When you first start a business, you might do it from your home. After all, working from home is being more widely used than ever before, especially for start-ups. However, there may come a point that you previously small start-up business outgrows your bedroom. Perhaps you have had to employ a few members of staff, or that you are finding it hard to keep on top of everything yourself. After all, a good start-up needs to cover all bases. This means operation, production, sales, and marketing all need to work seamlessly together. It is for that reason that many people find themselves employing others earlier than they thought they would when they began their start up. If this sounds like the position you are currently in, take a look at these options.
Consider what ‘in-house’ staff you need
In every business, there will be staff you need around all the time. Having an ‘in-house’ marketing person can mean you potentially save money on expensive agency fees. This depends on your salaries, of course. But there are some roles that start-ups simply don’t require round the clock. An example of this would be IT. Unless you are working with a complex set of databases and your company is growing at a remarkable rate, it is unlikely that you will need IT help every day of your life. It is for this reason that many start-up businesses hire web development companies to work on a specific job for them. You may need a certain type of software integrating into your company’s computers, or you may need a website rebrand. Whatever it is, you can save money by paying a one-off fee to companies which do this for you, rather than paying a salary to a full time employee.
Will you need to move out to an office?
It’s fairly common for most start-ups to begin life in a home office, or a spare bedroom. But if you’ve started to employ people and remote working isn’t going too well, you may want to think about investing in some commercial property. Location and accessibility are huge factors when choosing your office space. Have your employees in mind when purchasing commercial property – what would you want in their position? Most of your staff will be on a daily commute so it only makes sense to have the property close to routes in and out of the city. Also be sure to consider disabled access when you are buying. Some disabled access facilities may cost you extra to install, but it will pay off for you in the end. Also, it may sound obvious, but make sure your new office space is fitted with all the mod cons, such as good lighting and working toilets.
Communicate
You may not have enough staff to justify moving to an office, or you may simply want to keep your overheads down. Whatever your scenario, it may be worth changing the way you currently communicate with your staff. Email can be slow, but at the same time being on the phone all day is distracting. Instead, install a messenger programme on your company’s system, so you can get hold of staff quickly if you need to. Also, consider scheduling a weekly group Skype call to discuss anything you need to in person. This will also make your staff feel more at ease, as they will be able to put a face to a name.
