If you’ve been running a business from home and it’s been successful, then it may be time to move your work from home to a real office. This is an exciting time! This means that you’ve grown. You’ve made enough income to be financially stable and get a professional environment to work in, as well as having the opportunity to hire employees.
But how do you go about transitioning and making sure that you have everything that you need? Here are a few of the basics that you’ll need to cover.
Design the dream
Designing a whole area can be rather intimidating, so it’s a good idea to get help from professionals like Pure Alchemy Design, who will help you achieve the look that you want. A good tip is to visualize exactly how you’d like your office to be. Draw a basic layout of where you imagine things to go, where customers will enter, where your desks will be situated, and so on. This will make things a lot easier when the actual day arrives. You may want to come up with a theme so you can color coordinate your space. You want the area to be professional, but you also want to let your brand and personality drive through it, too.
Cover the essentials
Your essentials will include desks, chairs, stationary, computers, printers, fax machines, and bonus features like coffee machines and fridges. When buying these things, it’s a good idea to go directly to an office warehouse rather than to a local store. You will need to buy in bulk most of the time, and it’ll be a cheaper option than buying each item at individual prices. While you may want to play it safe with your money, there are certain areas in which you can’t afford to cut corners. One example is with desk chairs. You need to ensure that they provide the best support as a common cause of office injuries results from poor seating that puts strain on the back and neck.
Hire the people
If you’re used to working alone, it will be a pretty big change to bring in new employees. But as the business gets bigger, you’ll need to get more help. You can’t be expected to run everything yourself smoothly. When hiring, make a list to of the things for which you are looking. What department do you need help with? This may be marketing, sales, or human resources. Think about the qualifications and skills that will make the best employee, and then publish an ad. The idea of holding an interview can be rather intimidating, but it needs to be done so that you’re sure about who you want working for you and carrying your business. One of the best bits of advice you can remember is to always trust your gut.
