Having an office in home gained popularity during COVID; it was a viable way for individuals and even some small companies to continue in business without having to mingle with the public during those dangerous times.
If necessity is the mother of invention, then having a home office and/or a home-based business was the response to the pandemic-driven necessity for change.
Now the year is 2024, the pandemic is somewhat controlled, people are out in public in throngs, and many businesses have returned to traditional office space for rent in business districts. Which leads us to this question: is an office in home still a good idea?
We are Box Office Warehouse Suites, serving North Fort Worth from our location in the Fort Worth Design District. Call us at 817-439-3224 for more information about our industrial space and affordable commercial property for rent.
Office in home drawbacks/cons.
A quick list of the cons of working from a home office:
- Increased isolation
- Home office costs
- Risk of overworking
- Risk to productivity
- Distractions at home
- Workplace disconnect
- Disproportionate work-life balance
- Less workplace connection and isolation
Without a doubt, the two cons most mentioned are increased isolation and the distractions inherent in working from home, and these are indeed worth considering.
When your work is in your living space, the only way to escape is to leave your home. Even though your intentions to have a balanced life are good, the inevitable end result is to overwork at home. And distractions? Knocks on the door, deliveries, loud neighbors, barking dogs, not to mention your kids coming home from school or your spouse asking questions when you are on a conference call. None of these things, by themselves, are monumental, but day after day of multiple interruptions is enough to shake the strongest foundation and crumble your determination.
Home office pros.
On the flip side of the ledger, these are the most common pros mentioned by those with a home office:
- Flexible schedule
- Customizable workspace
- Savings on commuting and work-related expenses
- Increased productivity and performance
- Better work-life balance
- Independence
- No commute to work
- Savings on expenses
- Improved technical and communication skills
- More work flexibility
- No office distractions
It should be mentioned, obviously, that not all of these apply for every person in a home office. Obviously, “no office distractions” is on both lists, implying that some people thrive despite home distractions, while others find the distractions to be crippling with regards to productivity.
Which is better for you?
What is the bottom line in this discussion? You need to know yourself and you need to make the best decision bases on who you are. Without a doubt, having a home office is less expensive, but if you cannot be productive in a home office, the savings may not be worth the experiment.
The good news: you can always try it and find out if it is for you. One thing we know for certain: there will always be an office space for lease, in your city, waiting for you to sign the lease should you opt out of your home office experiment.
A final word about Box Office Warehouse Suites.
Box Office Warehouse Suites is locally owned and operated, located in the Fort Worth Design District. Call us and inquire about our inexpensive office space, starting at 320-square-feet in size, perfect starter-offices for entrepreneurs just starting out, looking to keep overhead to a minimum. When it comes to commercial property for rent, nobody does it better.
