99% of the people thought I was just “playing” at having a business. As time went on the response to my “confessing” that I had a home office was one of envy that I was doing something a lot of others wanted to do. In recent years, the response has been very favorable with clients generally asking me how I went about establishing a home-based business.
There are certainly still people who don’t believe a home-based business owner is as professional or capable as a business based in commercial space; but the proof is in the work.
Before I would spend the kind of money needed to rent part-time office space ($450.00 start-up costs and $175.00 a month to rent), I would take a good look at my client list and my office environment as well as my other options for meeting places.
Take a good look at your home office. Are you located in a section of town that is easy to find? Is your house presentable? Inside and out? If not, can you make some modifications? Fresh paint, landscaping, new curtains, or rearranging furniture may be all you need to do.
What are some other, perhaps less expensive, options if none of the above works for you? One of them is to rent space in an office suite. Prices vary so check out two or three options.
Another option, and perhaps the best one, is to meet with your clients at their place of business. They might even appreciate that since they don’t have to leave their office to come to you. Finding the right solution is a matter of preference and finance. Take the time to explore all your options before making a decision.
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