Home Based Online Business – Do You Need An Office?
During our weekly Google hangout myself and some other members of SFM discuss different topics around running a home based online business in general and specifically under the SFM umbrella. Last night, as ever, one of our little team made me laugh. He is based in Lagos, Africa and from time to time he is plunged into darkness without warning.
A dodgy power supply means that his electricity fails frequently and there is a short delay before the generator kicks in and he re-appears. Rather than being frustrating to him or us, it’s just funny. He’s completely used to it and in any case his smile lights up the “room” whether he’s in the dark or not.
Last night we were talking about the importance of having a dedicated workspace when running a home based online business, so when the lights went out in Lagos we asked our friend how he copes with that. Very well as it turns out. Not only does he have the electrical problems to deal with, he also doesn’t have broadband so uses a dongle or his smart-phone to connect to the Internet.
Running A Home Based Online Business With No Broadband
This is by far the most common way to connect to the net in Africa apparently. Another of our group goes on retreats to remote villages in India and finds it’s the same there. The other option is find a wifi spot in a hotel or café and work from there – not an option in a remote Indian village though.
So power cuts and dingle aside why is an office, or at least the concept of an office important to digital entrepreneurs? With a home based online business after all there are no set hours, no dress code and no commute. But actually a sense of discipline is even more important in that environment. A dedicated work-space helps hugely with creating that self-discipline.
Whether it’s a room in your house, a corner in the kitchen, a table in a café or a hotel lobby – the point is – when your there you’re working. Even in this sophisticated world we live in the paperless office still seems a distant possibility so a home office is also a good place to keep your printer, paperwork and other business accoutrements for those times when you are not living the laptop lifestyle and working remotely. More often than not a home based online business is exactly that – home based.
The Home Based Online Business Office Concept
In our hangout group, home offices vary widely. I have a spare bedroom that’s a combination office, music room/studio and photographic studio where I have a few lights and backdrops for use in still and video photography. Others have a spare room or use a desk in a bedroom or living area. No right or wrong but a definite necessity.
Stuart Ross posted a video yesterday showing us his new working spaces. He has just moved to Miami and works from the 40th floor balcony of his pretty cool looking condo or the deck area outside weather permitting – which it usually is. Another of our Google group who lives in rural France, treats herself to a 100 mile drive to a posh hotel in Bordeaux once a month and works in that plush environment for a few hours with waiter service on tap. Why not.
So in the world of the home based online business, the office can literally be anywhere. It’s really just your laptop and can be in your head. It’s a place where you can focus and concentrate on work and as you’ve seen it’s different for all of us – like our reasons for choosing this type of lifestyle, but the concept remains the same.
Although we are all individual entrepreneurs we are all members of the Six Figure Mentors and Digital Experts Academy. To find out more about this unique platform and the advantages of starting a home based online business get your complimentary video series on the link below.
