Working From Home: It Sounds Great in Theory, but Will it Work for Your Small Business?

Working-from-HomeMany entrepreneurs and would-be small business owners dream about being able to work from home. They imagine themselves in their perfect little home office zipping through tasks while sipping a cup of Tim Hortons or Starbucks, being super efficient and getting the job done. But sometimes that is not the reality.

While there are many types of businesses that can be run from home, success depends on many factors and the business model to make it work. Any small business that relies on in-person contact with clients and customers is probably not the best kind of business to run from home. Also, do you really want to bring people into your home who you really do not know?

Yes, compared to the traditional office, a home office seems like an oasis, and you would think that you would get more work done if you didn’t have to work surrounded by the noise and constant interruptions you might get working in an office environment. Sounds great, right? What happens when you have to meet a client and you are behind on your house cleaning? And don’t forget about those potential distractions at home that can take away your time, simply because you are at home.

Yes, you are working from home, but did you think about your work life versus your family life? When you are working from home, you are not only dealing with potential home distractions such as housework, but you might also be dealing with others in the home that also want your attention (like your spouse or children). What about those family and friends who do not share your home, but assume because you are working at home, then pop by for a visit?

Successful people who work at home set limits for those well-meaning family, friends and neighbours who tend to pop by. Let them know when it is acceptable to visit and when you are working on your small business. Like the old college trick of putting a sock on the door, many work-at-home professionals will place a sign or signal on the front door to tell friends and family dropping by that its not a good time for visitors.

And what about the phone calls? To have a successful home office, you need to run your business from a professional business telephone number. Having a business number that is separate from your home number allows you to separate your work from personal calls. Having a separate business number means you are not inundated by personal calls when you are working.

When considering operating your business at home, you also have to consider the safety of your family and yourself. Having your home address on business cards and brochures is exposing yourself and your family to those who might be persistent in finding you. Instead of using your home address, you should seriously consider using a virtual office provider that not only gives you a professional address, but can also manage your business calls. You can also book meeting rooms at the office business centre that provides you with your virtual office solutions.

When your calls are managed and forwarded to your home office, your customers and potential clients believe that you are working from an office, thus making you look more professional. Choosing how your calls are handled at what time or on any given day is another great advantage. You can have your calls forwarded to your home number, cell phone or a VoIP extension. You just need to indicate when calls are to be forwarded and when calls are to be sent to voicemail. And why not let after-hours calls go straight to voicemail? If it is an important client, chances are he or she will call you on your mobile phone in an emergency anyway.

When you work at home, you have to motivate and organize yourself, but you also have to be worried about household noises that a customer would not expect to hear when you are in your office. Having your infant let out a bloodcurdling shriek or the buzzer for the dryer to go off while you are on the phone is not exactly professional. Do not try to save money by running your business from home when you are also taking care of a pre-school child. Your business will suffer. Consider hiring a caregiver or enrolling the child in daycare while you work on running your business from home.

What kind of office equipment do you need for your home office? First, take inventory of what you would require and how much it will cost you. Even with today’s lower prices for electronic equipment, a high-end laptop or tower and a high-speed multi-function printer/photocopier can be a cost that your business is not able to absorb. If these items are important to your business, you may want to consider doing business in an office business centre that offers pay-as-you-use access to printer, copiers and fax machines in a co-working environment.

Next, where are you going to store your documents? Having large filing cabinets taking up space in your home office is not an option for most home-based small businesses. Many work-from-home small business owners will scan documents and keep them on a cloud server, which also makes them accessible from anywhere they are working. A cloud drive is not only good for storage, but a great solution for frequently accessed files.

Remember, running your small business from a home office may sound great, but it is important to carefully weigh all of the pros and cons for your particular business model. Working from home might work for you, but then it might not. Do your homework and discover what will work best for your small business.

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Hotels

1. Jennifer Smith
General Manager
The Omni King Edward Hotel
37 King Street East
Toronto, ON
M5C 1E9
Tel: 416-863-9700
Website: www.omnihotels.com/hotels/toronto-king-edward

2. Mark Perry
General Manager
Executive Hotels and Resorts (Boutique)
8 Colborne Street
Toronto, ON
M5E 1E1
Tel: 416-350-2419
Website: www.spazen.ca or www.cosmotoronto.com

3. Emeline Boul
General Manager
Hotel Victoria (Boutique)
56 Yonge Street
Toronto, ON
M5E 1G5
Tel: 416-363-1666
Mobile: 647-574-5832
Website: www.hotelvictoriatoronto.com

4. Omkar Sawant
Reservations Manager
One King West Hotel
1 King Street West
Toronto, ON
M5H 1A1
Main: 416-548-8100
Reservations: 1-866-470-5464
Website: www.onekingwest.com

5. Van Nguyen
General Manager
Cambridge Suites Toronto
15 Richmond Street East
Toronto, ON
M5C 1N2
Direct: 416-601-3757
Hotel: 416-368-1990
Website: www.cambridgesuitestoronto.com

Restaurants

1. Michael Pagliaro
Carisma (Italian)
15 Toronto Street
Toronto, ON
M5C 2E3
Tel: 416-864-7373
Website: www.carismarestaurant.com

2. Patti Shaw
Terroni (Italian)
57 Adelaide Street East
Toronto, ON
M5C 1K6
Tel: 416-203-3093
Website: www.terroni.com

3. Declan
Restaurant 20 Victoria – Michelin guide approved
20 Victoria Street
Toronto, ON
M5C 2A1
Tel: 416-804-6066
Instagram for reservations: https://www.instagram.com/twentyvictoria/

4. Mana
Nami (Japanese)
55 Adelaide Street East
Toronto, ON
M5C 1K6
Tel: 416-362-7373
Website: www.namirestaurant.ca

5. Restaurant Lucie
100 Yonge Street
Toronto, ON
M5C 2W1
Tel: 416-788-9054
Website: www.restaurantlucie.com

6. Niam H
Cantina Mercatto
20 Wellington Street East
Toronto, ON
M5E 1C5
Tel: 416-304-0781
Website: www.cantinamercatto.ca

7. Siva Sathasivam
Uncle Tony’s
38 Wellington St E
Toronto, ON
M5E 1C7
Tel: 416-455-6650
Website: https://uncletonys.ca/

8. Pizzaiolo
104 Yonge Street
Toronto, ON
M5C 2Y6
Tel: 416-860-0700
Website: www.pizzaiolo.ca

9. Robin Singh
Woods Restaurant and Bar
45 Colborne Street
Toronto, ON
M5E 1E3
Tel: 416-214-9918
Website: www.woodsrestaurant.ca

Health and Wellness

1. Thom Tullo
Morpheus8 by Inmode
47 Colborne Street
Toronto, ON
M5E 1E3
Tel: 416-863-6564
Website: www.amanspa.ca

2. Altitude Athletic Training
56 Colborne Street
Toronto, ON
M5E 1E3
Tel: 416-366-3838
Website: www.altitudeathletictraining.com

3. Physioheath Studios
33 Victoria Street, #130
Toronto, ON
M5C 2A1
Tel: 416-368-2525
Website: www.physiohealth.com

Our Amenities

We are by far the most experienced and best coworking team in the market – established in 1980

  • We are the highest Tech centre in the market
  • We have a very modern, high quality, brand new facility located at:

   18 King Street East, Suite 1400

      Toronto, Ontario   M5C 1C4 Canada

    • 18 King Street East is a boutique Class A building – East of Yonge: easy street parking, less traffic, excellent restaurants and lovely parks – St. James Park @ Church & King and Berczy Park @ Wellington East, Scott and Front Streets – Very high energy and engaging area
    • A few steps (a few seconds) to the Yonge Street subway/underground PATH network and streetcar available outside building
    • Building is located in Toronto's vibrant financial district
    • Plenty of parking available in the area including street parking and reserved parking in the 18 King building 
    • Adjacent to the building huge outdoor food courtyard - Beer Bistro www.beerbistro.com and Craft Beer Market www.craftbeermamrket.ca restaurants and bars with onsite catering services
    • Onsite amenities:  Tim Horton's, Beer Bistro, Convenience store and Starbucks across the street 
    • Nearby amenities:  underground PATH network, numerous restaurants, banking, Starbucks plus a wide array of nearby shops and services 
    • New modernized office layout fully furnished with meeting spaces and training rooms plus café lounge area
    • We are leaders in the service of training/meeting rooms with full conference facilities, high quality hot and cold catering
    • Largest training room and conference facilities accommodate up to 60 people classroom style
    • Ultra-high-speed - 1 GIG pipe = 1,000 x 1000 fiber-optic network, which will deliver internet connection speeds faster than most North American services
    • Private shower room
    • Indoor Reserved Parking at the current building rental rate
    • Bicycle parking
    • Rent a space to accommodate your team for meetings, training sessions, corporate events or coworking space or flexible office space for one day, one week, one month or one year, or whatever term suits your business
    • Telsec has over 650 locations in 40 different countries worldwide available for their clients.  Office clients receive up to 8 hours of meeting space per month at no charge at any ABCN member location.  Plus, Office and Virtual Office clients may rent a space from any member location at special member rates which varies depending on the location 
    • King Edward Hotel is located across the street - recently completed a $40 million renovation and boutique hotels close by within walking distance
  • Dining and entertainment at high quality restaurants only minutes away – Carisma, Terroni, Woods Restaurant & Bar and Michelin Rated - Restaurant 20 Victoria. Plus numerous lunch and takeout eateries nearby

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Telsec will Customize Your Client’s Office(s) Layout to Meet Their Requirements

You are welcome to drop-in any-time, a quick call would be appreciated to ensure our availability Vanessa 416-574-1112 or Josie 416-606-4349 or e-mail josie@telsec.net.