Jim in AZ, post: 388510, member: 249 wrote: I've never really understood ....
You should have stopped right there. You don't understand. Your condescension is duly noted.
SReeserinPA, post: 388505, member: 6126 wrote: Not sure what the climate is like in your neck of the woods, but you may want to take a few minutes and check on the local codes. You could spend some time setting up a nice work arrangement only to have the local building official come down on you pretty hard. If not being a short walk from home could be a real ideal arrangement.
Good comments from everyone else on the work/life separation.
There is no local building official. There are no local codes.
To address the family issue, there are no kids, and there is no family in the area. If I can keep the wife out, I'll be in good shape.
Jim in AZ, post: 388510, member: 249 wrote: I've never really understood why anyone would want to work out of a shed or barn... It really doesn't present much of a professional image. Would you go to a doctor or attorney who worked in a barn?
Actually, I have before. Wasn't a problem. If you think a barn is a bad idea, then don't. I don't consider a detached building/office a "barn".
Interestingly enough, and I'm glad you said this, is that there are MANY MANY business, some VERY lucrative, that are ran from homes or offices. In college, they were breaking the boundaries of the "brick and mortar" offices with the ideas of telecommuting and many other ways. A digital presence is, many times, all that is needed. Where the digital presence comes from is really inconsequential. If you decided to visit a person who worked from home, and it was trashy, then I might see your point, but if they were frugal, didn't want to spend the money in town, or just enjoyed a different pace, well far be it from me to judge how or where someone conducts their business.
Recently I had a driveway built for our house. He hauled all the gear over from his house and the material in from somewhere else and voila, I had a driveway. I don't care that his ticket book was at his house. I don't have mudholes in my driveway.
Jim in AZ, post: 388510, member: 249 wrote: I've never really understood why anyone would want to work out of a shed or barn... It really doesn't present much of a professional image. Would you go to a doctor or attorney who worked in a barn?
I split the difference - while my physical office space is in an expensive professional building that was formerly the corporate headquarters of a pharmaceutical company, I work most days unshaven, in my boxer shorts and a dirty t-shirt.
Land Stealer, post: 388515, member: 7446 wrote: You should have stopped right there. You don't understand. Your condescension is duly noted.
Looks like you've only posted 28 messages here so far...you'll soon find out that, in many cases, the condescension comes along with the response at no additional cost to you. It's a value added benefit provided by some of the fine users of RPLS Today.
When I started out I worked out of my bedroom. We had a 1400 square foot house with 3 kids (who are all home-schooled). My work area was about 40 sq.ft. That got old REALLY fast. After the first full year I worked on insulating our old pool house. I now had about 200 square feet that was all dedicated to my work. It worked well.
Family members would let me work in peace and if I needed to play catch up I didn't have to leave the house.
I recently acquired 120 years worth of survey records and had to buy an office. It is really more storage then anything else though.
We recently moved into a much larger house and I now have about 80 square feet again. However I don't have any files or equipment in that small area as it is all at the office.
It can be done but I would anticipate moving or building something in about 1-2 years.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Land Stealer, post: 388421, member: 7446 wrote: Does anyone have any advice or experiences they'd like to share about this?
You did ASK for any advice.. Just because you don't agree with it doesn't make it less useful. If you will never have clients come by your shack out back, then it doesn't matter at all. But most of us occasionally have to deal with the public and having a professional appearance MIGHT be important to your clients.
Andy J, post: 388524, member: 44 wrote: You did ASK for any advice.. Just because you don't agree with it doesn't make it less useful. If you will never have clients come by your shack out back, then it doesn't matter at all. But most of us occasionally have to deal with the public and having a professional appearance MIGHT be important to your clients.
Professional Appearance does not require a brick and mortar presence. It can, and is, done from home offices on a daily basis for a myriad of professions.
Land Stealer, post: 388515, member: 7446 wrote: You should have stopped right there. You don't understand. Your condescension is duly noted.
My point is that it doesn't present a professional image. I understand that many, many businesses operate out of the back shed. Professionals do not. It is behavior like this that contributes to the downfall of the profession - whether you like it or not, that is how the public percieves things. Tradesmen work out of sheds and barns. I note that you did not answer my question.
I absolutely agree with that Kris. But I don't think working out of a storage shed is the same as working from inside a home. IMHO.
I've wondered if a rental space arrangement could be made for meeting clients. I work from home in an upstairs spare room. It has plenty of space for my needs and being upstairs I don't have many of the common distractions afforded a home office. And while it is nice, I probably wouldn't want to meet clients here. It's very rare that I need to meet clients, but on that rare occasion, it would be nice to have a conference room to meet in. I'd probably need it no more than a couple of hours a month. I'm sure larger cities have places like this, but it would be kind of nice and would avoid perception issues.
Andy J, post: 388527, member: 44 wrote: But I don't think working out of a storage shed is the same as working from inside a home. IMHO.
Would you still call it a storage shed if it was insulated; had HVAC and a bathroom?
I decided to go solo back in early 2007. I worked on my business plan, secured the financing, and set the plan in motion. I have a sitting area off of my master bedroom that would have been fine for a home office, but my kids were young, and the oldest one was a young teenager, and babysitting for pocket money. I decided real quick that I needed a separate office.
My business plan was on being solo, and I looked into local available office space. It was not affordable, and I would have been essentially paying for an office that no one was ever at, except on days when I was there doing office work. I did not intend of having someone answer the phone and playing solitaire while I was building the business. I decided on purchasing a 12' x 32' lofted barn with the entry door, and a small front porch. I placed it at the end of my driveway and the colors match my house. I finished out the building with electricity, wired computer network, satellite TV, and a hard wired connection to the house for internet. Unfortunately, adding a small 1/2 bath was not an option.
I quickly filled it up, and it worked out very well for me for the 8 years I was in business. I think my building as about $6,200 or so, and I was able to deduct the payments as a business deduction. I ran separate electric service to the building. I would estimate that my interior improvements were approximately $3000, and it turned out really nice. I could have turned out a little better, but I was kinda rushed to get in the building and working.
I have to respectfully disagree with Jim, as to the professional image. Yes, my office was behind my house, but the type of business I was trying to develop was never intended on catering to the drive up client. I developed into an ALTA survey, construction layout, larger survey type firm. Sure, I did a lot of residential stuff, but the way I operated, I met clients on site, or at their offices. I kept my truck clean, organized, and sharp looking. I dressed professionally, and did quality work. I have a good reputation in my area, and get calls for opinions on numerous matters from fellow professionals.
I believe that I only had maybe three clients come by my office the entire time I was in business. They had nothing but good things to say about my setup. I have worked for several national clients, a few international clients, and have surveyed all across the country, all from my humble home office setup. My business grew to a point in 2015 that I really needed at least one full time crew, with me doing some solo work, and also marketing.
I would still be in business for myself, but a very lucrative, once in a lifetime opportunity presented itself late last summer, and I decided to take it. I think in the near future it will be prove to be a wise business and career move.
In my humble opinion, there is much more to being perceived as a professional than a fancy brick and mortar office. Many people now telecommute, and we can do more now from the cab of a pickup than we could do in a fully equipped office 10 years ago. One cool thing about my office building is now that I do not use it for an office, my wife and I can utilize that space for other hobbies, and when we build a house in a few years, I will move the building to my Dad's farm for a small cabin.
RADAR, post: 388531, member: 413 wrote: Would you still call it a storage shed if it was insulated; had HVAC and a bathroom?
The OP used the term "yard barn" so is that something different than a storage shed?
Post a pic and I'll be happy to render my opinion!
Jim in AZ, post: 388510, member: 249 wrote: Would you go to a doctor or attorney who worked in a barn?
Probably not, but then in the 23 years I've been in business, I've had clients come to me office maybe half a dozen times. Most of my work is engaged via phone and email, and any meetings necessary usually occur on site or in my client's office.
Shawn Billings, post: 388528, member: 6521 wrote: I've wondered if a rental space arrangement could be made for meeting clients. I work from home in an upstairs spare room. It has plenty of space for my needs and being upstairs I don't have many of the common distractions afforded a home office. And while it is nice, I probably wouldn't want to meet clients here. It's very rare that I need to meet clients, but on that rare occasion, it would be nice to have a conference room to meet in. I'd probably need it no more than a couple of hours a month. I'm sure larger cities have places like this, but it would be kind of nice and would avoid perception issues.
Shawn,
I don't live in that big of a town, but we have a couple of places like this:
http://www.parkviewbusiness.com/
Where you lease just an office and share, a receptionist, conference room, kitchens, etc.
When I started out on my own, my office equipment was spread out thru the house, computer & desk, file cabinets and equipment storage was sharing living space in several rooms.
Now I have about 350 sq feet of dedicated office space that consist of two separate offices behind their own door, bathroom, closet storage space and direct access to an outside door.
There is a hallway that I have to share to connect with utility room that has linen storage and washer and dryer.
I take regular breaks from the computer screen long enough to connect with the family thruout the day and SWMBO and our daughter are sometimes using the empty office for homework or web time (have not found that tech to share any office workload).
James Fleming, post: 388537, member: 136 wrote: http://www.docinthebarn.com/
I find the top photo on the about us page quite catching:)
Jones, post: 388541, member: 10458 wrote: I find the top photo on the about us page quite catching:)
Ol' doc King ain't no fool 😉
