Where is Your HQ?

Before your business gets fulling rolling you will want to give some thought into where your team will be located. You can decide to have an office, work from home, or sign up at a co-working space. You also should think about where your team members will work as you grow the business. If your team will not be located with you, then you need to figure out how and when you will meet in person, if at all. The COVID-19 pandemic has upended expectations for company locations, and everything may change when the virus is controlled. Either way, your want your approach on this subject to be deliberate and not something where you just wing it when new team members are needed.

The first decision around your business location starts with you. Where do you want to work each day? Do you even have choices if you are reading this post and it is still COVID times? Try to think about how you are most productive. Is that with headphones on jamming away on your own? Do you need a quiet place you can make phone or Zoom calls all day? Or do you perform better with other people in the room to feed off their energy? Beyond what is best for you, make sure to consider your budget. Co-working places generally cost $50–150 per person monthly. They also usually come with benefits for your business beyond just a place to sit. There might be networking opportunities or business services, make sure to factor those into your decision too.

As you add other people to your business, do you want them right next to you where you can coordinate all day or do you feel comfortable with them being in a different location? If working separately is acceptable, think about how often you will want to meet in person. It is fine if you say “not necessary” but make this a choice not an afterthought. If your co-founders or employees are not in the same place as you, you might want to consider a plan to meet up in person on a regular basis. Even as the video conferencing options are rapidly improving, there is typically no substitute for being in the same room to get the team on mission.

More businesses today are choosing to be fully remote, and I think this will be powerful for some. To be successful remotely, you will need to put in place a strong onboarding process to ensure your business culture and processes are persistent. Consider who new team members will need to meet virtually to do their job and how they will feel welcome. Also consider what equipment they may need to work from home. Put the effort in upfront to make this a smooth process.

Thanks for reading today’s post. Sorting these issues out upfront will help avoid confusion or missed expectations in the future.