9 Signs It’s Time to Move Your Business Out of the Basement

The path of an entrepreneur is not an easy one, nor is it generally one that goes by any sort of broadly applicable playbook. That means that, as a business owner, you need to carve your own path to success.

And one of the scariest decisions you’ll ever have to make? When it’s finally time to move your business out of your basement (or spare bedroom, home office — you get where we’re going with this) and into a more formal office space. Even Bill Gates started Microsoft in his father’s garage, but eventually he had to expand. 

But with no entrepreneurial playbook to guide you, how can you know when the time is right?

Here are nine big signs.

1. You’ve Got a Lot of Meetings Being Booked

When you work from home but you’re booking a ton of meetings, where do you go to host them?

A coffee shop? Your dining room table?

While many meetings can be hosted online, some will need to be done in person. And when that happens, working from home means you’re stuck with a meeting space that looks less than professional.

If you’re booking a ton of meetings, it might be time to consider looking into an office space so that you can convey a professional appearance to everyone you’re getting together with.

At a flexible office space, you can get on-demand access to professional, fully-equipped meeting rooms offering best-in-class AV and communications equipment — and even snacks and refreshments — for when you need to host an important meeting. 

2. It’s Time to Hire Employees 

Has your business grown big enough that it’s time to enlist some help? Amazing, congratulations! 

The next big question becomes this: how comfortable do you think your newly-hired staff member will be working in your basement (or spare bedroom or home office)? 

If you’re bringing on a part-time or full-time staff member, you might want to consider getting yourselves a private office space where you can go and work together as a team in a professional setting. 

Not only will you get full privacy to run your business, you’ll also get a fully customizable space that will inspire you to get your best work done each day. 

3. You’re Making Enough Money to Warrant It

Sometimes, an office space can simply be a reward for your success. Working from home is great, but nothing will make you feel like you’ve made it quite like having your own dedicated company office to go to everyday.

If you’re generating enough revenue to justify it, an office space may be just the thing you need to help inspire you to take your business to the next level. 

4. You Want Access to a Professional Community 

When you move your business into an office, particularly at a flexible office space like Co-Balt Workspace, you get more than just four walls and a desk.

You also get access to a collaborative network of like-minded professionals. They can help you get inspired each day, help you learn new things through expertise sharing, and even help you expand your network and make valuable new business connections.

At Co-Balt, we’re all about community — both within our own walls as well as in our neighborhood and our city. 

We foster a strong professional community by helping create connections between members—both personal and professional. And we are passionate about giving back to our city by thinking hyperlocal, supporting Baltimore-based businesses, and offering locally made products in our workspace. 

5. You’re Feeling the Need for a Reputable Office Address

There are a few pitfalls of using your home address for all of your business correspondence. 

First and foremost, it can be an invasion of your privacy and can inundate you with business mail that you don’t want showing up at your home.

But, as much as we hate to say it, it can also convey an unprofessional image to your clients.

There’s something to be said for having your business address be at a reputable and well-known professional building. It lends your business a certain professional credibility that can go a long way in making clients and customers feel even more comfortable doing business with you.

6. You Want to Really Feel Like a Business 

Your working environment and the way it makes you feel can mean the difference between a good business and a great one.

Sometimes all it takes to take your business to the next level is to put yourself in a place where you really feel like a business.

If you’re working at home right now, take a look around. Can you picture being in a private office, surrounded by other businesses, with your branding on the walls, someone to manage your mail and answer your phone, and all your own furniture and decor? How would that make you feel?

Our bet is that it would probably make you want to work even harder towards achieving your goals.

There’s nothing like truly feeling like a business to help light a fire inside you and get you excited to grow your business even more.

7. You’re Tired of Isolation

If you’ve been finding it tiring to run your business at home in isolation, it might be time to surround yourself with driven, hardworking professionals just like you.

With a private office at Co-Balt Workspace, you can have access to complete privacy when you want it but immerse yourself in a community of professionals when you want it. 

In our opinion, there’s nothing more beneficial to business success than spending your workdays in the company of incredible entrepreneurs, solo professionals, and remote workers. 

8. You Need Administrative Support 

Eventually, you’re going to get to the point where you need administrative support to run your business — like somebody to answer the phones, greet your clients and customers, and manage your mail. 

You might also find yourself short on time for cleaning and tidying up your home office and deciding the time you spend doing so would be better allocated to getting work done.

You have the option to hire a virtual assistant, but that can be challenging to manage. Or, you can get an office space where administrative support is built right into your membership. 

With strong administrative support backing you up, you can dedicate more time to what matters most: growing your business. 

9. You’re in Need of Access to Top-Tier Business Tools 

Have you found yourself in need of a tool you don’t have, but desperately need in order to do your job? A printer? A scanner? A fax machine? 

When you take on a private office space, you get access to a full suite of professional tools so that you don’t have to think twice about whether you’ve got access to what you need. 

Every business grows at different speeds and has a varied set of needs. But when the time comes, moving your business out of the basement (or spare bedroom or home office) can help you take your company’s success to the next level.

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Want to Learn More About the Benefits and Affordability of Privace Office Space?

To learn more about Co-Balt Workspace or if you’d like to book a tour of the space, get in touch. We’d love to hear from you.