If you’re new to business and would like to establish your first office, you are likely to face several difficulties. You will either need to build a new office, rent one at a high rate, or buy it. Startup businesses usually don’t have the kind of money to invest at an early stage. If you don’t want to get into debt over a property, you can get creative and get an office established cheap.

Rent a Garage

If you only need the office for working on your computer, you can ask your friends and colleagues if they have a garage they don’t use. You will not have to present your business and brand to customers, so a garage with lighting, electricity and heating will do. Make sure that the cost of renting the garage is significantly lower than a small office and that you have a reliable internet connection.

Share Office Space

You may have a friend who already has an office and they don’t use the entire space. Perhaps you can share. You might even look in the local paper to see if there are any spare offices that are available. The main benefit of this solution is that you only pay a flat fee and don’t have to pay for your internet, electricity and heating separately. New businesses want to have  a reliable budget and this option gives you just that.

Get a Prefabricated Office

You might want to get your own space where you can meet clients and work as well. You can get great custom metal buildings created on only a few weeks. If you have use of land or own real estate, this is a cheap way for getting established. Make sure that your office is in a location that is easy to access for your clients and that there are parking spaces nearby. Instead of erecting an expensive office, you can opt for prefabricated offices.

lab

“Aquarium lab_0144” by James Emery is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Incubator Offices

If you simply don’t have the space to work from home, or your family is around when you need to do your job, you can look out for incubator office spaces nearby. For a low monthly fee, you will gain access not only to a desk any time you want to, but also the expertise of others working with you. Some incubator offices offer unlimited coffee and free use of the meeting room facilities.

guys in office

“Mat Grosso and Jeremy Wagner-Kaiser at shared office space, working hard on a Saturday” by Kevin Hutchinson is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Temporary Offices Per the Hour

If you only need an office for a few hours a week, there is no point in spending hundreds of dollars every month for full access. There are several hotels and business facility companies that give you a monthly pass to use their office and meeting rooms for a set amount of hours. This is a cost-effective way to have an office when you need it while working from home when you can.