Location, Location, Location
When I first started my business, I didn’t give much thought to the “office” part of the planning. After all, I had a spare bedroom that had room for a desk; what more did I need to decide?
Well, as soon as I started designing my business cards, I was faced with decisions:
- Business name. I was covered there, having already decided it.
- Mailing address. Did I want to give out my home address to any and all potential clients? But if I used a Post Office box, I’d have to check it regularly, and many legal forms require a physical address.
- E–mail address. I could use my personal e–mail, set up a free e–mail account (such as Yahoo, Hotmail, or Google gmail), or take the plunge and pay for an Internet domain name.
So that you’re not without business cards when networking opportunities arise (see Chapter 4, Tapping into the Network), plan for several versions of business cards. You can print them yourself, get them printed for free from several online vendors, or get inexpensive basic cards from chain copy centers. This way, you can update your cards as you work through all the decisions.
As I said, I knew I wanted a home office, but that’s certainly not right for everyone. If you need large amounts of inventory or equipment, you may not have room in your home. If you expect your clients to come to your office, the spare bedroom is probably not a good idea. And even if you have a dedicated office, your clients might still have to walk by the breakfast dishes, kid’s toys, or even “presents from your pets” — not the professional appearance you’re looking for!
With all these things in mind, here’s a checklist of things that should influence your home vs. outside office decision: