Renting a Home Office when Your Budget Says You Can't

For many small-business owners, staying in your home office is a good idea for your business, but for business owners trying to maintain a professional image you don't want your clients thinking of you working in your pajamas. A professional appearance is very important, even more important for you than for other larger companies because your clients likely have a pre-conceived notion that businesses based out of a home office aren't a "real" business.

Paying customers want to give their hard-earned money over to companies that instill trust in them. Not wanting to pour cash into a business that might not be here tomorrow they opt in favor of companies who seem more well established. They want companies who deliver superb results on time, and until they have a firmly- founded relationship with you, potential customers can only go by first impressions.

Whether you see it or not, they're paying close attention to your mannerisms, your business attire, and yes, even your home office. If you aren't confident or organized, they will notice that. No matter how you look at it, meeting in your living room or in a restaurant does not give them any assurance that you know what you're doing.

I hear you complaining that you can't afford to rent an office, and for many business owners this is true. But that doesn't mean you can't rent the image of one.

What am I talking about? The same thing actors in New York or LA go through when starting out-they need an address in the city, but instead of renting an apartment there, they simply rent the address. For a monthly or annual fee, you can set up a phone number or address similar to that of an office suite. When your clients call you at your prestigious office in the big city, the call is forwarded to your home-office phone. This also works well with packages. Either way, your customer won't know you aren't really in a big office taking their call/package. You can even rent an address for your business or set up an account with a company that has a live receptionist to take your calls. In these days where image is everything, the possibilities are endless.

If physical office space is your concern, or you need a professional-looking area in which do conduct business with clients face-to-face, consider renting a conference room for a set number of hours every month. Customers will often just assume the space is your real office, but even those who know you work from home will usually be grateful that you chose to do business in a more professional work environment than the nearby Friendly's. With a rented office space or other conference room, you have the flexibility to create your presentation at home and exhibit it in a snazzy upscale fashion at your high-end office suite, or offer your customers coffee and refreshments as you proceed to impress them with your professional manner.

By renting the "image" of an office space, you give your company a professional, sophisticated air that gives your customers the impression you want to impart; the flexibility that's required of a growing home-based business, and a greater control over your budget and cash flow. By the time you establish a solid relationship with your clients, you've avoided the horrors that can come with first impressions, and let them know how seriously you take your work.