Do I Need An Office Building?

mnjconstruction

For 13 years now I've been working out of my home, well most of the time seems I am working out of a brief case in my truck. Last few years company has been having growing pains and I think its time to get an office of some sort. I'm thinking nothing too big, Probley strat off renting to see if its really needed. I would love to hear from you guys that have offices away from your home. Now I am not a big company. usally got around 8 guys or so. little more some sommers. When winter hits I go down to 2 or 3. I just think it would be nice to have a place to work, Stay a little more organized. Maybe get a place in town with a shop area, to keep extra tools and leave company vans at night. Currently 2 of my guys bring the vans home with them. pretty sure milage is up because of it. Let me know guys what you think!

Leo G

I have an office in my shop. Which is 2 miles form my home. For me, it doesn't matter, the office was just a place to put the computer in a spot where no dust could get. If you plan on using the office as a place to meet with clientèle to make yourself more professional it would probably be a good idea. I know for a fact that people get an image in their heads. I have been asked if I work out of my house or if I have a "real" shop. Their eyes always light up when I tell them I have a shop away from my home. Still wouldn't make any difference. You get what you pay for, why should it matter where it was constructed. But it does. Getting an office to do presentations in that is outside of your hope will make you look better in your clients eyes and will probably give you a lot more room that you currently have.

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IHI

Perception for clients, i dont think to the regular customers you already have and the clients they refer to you, that it matters if your home based or not, they are what we like, they only care about what you deliver, not where your based out of.

BUT, the flipside when talking to freinds of mine in larger operations, they said the defining moment that they "officially" seen a big increase in business was the year they finally got out of the home and into a store front, it's benefits are great in many terms so long as the rent/lease/payment, utilities, additional phone, cable, insurance, maintenance can be absorbed by the business without a hiccup, or feeling of loss. It's no different than adding a piece of equipment to the company, you buy a skidder and by rights you should never have boughten it unless you can make it at the very least pay for itself...same with the official office space, if you can make it pay for itself, then it's a no brainer. With the addition of the new store front you will be able to approach vendors and become a dealer for product since now you can show case it, and there is your additional income since hopefully people will come to you direct for your product, and it'll allow increased margins on said product you would be using anyhow.

Last year i looked at a place, and as of now i'm still in limbo since the owner is gutting it and redoing the insides, it's just taking him forever, and i'm in now hurry to jump into an extra $1K/month outgoing in light of what may happen this summer if folks are still scared to spend/do anything, but we'll see what happens. It's nice too since you dont have a driveway/street full of cars of employee's showing up to your hosue to grab a truck/meet for their destination that day.

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Blast&Coat

Great Idea if your business can support it. Having a store front/shop is a great visual advertisement and people will always just stop in to speculate with you and in turn get you more jobs. They will rarely go through the phoen book and call up a stranger just to see what they think something might cost. Even if they doyou are just another number. A shop/office shows you are legit and no just some guys tha does jbs on the side and will really pay off when working with bigger clients, I think they are a little hesitant to work with someone on something big when he only works from his truck. Not to mention away from home yo9u are always able to focus more on work and hopefully be more efficeint either leaving you more time to rest or more time to grow the company.
good luck

mnjconstruction

I'm really thinking hard about this. I'm hoping that having the "official" office space will bring in more and larger jobs. Finacially I can swing it. Were I live rent/lease is not that much. I can probley find something around 400 a month. add in all the extra stuff I'm coming in around 800 a month. Not really that bad. I fell I will get more done being there. Alot of times trying to work at home i get a little side tracked! As we all probley do.

Winchester

That is nice. A lease alone around here is average $2000/month from what I've looked at...

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Ryan

Brock

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Almost did it last year. Building had large overhead door in back and I could park all three trucks in there. Small office area in the front with small bathroom. I like the idea of parking and storing everything away from home and drive a car or motorcycle to the office every day. This one was in the industrial area but I don't care about the "store front" part of it. It was 900 per month. I prolly will do it this year if the news media can fix the recession.






..

IHI

Quote of the day my friend!!!

I know locally the newspaper and business paper i get as part of the COC have been trying to run positive stories, basically trying to neutralize all the sheet you see on TV, and media is the one that forced people to stop spending, now they have to get people to start again.

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J F

get back to the pub josh, your beer's gettin' warm

IHI

aint chew got sum po po ta b calln ritetabout nows, i hur dem furcrackurs poppen off clere uhp hear

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J F

http://www.**************.com/showthread.php?t=11539

J F

man these, sites don't like each other, huh?

mahlere

Hey, frick and frack....don't make me come over there and wump you both over the head....back to you holes....

IHI

ahhhh, no

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dirt diggler

lol - i was gonna say thing

how you doin Josh? glad to see you're still kickin



to the OP


one of the best things I ever did was separate my work space from my living space. If it takes another office to make that happen - go for it You'll most likely find that you can focus so much more, and I think will find that you will emit more professionalism.



BUT .... as always ... it's about the dollar. Can having that office make you money? If not, don't do it then

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Thanks in advance!!!

J F

....just drank your shot...you snooze, ya loose...

mahlere

dirt....i'm not sure putting your bedroom in your parents basement, and you office in their spare bedroom really qualifies as "separating"

mahlere

that's alright, you're gonna need a bunch more shots to let josh do what he's planning on doing to you...drink up bubba, drink up...

IHI

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mahlere

what up Zed?