by Lucas Koren, Business Leader at FlexSpace Logistics
Many small businesses operate out of their own homes, especially in the early stages where their budgets for overhead costs such as rent and equipment are limited. However, as your business grows, these upfront advantages can quickly become overshadowed by the challenges of blending your working and living spaces.
A business taking over your home can not only make an impact on your personal life, it can also significantly affect you and your company’s professional image and productivity.
For entrepreneurs scaling up their business, moving into a self-storage facility helps them get their lives back. Here are four signs your home-based business should move out of your home, so you can keep an eye out for them.
- Tightening work and living spaces
Lack of space should be one of the first signs to look out for, as it could easily bring up many other challenges that would be harder (and costlier!) to address if it’s not immediately resolved. You can’t have work-life balance if they’re under the same roof–one of them needs to move out.
Tight spaces come with clutter, and with clutter comes disorganization. Paperwork and products might start spilling into living areas, while office supplies and equipment find their way onto the dinner table. Don’t let yourself get to this point by recognizing the spatial constraint as soon as your business starts feeling more like your roommate.
Flexible self-storage solutions can be used as the mental and physical “buffer” of operating your own business. While admin work can be left at home, which tends to take up less physical space, bulkier items such as equipment and inventory can live at a separate facility.
- Professional image is becoming a priority
Reputation management is important for any business, and it requires added effort as the company scales up. For online brands, physical customer interactions are rare so every touchpoint online or through a phone call carries heavy weight in shaping public perception.
Conducting business from home could send unintended signals about the company’s scale and professionalism. When customer support calls are marred by household disturbances, or when product photos are clearly taken in non-professional settings, it undermines consumer trust.
Moving to a dedicated workspace can drastically improve the quality of customer-facing aspects in the business like product photography, customer service, and overall brand presentation.
The same could be said about forming strong relationships with potential partners or vendors, which are so essential for scaling in a competitive e-commerce landscape. A professional storage facility bolsters the brand’s credibility in negotiations and collaborations with other businesses, highlighting its capability to operate at a level of professionalism that matches their own standards and handle increased demand from partnership opportunities.
- Increased employee headcount
The need to hire employees other than yourself is another tell-tale sign your home-based business should move out. A crowded home environment can not only hinder your privacy, but also your business and its productivity.
Sensitive business discussions or confidential client information are more at risk of exposure in a shared or makeshift office space within your home. Moreover, productivity often suffers due to domestic distractions and the lack of a professional setting.
A business location separate from your home offers a space that could foster focused work and secure communications. Moreover, it provides the necessary infrastructure for adding new team members as the company continues to grow.
- Residential infrastructure and equipment aren’t enough
Specialized infrastructure, equipment, and a separate facility become increasingly important as your home-based business grows.
Residential settings often lack the industrial-quality resources that are purpose-built for specific items. For instance, advanced IT systems, larger scale machinery, and professional-grade logistics setups simply cannot be accommodated in a residential environment due to space and zoning limitations.
Upgrading to a separate storage facility with specialized equipment boosts operational efficiency and capabilities, enabling your business to meet increased demand and maintain a competitive edge.
Taking the next step
Overall, moving your home-based business into a self-storage facility is not just an expansion of space, but an investment in your company’s continued growth. A dedicated space not only improves efficiency and privacy but also bolsters your brand image, making your business more attractive to potential partners and clients.
Additionally, the enhanced infrastructure enables larger scale operations and logistics, which is key to delivering consistent, high-quality service. Ultimately, self-storage facilities for small businesses are a strategic investment that communicates stability and ambition, positioning your company as a reliable and emerging leader.
Lucas Koren, Business Leader at FlexSpace Logistics
With a background in economics and finance, Lucas Koren is building FlexSpace Logistics as Canada’s leading storage and logistics expert alongside prominent leaders in the storage and logistics industries. Previously a startup founder himself, Lucas has deep knowledge of entrepreneurship and understands the importance of flexibility for business growth. Today with FlexSpace, he’s helping businesses across all industries find the most suitable storage, logistics, and inventory management solutions for their needs.
