HOW TO RUN A BUSINESS WITHOUT A PERMANENT OFFICE PROFESSIONAL [MUST READ]

As a start-up owner, there are many challenges you are likely to encounter and lack of a formal office is definitely one of them. You don’t have enough money to rent out an office in town and neither do you have the “connections” needed to survive in the streets. Your father is not a real estate mogul either. So how do you go about operating your business without appearing like a “briefcase company” in the eyes of your customers?


Consider Renting Out Shared Office Space

In most cases, you can save on office rent by simply running your business out of your home. But if you don’t have an extra room there either, or if your clients insist on meeting you in a physical location you can consider co-sharing an office space.

By co-renting, you team up with other like-minded entrepreneurs and co-share the space and the rent. Under this scenario you can use the building’s physical address, reception and conference room to run your business.

However, not all buildings will allow you to co-share and so you have to your research to find out those that offer this helpful option. these types of rental arrangement cost less than a quarter of what you would pay to rent a full office space.


Work With Online Freelancers


If you are operating without an office, avoid hiring full-time employees before your business starts to rake in significant profits. It may be in your best interest to hire online freelancer so you can get assistance on services you can’t do yourself.

For instance, you can seek the help of a virtual assistant to help you with anything from booking reservations to handling emails. You can use sites like upwork or kuhustle to find designers and programmers at a small fee.

You will be able to expand or shrink your team according to your business needs and that way you will also be able to dedicate enough time to growing your enterprise without incurring unreasonable cost. In addition, you will be able to go beyond the one-man team shadow and tap into world-class professionalism which is definitely good for your business.

Invest in Equipment That Empower You to Work Anywhere, Anytime


The right equipment can help you set up shop in whichever location you need or want to be. A smartphone that allows you to check and respond to email, browse and use apps will prove invaluable.

A laptop computer is also essential for you can check in to your local coffee shop to use free Wi-Fi. With these gadgets, you can make good use of online collaborative tools to run and even manage your teams virtually.

• You can use Basecamp to plan for projects and track progress.
• GoToMeeting to do customer demos or conference calls
• Quick Books for online bookkeeping and accounting
• Google Docs for online documenting…among others.

Buying A Business Address

Still, you can choose not to rent or even co-share an office-space to further save on cost. In that case, all you need to do is rent a business address which you will be using formally for your business.

For instance, you can rent an address (i understand this is applicable in some countries). In that case, you will maintain a professional, high-end image and still operate at very low cost.

But why does that matter? In some businesses, image is very important. By having a high-end address, you can attract more clients and receive better offers.


Take Home

So…Yes, it is in fact possible to get your business moving even when you’re short of capital. Forget about paying those expensive good-will charges in the Avenue or booking expensive business licenses that suck all the energy out of your bank account if you don't have the financial will to register your business with the CAC.


You can use any of the tips used above to successfully nurture your business without breaking the bank.