Looking for some opinions: home based buisness

mslacat · Post by **mslacat** » Mon Jun 06, 2005 9:37 am

Hey folks I am looking for the opinion of professionals and business owners. I am
looking at changing the set up my business and wondering how different people/clients
might respond to a non-traditional set up for a design firm. About 18 months ago I had
an architect and draftsman who work for me leave and set up their own firm, and then
last week a couple other employees who have worked for me for quite a while have
presented to me a proposal to allow them to work from their primarily own home and it
seems very doable. I have been seriously considering shutting down my main downtown
office and running my firm my home / office. I designed and built my own home with
the idea of having a home office. Off the entry I have a Parlor/Office, that could be a
meeting room for clients and in the basement I have more of a working office. The house
is completely prewired for computer network. In the past I have done the, some what
larger Architects Office (8-10 employees)(by Montana standards), and really have no
intention of doing that for a while. I am actually enjoying being an architect as apposed
to a personnel manager. I am actually more profitable with me in more of a production
role than a rain maker. The biggest advantage is that I am far less stressed and grumpy
around my kids and wife.

So my questions, in today’s, market what do you folks feel about hiring a home based
architectural business. Would it be hard to convince you that all of the services an
advantages of a traditional office. The advent of highspeed Internet, phone systems and
experienced employees make this very do able from my point of view, but I am not sure
the Montana business folks are ready for it. To make it more appealing I am finding that
more and more my business clients are preferring we meet at their office and my
residential clients actually like meeting in a "Mslacat designed" home.

Any opinions, or issues as a potential client concerns you would have?

Cat Pride · Post by **Cat Pride** » Mon Jun 06, 2005 10:21 am

mslacat wrote:So my questions, in today’s, market what do you folks feel about hiring a home based
architectural business. Would it be hard to convince you that all of the services an
advantages of a traditional office. The advent of highspeed Internet, phone systems and
experienced employees make this very do able from my point of view, but I am not sure
the Montana business folks are ready for it. To make it more appealing I am finding that
more and more my business clients are preferring we meet at their office and my
residential clients actually like meeting in a "Mslacat designed" home.

Any opinions, or issues as a potential client concerns you would have?

I would have reservations based exactly on those you mentioned above. BUT once word got out, and references stayed positive with your business, it really shouldnt matter where you are based from - if you keep your technology up to date. My guess would be that you dont loose existing or past clients, but might struggle initially to find new clients.

Best of luck either way. The fact that you own your own business and have the opportunity to make this decision tells me that your success will continue no matter what the decision.

Grizlaw · Post by **Grizlaw** » Mon Jun 06, 2005 11:19 am

I'm a little out of touch with the business climate in Montana, but I would think that a lot would depend on how long your firm has been operating (i.e. how well-established your reputation is in the community). If you already have a well-established reputation in the business community, then I doubt moving your business to your home would change that -- your existing clients would stay with you, and you would still get referrals, etc. from the same people who give them to you currently.

If your practice is a little less well-established, it might be harder. In either case, though, I would think the benefits to your cost structure (and resulting ability to bid more competitively for jobs) would offset at least some of any competitive advantage you may lose.

Anyway, just my .02 worth (from a non-Montanan who is also not an architect, so take it for what it's worth.

)

Either way, best of luck!

CelticCat · Post by **CelticCat** » Mon Jun 06, 2005 1:43 pm

I know when I looked in the phone book for computer repair in Bozeman, there were several home-based businesses, and I stayed away from them. They may have all the knowledge and expertise in the world, but the simple fact that he is working out of his own is enough to make me stay away. Granted if I heard from a friend that one of those places was excellent, I would certainly go there on his recommendation. But when I look up a business I need a service from (tangible goods are a different story), 95% of the time I will avoid a home-based business.

Call me old-fashioned or what have you, this is just the way I am. I do not speak for a majority by any means.

grizbeer · Post by **grizbeer** » Mon Jun 06, 2005 2:08 pm

A couple years ago the company I worked for was planning an addition and I never once went to the architect's office, he always came to ours. Does you home office have a separate entrance so they don't have to walk through your house? If so I don't even think it is an issue (I do think it would be weird to walk through someone's house to meet for business).

Cat Pride · Post by **Cat Pride** » Mon Jun 06, 2005 2:18 pm

grizbeer wrote:I do think it would be weird to walk through someone's house to meet for business.

It worked for Jason Seaver on "Growing Pains"

HelenaCat95 · Post by **HelenaCat95** » Mon Jun 06, 2005 3:05 pm

It also worked for Tom Cruise in "Risky Business"

jagur1 · Post by **jagur1** » Mon Jun 06, 2005 3:27 pm

Dantana worked out of his garage/living room?

Bleedinbluengold · Post by **Bleedinbluengold** » Mon Jun 06, 2005 4:12 pm

it worked for Thomas Magnum, too. Heck, that makes me think you could run it out of Meat's guest house. I don't know if Meat would let you use the Ferrari, though.

I'd run it by your best clients. If they look at you like your nuts, then I suggest not running out of your house. I wouldn't expect alot of "yellow page" business to walk in or call, however.

I also don't think clients that bid out work would care either way, as long as you have the necessary qualifications. I've never seen an RFP or RFQ that required the winner to have a out-of-the-home office location.

Cat Pride · Post by **Cat Pride** » Mon Jun 06, 2005 4:15 pm

We are really getting off subject now mslacat. My fault, but as you can see, plenty of "out of the house" successes out there.

mslacat · Post by **mslacat** » Mon Jun 06, 2005 4:56 pm

Thanks Guys for the input guys, keep it coming. For the record my business has been
around by its current name since 1994 and as another entity name for three years previous
to that. I have a portfolio of over 150 custom homes, 500 living units, commercial
portfolio that ranges from Cancer research center / Hotels/ restaurants and even
mini-storage. When in Montana it is pretty hard to specialize. My home office was
design so that you would not need to walk through the house. The one thing that I am
getting from this board and others that I have talked to today, is that I will really need to
set a very professional tone right off the bat with clients who enter my home office
pictures, lighting , furniture etc.

mquast53000 · Post by **mquast53000** » Tue Jun 07, 2005 9:09 am

Keep in mind where your clients would pull up at your house/office. Would it be your home’s driveway or is there a side entrance separate from your home driveway? If there was a separate driveway it would really make your home and office feel like they were completely separate. If there was something that resembled a parking lot (space for 4-5 cars would suffice) it would give it an office feeling for sure.

Bleedinbluengold · Post by **Bleedinbluengold** » Tue Jun 07, 2005 9:36 am

Mike Brady was an architect who operated out of his house. And you had to walk through the house to get to the office.

I say go for it - plus, you reduce your overhead considerably.

jagur1 · Post by **jagur1** » Tue Jun 07, 2005 10:04 am

Mike Brady worked at home but had an office and boss to go to?

Cat Pride · Post by **Cat Pride** » Tue Jun 07, 2005 10:29 am

jagur1 wrote:Mike Brady worked at home but had an office and boss to go to?

I think mslacat is married, he already has a boss.

El_Gato · Post by **El_Gato** » Tue Jun 07, 2005 1:06 pm

My 2 cents worth:

If you are already well-established & respected, by all means do what's best for you; I, as a potential customer, will seek you out if you have a "good name" in your field. If you are as busy or busier than you want to be, I think you could pull off the home office.

On the other hand, I will admit that if I'd never heard of you and our first meeting was in your home office, no matter how clean/tidy/presentable it was, I think I'd be a bit dubious. You lose a little on the credibility & professionalism scales by moving to your home, IMO.

I'm guessing that "professionalism" is critical to success in architecture. Your clients are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars (or more) on their projects and I think the message projected by a nice office with a sharp meeting room would be most beneficial to your success, regardless of where you currently stand in your industry.

In a nutshell, having the traditional office setting will certainly not hurt your business, while the home office may end up "putting off" some potential clients, so if it were me, I think I'd stick with the traditional setting.

grizbeer · Post by **grizbeer** » Tue Jun 07, 2005 1:09 pm

Bleedinbluengold wrote:Mike Brady was an architect who operated out of his house. And you had to walk through the house to get to the office.

I say go for it - plus, you reduce your overhead considerably.

And just look how Mike Brady ended up!

Bleedinbluengold · Post by **Bleedinbluengold** » Tue Jun 07, 2005 2:31 pm

hmmmm, excellent point gb, excellent point...

mslacat · Post by **mslacat** » Tue Jun 07, 2005 4:09 pm

OH a office in down town Missoula is SOOOOOOOOOOO great. Just today I get to look out my window and see some one get stabbed with a screw drive, cops, and everything!!!!!!

G.W.Bush · Post by **G.W.Bush** » Tue Jun 07, 2005 4:12 pm

Looking for some opinions: home based buisness

Looking for some opinions: home based buisness

Re: Looking for some opinions: home based buisness