Pitfalls of Home Working

In today’s technological age it is easy to assume that working from home would be both easy to arrange and to implement. Working from home is particularly attractive if you are setting up your own business, however it is not as straight forward as it might appear at first glance. It seems logical; after all using your home as a base would eliminate the time and cost involved in finding the right premises, it would also negate the need to worry about being tied into a long lease. However, deciding to use your home as your workplace can cause complications in terms of your mortgage or rental agreement and your insurance policy; you may also be liable for business rates on council tax on the part of the property that is used for business and if you own the property designating part of it as being purely for business use could also result in you having to pay capital gains tax if the property is sold.

Karen Pugh, facilities manager, at Enterprise North East has these words of warning for those planning to work from home, "As well as the practical issues of working from home, it is important to realise that working from home can be an isolating experience and is not for everyone. At the Enterprise Business Centres we often hear from people who have tried working from home and, whilst when they start out they are aware of the advantages, these quickly become outweighed by the disadvantages that they encounter."

"We’ve met people who have found that working from home caused problems in their home and social lives. Some people find it difficult to strike the right balance between home and work. Others have children who don’t understand the fact that the computer at home is for Mum or Dad’s work and is not a toy - leading to arguments, frustration and disillusionment for all concerned. For some, quite simply, it is an extremely lonely thing to do and they miss the motivational aspect of working in an office environment. One of the many benefits that our tenants comment on is meeting people who are in similar situations to themselves and having the possibility to discuss business issues."

Enterprise North East is one of the largest providers of purpose built offices, workshop units and meeting rooms across the North East with Business Centres in Aberdeen, Inverurie, Westhill, Banff, Ellon, Fraserburgh, Huntly, Peterhead and Aboyne.

Karen continues, "Taking office space at a business centre is often the perfect solution for those who have tried working from home and found that it is not for them or for those who want office space but not the hassle that goes along with trying to find something to suit their requirements. We are able to offer immediate entry to fully serviced office space with minimal start up costs and with flexible contracts. Research undertaken by Enterprise has shown that it can be up to 50% cheaper to take 500 square feet of office space in Enterprise’s Riverview Centre in Aberdeen city centre than it would be to take the same amount of space in a conventional office lease in a similar city location. For those just setting up their own business or expanding into the north east, the availability of this type of accommodation at a fixed monthly cost means that they don’t need to spend precious time hunting for suitable premises in the correct location with appropriate contract terms."

"Enterprise also offers a reception service in the company’s name, secretarial services and access to meeting rooms and equipment, these can help a new company be up and running very quickly and give the appearance of being well established; something that is invaluable when building a new business and attracting clients. Other practical benefits to taking space at a Business Centre include the fact that the centres are fully serviced so tenants do not have to think about the mundane aspects of having an office such as arranging cleaners or gardeners to ensure that their office projects the right image, this is all provided for them, allowing them to concentrate on their business."

Enterprise’s flagship Riverview Centre in central Aberdeen offers top spec fully serviced offices for organisations of all sizes from one person to twelve. The all inclusive monthly fee includes rent, rates, utilities, telephone answering, secretarial support and access to professional meeting and conference rooms. Telephone 01224 289700 to arrange a visit.

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