If you had asked me a month ago “Tina, would you ever move out of your home office?” I would have said heck no! But that shifted for me recently and here’s why…
Would love to hear your thoughts – be sure to post them here, k?
I’m moving out of my home office – GASP!
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It is an interesting evolution isn’t it?! One thing that seems to me to be a factor is age (I know, I know). I’m over 50 and I spent about 22 years in a corporate office environment. So in 2005 when I made ‘the break’, it felt like such a luxury to work from home. For those folks for whom ‘working from home’ has always (or mostly) been an option I can understand the need to be ‘out’. I think no matter what your environment, a periodic change is good!
good point Brenda – I think it’s the desire for a change that is driving me more than the “I want an outside office”. I’ve worked from home for 13 years now and it’s time for something different.
Hi Tina,
I love my home office, but have always thought about having an office outside where I and my three other collaborators could have a really cool office with a nice “create together”space.
I can be very creative alone (and love it) but there is a special collaborative energy that I miss sometimes too.
My only issue is that I live in a rural location and would have a fairly long commute to anywhere that would be suitable…so at home it is.
I wish you great success with yours…it sounds perfect!
Karen
Huge decision and very cool! I am sure that creativity will flow from you in a new space…especially one that is yours and you love. You will have the best of both worlds and can decide: where, when, how and why. Awesome!
Hi Tina, When I started my home business 4 years ago, I thought it would be great to work from home and not have to worry about traffic, putting on make-up, working the regular 9-5 thing, and dealing with the corporate “stuff”! I also loved the idea of being more available for my family. Interestingly, now I wonder what I was thinking!!! While I love owning my own business and working from home, it has its’ own set of challenges.
My family doesn’t always “get” that I am working and my special needs daughter really presents a problem. Some days she just doesn’t understand that I AM WORKING. I do believe there will come a time when the right situation presents itself and I will definitely move into a more “private and productive” situation.
Until then, I will continue to work through these challenges.
It’s always so much harder to try and work when our kids are around – totally get it!
I’m so happy you posted about this because I was curious as to why you were doing it. For me, the answer would be no. I go to Starbucks when I need to work in different scenery and I would not want to have an outside space. Actually, for my business model, an outside space just isn’t needed. I’m leaving this comment at 8pm EST, and my daughter is downstairs watching tv & my dog is sitting at my feet…this is how I love to work and I hope to keep it that way. BUT – I cannot wait to hear how this goes for you & am SO Excited to see the success and progress that’s happening in your business Tina!!
I can’t do the work at Starbucks thing – i’ve tried, but when i’m there my brain just can’t go into work mode. Wierd… i’ll totally let you know how it goes Rachel.
Maverick woo hoo is right!! 😉
Congrats on your big decision, Tina! I will be anxious to see how things go — please keep us posted! Would love to see photos of the new digs, too 🙂
Me personally, I’m definitely staying at home with no plans for that to change. I so love working in my home office with my pups laying near me in their beds. They are part of my daily inspiration, so I can’t imagine not having them close by.
Good for you Tina! Can’t wait to hear how it works out. I LOVE working at my home office too much to want to have an outside office. Plus I got my co-workers here (dogs) to keep me company. So if I got an outside office, I’d need a new car to haul them around in. Plus a new wardrobe because I can’t very well wear my slippers in public any more than the current school pick ups. LOL.Seriously though, our 3year plan includes moving to a smaller house once the youngest goes off to college. And then husband plans on opening up a beer supply store when he retires from military around the same time so we may end up sharing an office later. But for now, I love the loungewear, hang out with dogs vibe I got going on.
Nothing wrong with having an office + beer at hand. Love that long term plan. 🙂
I am trying to go paperless and virtual and don’t want the overhead expense of an outside office. I am going to stay home for now.
Congrats Tina. I work from a co-working space (a bunch of us virtual folks have gotten together to share a space…) We do masterminds, book clubs and collaborate together. My business is much better because of it – and I work a home a few days a week too.
how cool – love that!
Actually – I have thought of getting office space. Same reasons, we’re looking to expand our team and getting an office really fits well with our goals and visions too.
Is your team already mostly local Traci?
Good for you Tina! You sound so confident about this change too, so it must be the perfect time.
I go back and forth on this often because it was nice when my husband and I had a brick & mortar office. I loved that it was on a busy street in a beach town, and there were a lot of opportunities to walk down the pier and think about things or sort out client issues, or just be creative. Somedays I want to go back to all of that, and somedays I am just so grateful to work from home in my pj’s.
K, now I want a beach outside my office! Alas I live on the prairies… 😉
How wonderful, Tina! A change of place always changes perspective in so many ways. While I have no intention of moving out, just yet, I do feel isolated and feel so energized when I meet with my clients or go to women’s business events. I love home but not the aloneness, and after 9 years, I wonder about moving out.
Let me know if you decide to do so Bea – we can trade notes on “life after a home office”… hehe
To me, that would feel too much like going to a j-o-b. I have no desire to commute. The only benefit for me would be to be around other people. It does get lonely in a home office.
I’m looking forward to being around other people again, is certainly part of the appeal for me.
Tina, I think it is a great idea. Personally, I am always tempted to just get the laundry going, start supper, etc. thinking that I can multitask housework and working on the business. I never works.
I am headed to an office ASAP.
Ah yes, the call of household chores. I’m actually pretty good at leaving those be during the day now, maybe because I don’t really want to do them? 😉
Hey, Ms Forsythe. Cool for you! I did MOVE OUTSIDE of my home office, after having BUILT my home with that office in it. It wasn’t so successful for me because I found that my travels kept me away from the STAFF in the office so much that it didn’t work for them. Traditional employees, I feel, want traditional work settings … with a boss to hold them accountable. Not to say I’d never do it again, but then my office, essentially, is a MacBook Pro with a telephone system in it … and they go EVERYWHERE with me. 🙂
ENJOY the new digs!
Hi Tina – First off, congratulations! It’s a big step you’re taking, and I love how you aren’t abandoning your flexible lifestyle in the process of moving out of your home office. I know others who rented an office and felt like they had to be there Mon-Fri, 9-5, just to justify the expense. But I agree with you that it’s nice to have a change of pace and just somewhere else to go from time to time. Somewhere to meet local clients, if needed, or, as you mentioned, somewhere for employees to set up shop. As for me, I’m happy right now working from home, but I think when my daughter heads off to school next year I might consider having an outside office space. Like the idea of actually leaving the house and having somewhere productive to go to get things done. And being near yummy restaurants might encourage less hurried lunch breaks for me as well. 🙂 My requirements would include a comfortable working environment and I wouldn’t want the office to be too far from home – one of the best parts for me about working from home is eliminating the long, rush-hour commute!
I hear you re: the commute Tammi – I live in a really small city so it’s a 10 minute drive max. If it was any longer than that I would say forget it! One of my fav restaurants is right across the street so i’m sure i’ll be taking an extended lunch hour from time to time as well.