Operating A Biz From Home

[ROLLACOSTA]

I run a small tree service biz from home .We are only a small firm ,with all the basic kit from chippers /plant to a small office with a computer/files etc everything is based at my home

I am beginning to think and feel that working from home is becoming a bit of a pain there are to many distractions when either working or relaxing and i feel it would benefit me and my company if i could somehow afford to lease business premises.

I believe work should stay at work and home life should stay home life. What are your views on this subject?

 

[fwf]

As you have already found, a home office is good news and bad news. Big savings on overhead, but it takes a great deal of discipline and/or compromise to make it work comfortably.

I've done it for 20 years, but it has only worked because my wife has a job outside of the home. So from 8-5 the house can operate like a real office. But on her off days when I need to work, it can be a very difficult situation.

In the end, it's a decision you will have to make based on your unique situation. Just keep your eyes open and be sure to consider all of the additional costs of maintaining a business office.

Good luck.

 

[Thor's Hammer]

Know where your coming from Rolla, Do the same myself. Renting premises is a dead end over here, probably even worse down where you are. What I have done to give myself some seperation was put a new portacabin outside with the office stuff in. this helps alot, as it keeps your house n home for relaxing in. you need that seperation mate, else work stares you in the face constantly

 

[SteveBullman]

get yourself a nice little shed/chalet at the bottomof the garden rolla. put a nice little woodburner in it, a desk for your computer...and a nice big tittie calendar....sorted

 

[JonnyHart]

Nice that you have that option. We get fined if we park a chipper in our driveway overnight on residential property.

 

[a_lopa]

in the same boat rolla,ive offloaded my truck and chipper to one of my guys places im happy about that.its a big call,maybe things would be easier but i dont know how,one of my pet hates is getting up on the weekend and a chipper,grinder is staring at you.it pisses me off to no end

 

[Ekka]

It's an easy one.

Reduced overheads and increased tax breaks by working from home outweigh the workshop ... but you need to have a balance, a seperate area and some discipline.

We are allowed up to a 4.5t gvm truck at home so that's what I've got. You either have to go real big with the depot or get around a bit smaller from home.

But increasing your overheads will impact on your bottom line. So choose carefully. Personally I love it working from home.

 

[a_lopa]

4.5t, let me guess a canter?

 

[Ekka]

Nope. Have another.

 

[a_lopa]

ill cover all bases from highest to lowest. isuzu,ford trader,diahatsu delta,maybe a mazda

 

[Acer]

At the mo, I've got the office stuff at home and rent an industrial unit a few miles away, but I'm getting rid of it all and moving somewhere cheaper, out in the sticks. The place will include a garage and storage sheds, so everything will be at home. Especially round here, renting stuff isn't cheap. I'm paying £4.50/sq ft/annum for something the size of a double garage. That's not so much of a problem, it's all the other bills that bump the cost up. The one I really resent is business rates - that's another £50/month. The other problem is travel to and from my lockup. The last part of my day, getting to the unit to offload, then getting back home, takes an hour usually for a 10 mile journey, because the whole town is choked from 3.30 till gone 6.

I'm really looking forward to moving.

 

[Ekka]

Na, nope, negative, no!

1998 Toyota Dyna 200 Tipper.

I dont have a chipper either, I have a variety of contractors who chip my stuff, or you can hire 9" chipper, or hire skips etc.

If I wanted a chipper I'd most likely need at least a 9" then I'd need a bigger truck then I'd have to move out to acreage or get a depot then I'd have to either charge more or turnover more.

If I had to turnover more I'd have to advertise more, maintenance costs would escalate, I'd possibly need a log truck as that's mainly what my truck carries which is now the chipper truck, then I'd need another staff and on and on the headache goes.

Get big, a lot bigger ... or stay smaller and manage well.

I get a 12m3 skip bin for $380 or 2 hours of chipping or a 9" chipper for the day. Either way I do the sums I'm better off the way I am except I don't have full control as I would if had had it all ... but do you really have full control? You still rely on staff.

So the 90's saw the boom of home businesses and now we are seeing the rebuff, regulations to reduce noise, visual impact, machinery, pollution, etc etc ... your neighbours don't like living next door to a depot. Got to be carefull.

 

[Jim1NZ]

I totally agree with Ekka, and i have seen his set up, and its one of the best i have seen.

It all comes down to what you really want.

The positives and negatives are all above.

 

[a_lopa]

the rattlegun at 7am doing the stump teeth LOL,and a mini compressor going nuts trying to keep up.

 

[ROLLACOSTA]

''i just love the smell of diesel and oil first thing in the morning and the sight of chippers and trucks before i go to bed''

 

[fwf]

''i just love the smell of diesel and oil first thing in the morning and the sight of chippers and trucks before i go to bed''

Reminds me of another intangible benefit of working from home -- all of your equipment, tools, records, etc. etc. are right there with you. Probably a lot more secure than off in some remote location.

 

[Thor's Hammer]

quick snap through my back door (sigh)

 

[darkstar]

work it from home if you can ...try to elimanate the things about working from home that bother you ... i built a concrete shed to house all my saws etc. in .... it has a good venting system ... we poured the walls of solid crete ...no breakins no gas fumes ...

 

[Ekka]

And a place to hide for the day after!

 

[darkstar]

deffinatly .... yo ekka i worked the bluies for one year ...loved the pay ...but those gums are slippery as....dark