Get Your Home-Based Business Moving

If you are the type of entrepreneur I call a Growth Maven, then you want fast growth and long-term success for your operation. You want customers to recognize your name and your products and services. You want to develop your brand and have a constant line of communication open between you and your clients.

It’s time to start building your global enterprise-for you this means you must get out of your home office and into “real” office space so that you can start hiring people. But you want to handle it well so that the big move doesn’t divert your time, money, and resources.

First, avoid real estate agents and most landlords. Despite what they say, their agenda is often times very different from yours. A traditional lease in a traditional office space does not have the flexibility your fledgling company needs in order to grow.

Here are two solid reasons to stay away from even relatively short-term leases, much less 3-5 years.

1. If the business does poorly, you are stuck paying for unnecessary office space

The simple solution, which many real estate brokers won’t bother to mention because there’s little or nothing in it for them, is to rent space at an executive suite. These executive suites are often classy, fully equipped, and ready to move into. Often there are other small businesses renting space there so networking becomes quite easy. Some other options are subletting space or sharing an office with a larger company.

Moving in is painless and fast because your executive suite is fully equipped, furnished, and ready to go. It has a high-speed Internet connection, phone systems, fully functional conference rooms, and very often a receptionist to handle your phone calls.

Here’s how easy it is. You’ll find most executive suite companies in prestigious locations, in the heart of the business district. The company then compartmentalizes the building into a large number of offices for rent to individual businesses like yours. Typically they rent an entire floor or two at a time. The sizes of the individual offices vary to fit one person (about 100 square feet) or around five or more people (several hundred feet).

Executive suites are the ideal place for “image” entrepreneurs. These are the folks who know that having a first class professional appearance will help build their business. They know that their clients want to invest in and work with winners. Looks count. These business owners realize that perception is reality-you are only as big and solid as you look. They want to work with the big fish clients and compete against companies many times their size. And this is how they can.

Imagine prospective clients arriving for a meeting in your high-class office where they are met by a friendly receptionist and offered coffee while they wait in comfortable chairs. Then imagine these prospective clients being super-impressed by your dynamic presentation made possible by high-tech videoconferencing equipment that allowed your partner in London to join in.

Much better than making your presentation in your living room next to the wet socks hanging off the TV set, right? If you agree, then it’s time to take action.