However, one of the biggest problems facing today’s entrepreneurs are the many distractions that can impact productivity and effectiveness during the crucial early stages of a new business.

According to Guy Clapperton writing for Forbes, many entrepreneurs and home workers face three major obstacles, which are adequate technology, over working and isolation. All making an impact on a person’s ability to work effectively.

Now, we are not advocating every new business owner takes a full time office to overcome these problems, but what we can do is highlight the many options that are available that could help improve productivity and at the same time, drastically improve the image of your business and new brand.

Co-working is the new Home Working

One of the easiest and most accessible solutions without breaking the bank in the early stages of any new business is a Co-working membership. Earlier this year we featured WeWork and their extraordinary rise in the UK. With new locations opening in 2016, they provide affordable membership options that solves two of the main disadvantages of home working. Firstly, it removes the problem with home Wi-Fi speeds. These locations have invested thousands of pounds in the latest technology to ensure all their members stay connected. The second problem they solve is the sense of isolation. WeWork provide networking and useful seminars every month as part of their membership. It’s a great way to get involved and meet other like-minded business owners with the same problems you have.

Bumping up the Company Image when you Need to

One of the easiest solutions to the old problem of meeting clients somewhere respectable and not just Starbucks, is meeting rooms. There is such a wide choice on offer everywhere that it’s easy to find a quick and easy solution to meet clients and business partners.

Meeting rooms are not as expensive as you might think. Most can be booked by the hour or day at very competitive rates and usually with short notice. So there really are quick and affordable options at every new business owner’s immediate disposal.

When a Home Office Doesn’t Cut the Mustard

Did you ever stop to think how your home address would look on your business cards? You’ve worked hard to establish your new brand and created opportunities to build your business at the same time as working from the end of your bed. But will your clients and customers spot you don’t have a proper place of work? Possibly.

Business image is an important part of the process of establishing brand loyalty. A good business address can really help to set you apart from your competition. Great locations also don’t cost the earth when you take a virtual office.

So what is a virtual office? Well it’s simply an office without the office. A virtual office provides all the visible aspects of having a full time office but without the space itself. Simply put its using a business address and call answering service to provide a professional outward appearance.

These services allow you to put the business address on your business card and website, creating the illusion that you have office space in the building, with your calls answered by a receptionist so you never have to miss another call or take a nuisance sales call.

Get the Balance Right

These three very flexible solutions can also be used together to create something that works for you. That could be an initial Co-working membership and the use of meeting rooms when you need them. Or continue to work from home using a virtual office address and use meeting rooms as and when you need to meet clients.

Whatever you decide the most important thing is to make sure you take in to account the cost of these services and the benefit they will bring to your new business. The obvious solution to carry on as you are may be why 50% of new businesses fail in the first couple of years according to Theo Paphitis.

About the Author

Stephen Moore is a writer and marketing consultant supporting businesses in the commercial property sector. Find out more about Stephen at Google+.

The post Entrepreneurs Can Escape their Home Office Prisons appeared first on Loc8 Commercial Blog.

That said there can be many problems with home working for those who have to do it in order to keep control of their business costs. After all working in an office environment provides stability and that all too important requirement, human contact, which can be missing when you are working in isolation.

But it can be easy to make the most of the many advantages that working from home can provide. Once you establish a clear routine to maximise your productivity the home working process can be very successful. However it’s also important to understand how you can use the many different ways of working to your advantage.  From a low cost business address to working on the go, there is a solution to suit everyone. And when it’s time to expand your business there’s an option for that too.

Don’t spend the day in your underwear

We can all form bad habits and it can become very easy for people working from home to work in their pyjamas all day. So from day one we suggest creating a routine that mirrors going to the office. Get up, shower and have breakfast. Then get to work.

I work on the sofa because I don’t have a desk

And who wouldn’t want to work on the sofa, feet up and the TV on? The time you have to work should be productive and not full of distractions. According to a *survey by Ricoh UK, more than 75% of UK workers thought they were less productive at home due to a lack of up to date equipment and the everyday things that can take your eye off the ball.

It’s important you make some space at home and have a proper desk area. That means work can become somewhere you go to at home and then shut it away when it’s time to put your family hat on.

Looking credible in your busy market

So working from home provides a great deal of flexibility and with the proliferation of co-working spaces it’s easy to find somewhere to work when you are on the move. But how do you create a professional image when your office is a desk in the smallest bedroom in the house?

Easy! There are many ways to create the illusion that you have a full time office without having to budget for the additional cost. Virtual offices provide businesses with the use of a great address in an area that is right for you. Virtual office services vary from provider to provider and represent great value. Not only can you use the address on all your sales collateral and your website but you can also have all your business post forwarded to you.

Don’t meet your clients in your living room or a coffee shop

Gone are the days when the only option small business owners had for a meeting was the local Starbucks or Costa. These days there is a wide choice of easy to access, low cost meeting rooms that can be booked quickly online. If you need a more flexible space that you can use on a regular basis, why not try a co-working space. Memberships offer flexible working arrangements and great Wi-Fi.

At what point do you know it’s time to take an office?

As companies grow the need for more space can creep up very quickly. When that big new contract lands you suddenly need more people and with it more space.

There is no set time to consider a flexible office space solution for your business. The biggest factor to consider is the cost but once your business has outgrown the home office it’s vital that you move quickly to capitalise on the growth of your company.

The biggest single factor to consider is the “F” word – Flexibility! Without it you risk taking on too much too soon. That’s why a serviced office option could provide a solution that allows you to see how it goes by taking a short licence and perhaps extending later on.

Serviced offices provide a very easy way to literally move out of the home office one day and in to a new serviced office the next. Serviced office providers offer a variety of different benefits, and costs vary depending on location and how long you take the office for. Loc8 Commercial provides impartial and transparent advice to get you the best deal. So you don’t have to worry about finding the right solution on your own. And best of all our service is FREE.

*Source Ricoh UK survey 2014

The post When a Home Office Just Won’t Do! appeared first on Loc8 Commercial Blog.