Desk Rentals for Freelancers
Posted on Jun 20, 2011 in Business Basics | 4 comments
Working from home always seems like a great idea in principle, but the reality of the situation can often be very different. If you’re a solitary sort, who prefers the spare bedroom, a study or even the garage to carry out your daily duties then it can be a cheap and easy way of working.
However, if you struggle at home with that kind of solitude, or conversely, have to spend all of your working day trying to avoid interruptions from other members of your family or household, then it could be time to think again. Desk space rentals are proving increasingly popular for freelance types, and it’s not hard to see why.
Out and About
Renting a desk can be a great solution for people who need their own space and want to be in with a chance of enjoying greater networking opportunities. While working from home is often seen as the cheap alternative to ‘going out to work,’ a simple no-frills desk rental option can actually be pretty cheap. Contracts are generally short-term and on a rolling basis, so there’s little in the way of complications.
Working in this way also means that you can move in, and out, of a desk rental location at very short notice too, and that can provide you with reassurance if funds are tight and you’re not too keen on committing to a lengthy period in one place. What’s more, you’ll get a desk, a chair and probably broadband connectivity while at the end of the day the cleaning and general office maintenance will be taken care of by your landlord.
Prestigious Postcode
Other benefits of the rented desk include the fact that you’ll certainly have a better ‘shop window’ with which to sell your skills, it’ll make a great meeting place for any prospective clients and there’s an added benefit of having a decent postcode too.
Many desk rental vacancies are to be found in city centre locations or prime, purpose-built business parks. That should also mean that your working surroundings will be much more conducive to productivity than that stuffy spare bedroom of yours. What’s more, if you’re planning on expansion in the coming months and years then consider investigating the shared or serviced office route too.
This option allows you much greater flexibility, there will often be added extras such as receptionists, post facilities and also IT support. Of course, factoring in these extra facilities will mean you’ll pay a little more, but it’s still a very cost effective way of ensuring that your business stays competitive and ready for anything.
The Way Forward
So, if you’re starting to tire of working at home and feel that a change of surroundings might help to reenergise your outlook, then the desk space rental option can be a good one. Better still, it’s quick, easy and free to find these deals and offers too, with a simple search on one of the online comparison websites.
These work in a similar fashion to searching for broadband or mobile phone deals and could prove to be the best five or ten minutes you’ve spent on the internet in a long time.
Have you had experience with desk rental programs? What do you think the pros would be and what concerns would you have? Leave your thoughts in the comments below:
4 Comments
My old boss rented an office when she decided to hire me. She wanted to move into the next stage of professionalism and give each of us a place to work where were separate but could still shut the door an concentrate when needed.
But it didn’t last. Two main problems: we lived an hour away from each other. For the sake of fairness, the office was halfway between both of us, so we ended up having a 30 minute commute. The other problem was that both of us were writers that liked to get to work as soon as the coffee was made. If we spent time showering, primping, and driving, we weren’t nearly as productive.
So there you have it. Get it if you absolutely need it. But don’t make it too hard for yourself — and make sure it makes you more productive, not less.
That said, it DID make us feel pretty professional which was nice. And it was nice to be organized for once, and not have stuff strewn about all over my house.
Really, it was the morning commute that killed it.
Great post and comments. I’ve thought about this for a long time because of the constant distractions of home – which are MY problem, not the home’s or the family’s. A new solution has popped up – my husband has extra space in his new office. He is the boss so he can set me up there if he likes. It shortens his commute to just 15 minutes vs. 40 mins. And when we move in August and begin remodeling, being away from the noise and confusion would help. Though I ran a freelance business years ago in the middle of intense remodeling and with two kids. I guess I don’t have the stamina now–?
I’m not in a place to try this out at the moment, but I had serious designs on giving it a go when I planned to break into full-time freelancing. Because Dan and I live together and he is also at home, it would have been necessary for me to help clearly mark that line between work and play. At any rate, with the new day job the point is moot, but I still see desk rental as an awesome alternative for people looking for that little extra something to make them look and feel more professional and connected to the business world.