I love that out of everyone who posted, one person, maybe two, have a dedicated office space that isn't steps away from their bedroom.
I shared an office with another DJ company from 2014 to 2016. The arrangement happened accidentally; I needed a quick meeting space one Saturday and called him up. He ended up renting me a room in his 3-room office for $300 a month, an arrangement that worked well for me because it was 5 minutes from my house, but had caveats that prohibited me from growing my business: no signage of my own, the occasional chance that I'd be meeting a potential client that was also considering his company, and the fact that I was essentially marketing his office and company every time I gave someone directions: "look for the signs that say 'XYZ Sounds' when you come in". Fortunately, that didn't happen too often. The location was at least an hour away from most of my couples.
I moved to a new location in January - it's 30 minutes from my house, but it's just 20 minutes away from where most of my couples are located. 2 miles north of the mall, 4 miles south of the casino - everyone knows where it is. It's a 15' x 15' room in a 3-office suite; the other tenants are a wedding photographer and a business writer so we attract a good mix of people with potential for cross-marketing. At $400 a month including everything except for an internet connection, as well as access to a shared kitchen and conference area, it's affordable and practical. My couples and prospective customers are wowed by the space and don't think twice about booking me. My space is clean and modern, comfortable and controlled. It's unlike any of my competitors' offices, which are typically cluttered and dated-looking.
That's not perception, it's reality. When your logo is on the wall and there are no outside distractions, Starbucks seems like it's a million miles away.
In some professions, set business hours matter. In ours, it doesn't - nobody walks in off the street looking for a DJ, so it's perfectly fine to advertise that hours are by appointment. I dedicate at least one day a week to being at my office, scheduling appointments and following-up with customers, and I'm there whenever I have meetings scheduled. Beyond that, there's nothing for my business that I can't do in the basement of my home. Four days a week in the office would be a total waste of time for me - when I get so busy that I'm there four days a week, I'm going to hire somebody to do my job there.
You don't know that, but I agree that it is.
I'm wary of storing gear in a building if there's signage all over the place that says "DJ service" - one break-in could potentially be catastrophic to the health of my business. Having my gear in a different location, unannounced to the world, keeps it safer. It's also why I lock up the computer at the end of the day (a behavior carried over from my former career in financial services).
Around here, shared office spaces are affordable compared to the cost of renting your own space, but commercial lease rates around here are ridiculous. The catch with these month-to-month shared spaces is that you don't have your own signage, don't have your own desk, and don't have any control over the environment - you show up, find an empty cubicle, take out your laptop and get to work. There's nothing appealing about it to prospective customers ("Meet me at 55 State Street - call me when you get here, because this place is a zoo and you'll never find me just by walking in"). You might as well meet at a coffee shop - the shared office space is really just a workspace, not a meeting place.
What if your potential clients can only meet with you after work, or on weekends? All of the Regus space I've looked at were open Monday through Friday from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm.
This is true. Don't choose a location just because it's close to you. Look at where most of your customers live, then look for a space near them. Because...
^ THIS. My current space is not as convenient for me as it is for my prospective customers, but I'm booking 4x as many appointments as I did when I was an hour away from them and 5 minutes from my house.
Here's a little peek at my office - the panoramic shot was taken the day I finished getting the furniture in (I've since changed out the lucite chair on the right for a white leather one that matches the couch).
I shared an office with another DJ company from 2014 to 2016. The arrangement happened accidentally; I needed a quick meeting space one Saturday and called him up. He ended up renting me a room in his 3-room office for $300 a month, an arrangement that worked well for me because it was 5 minutes from my house, but had caveats that prohibited me from growing my business: no signage of my own, the occasional chance that I'd be meeting a potential client that was also considering his company, and the fact that I was essentially marketing his office and company every time I gave someone directions: "look for the signs that say 'XYZ Sounds' when you come in". Fortunately, that didn't happen too often. The location was at least an hour away from most of my couples.
I moved to a new location in January - it's 30 minutes from my house, but it's just 20 minutes away from where most of my couples are located. 2 miles north of the mall, 4 miles south of the casino - everyone knows where it is. It's a 15' x 15' room in a 3-office suite; the other tenants are a wedding photographer and a business writer so we attract a good mix of people with potential for cross-marketing. At $400 a month including everything except for an internet connection, as well as access to a shared kitchen and conference area, it's affordable and practical. My couples and prospective customers are wowed by the space and don't think twice about booking me. My space is clean and modern, comfortable and controlled. It's unlike any of my competitors' offices, which are typically cluttered and dated-looking.
While it's still questionable whether an office is really needed, still the nagging feeling persists that a dedicated office space will help support the perception that we're worth a higher price tag.
That's not perception, it's reality. When your logo is on the wall and there are no outside distractions, Starbucks seems like it's a million miles away.
I don't see a office space worth while unless you actually go to the office on a daily basis at least 4 days a week, and conduct business there with set business office hours.
In some professions, set business hours matter. In ours, it doesn't - nobody walks in off the street looking for a DJ, so it's perfectly fine to advertise that hours are by appointment. I dedicate at least one day a week to being at my office, scheduling appointments and following-up with customers, and I'm there whenever I have meetings scheduled. Beyond that, there's nothing for my business that I can't do in the basement of my home. Four days a week in the office would be a total waste of time for me - when I get so busy that I'm there four days a week, I'm going to hire somebody to do my job there.
Having an office is great.
You don't know that, but I agree that it is.
If I were to have a retail/commercial office space, one of the big reasons I would have one is for EQUIPMENT STORAGE.
I'm wary of storing gear in a building if there's signage all over the place that says "DJ service" - one break-in could potentially be catastrophic to the health of my business. Having my gear in a different location, unannounced to the world, keeps it safer. It's also why I lock up the computer at the end of the day (a behavior carried over from my former career in financial services).
I hear commercials on the radio all the time for these kinds of shared office spaces. I have no idea what they cost, but they have to be more economical than renting dedicated office space.
Around here, shared office spaces are affordable compared to the cost of renting your own space, but commercial lease rates around here are ridiculous. The catch with these month-to-month shared spaces is that you don't have your own signage, don't have your own desk, and don't have any control over the environment - you show up, find an empty cubicle, take out your laptop and get to work. There's nothing appealing about it to prospective customers ("Meet me at 55 State Street - call me when you get here, because this place is a zoo and you'll never find me just by walking in"). You might as well meet at a coffee shop - the shared office space is really just a workspace, not a meeting place.
But, if I needed an office space, I'd use a leased space option like Regus.
What if your potential clients can only meet with you after work, or on weekends? All of the Regus space I've looked at were open Monday through Friday from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm.
Most clients are not going to drive over an hour to meet with you.
This is true. Don't choose a location just because it's close to you. Look at where most of your customers live, then look for a space near them. Because...
Is it a benefit? It sure can be if your clientele is within a local radius.
^ THIS. My current space is not as convenient for me as it is for my prospective customers, but I'm booking 4x as many appointments as I did when I was an hour away from them and 5 minutes from my house.
Here's a little peek at my office - the panoramic shot was taken the day I finished getting the furniture in (I've since changed out the lucite chair on the right for a white leather one that matches the couch).